It’s Sunday morning coffee time, and the world is filled with COVID-19 news. So while we’re all thinking about staying in more and keeping everyone safe, it’s the perfect time to try something new.

We live in the best time in history for being in our homes during a global pandemic — for so many reasons!

Everything single thing you might want to learn is on YouTube or Khan Academy.

I want to learn to make burrata, which is made from fresh mozzarella. So on my list is cheese making! I also want to learn to sew a cape. And I’ve looked at our untouched piano for years, so it would be nice to play a simple song.

The hard part about learning something new as an adult is that we don’t like to be terrible! And we know what looks terrible (bad art), tastes terrible (a failed cake), sounds terrible (my piano playing).

Here’s the trick: call yourself a beginner. Literally say those words to yourself. As in…

• “I’m a beginner at sewing.”

• “I’m a beginner at writing books.”

• “I’m a beginner at piano.”

Give yourself the beautiful luxury of being a beginner.

Just start. You might fall in love. And you’ll definitely get better.

Enjoy your Sunday and love your age!

Catherine x

PS. Always wanted to write a picture book? I’ve published Jacaranda Snow with a traditional publisher. Then I had a million friends asking to go for coffee to tell them how I did it, and I ran out of time! So I created an e-book with EVERYTHING you need to write a picture book that you could send to a publisher. (If you want to get out of the slush pile and get a deal, these basics are critical.) Available here, on my author’s website. You can download & start now. Happy writing!