Uhhh u still there?

Hey besties, it’s been a long time since I wrote anything here. If we’re counting, it’s been over a year and a half, right after I published my Right Love, Wrong Time.

I thought I’d get back to it ASAP, I just needed to get my energy back after launching it. With time, other projects and issues took over, and well, I absolutely abandoned this space.

I thought about it often.

I thought about it a lot around February 2024, when a girl I didn’t previously know, who lived in a town pretty far away from mine, told me she read it. I almost picked it back up then. But there was always something else… something more urgent, something that sounded more “productive”, something else to focus on.

It’s not like I’ve stopped writing, or creating, which you’d know if you’ve seen my Instagram. But I haven’t shared almost any writing in a loooong time.

I thought about it again a few months ago. I really wanted to share the things I was learning, but it felt weird. How could I just show up, as if I’d never left, and just start talking again?

I’m still asking myself that question, but today, I’m also committing to answering it.

Yesterday, something happened. Something that maybe seems small, but it’s the reason I’m here today. Nat, one of my patternmaking teachers, subscribed to this newsletter. Nat is the first person to subscribe in a LONG time. She sent me a quick email about it, too. It read:

It was a two sentence email. But it lit a fire under me, it reminded me why I started this newsletter in the first place: to share what I’ve learned, am still learning, and will be continue learning, and document it.

And well, I’ve been up to a lot!

Soooo what did I do for the past year and a half?

Are you here for my life update? Maybe not, but I think it’s what I need to do to feel able to write here again.

Dance

I’ve had the craziest year and a half dance-wise. Long story short: last year, me and my six (at the time) students went to a national competition called STAGE, where we classified to their World Cup. We’re going to Punta Cana in October to participate, and we’re working so hard for it. Not only in class, but also to raise the money, get people on board, etc.

As a dance student, I was never able to afford traveling for a competition. This will be the first time my students do it, but it’s going to be my first time as well. So I’ve learned a lot through the process, and of course, my inner child is very excited about it.

This year, we started growing in numbers, RAPIDLY. Right now, I have over double the students I had a year ago. I love them all deeply, and I love how teaching makes me better.

I have a constant voice in my head reminding me that these young girls are watching, and it’s my job to set an example. The example I’m trying to set? It’s got little to do with dance. I care more about showing them:

• You can be creative, and work in creative fields, and have a fulfilling and abundant life.

• You deserve to treat your body with love and gratefulness for everything it allows you to do and how it takes care of you.

• You can do anything you set your mind to, as long as you can manage the voice in your head.

I have students that have been with me for nearly 3 years, and seeing their process has been nothing short of a gift. I’ve seen preteens become teens, teens become adults, but most of all, I’ve been able to see each of them grow into themselves. It’s an honor to have a front row seat to their lives.

Pienso Puedo

Back when I started the newsletter, I had barely started working with my mom on her psychology clinic, Pienso Puedo. She’d been in business for almost 30 years with absolutely 0 marketing aside from mouth to mouth referrals, and she was doing good. But I had a vision to change that, and get us onto the internet so we could grow further.

From 2022 to now, we’ve grown our TikTok account to almost 11.5k followers, a newsletter with around 1200 subscribers, and expanded our operations to other Latin American countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, and more.

As a coach in the clinic, I’ve had the chance to work with kids ranging from 6 to 17 years old, teaching them social skills, emotional regulation, and how to manage bullies in an assertive way. This work feels so purposeful, as in purpose-full. It’s extremely moving to see how children and teenagers take the reins of their own lives at such a young age.

And the biggest plot twist: after working as a Marketing Director and Coach at Pienso Puedo from 2022 to 2025, I finally (!!!) in February went back to college to pursue a psychology degree. I’m still in my first semester, but I’m so excited about it. It takes humility to be a 25 year-old college freshman, but I appreciate the clarity and maturity I’m coming into it with.

Sewing/Patternmaking

When I was 10 years old, my mom made my dress for my 1st communion. I became obsessed with the concept of sewing, and that Christmas, I got my very first sewing machine. But my mom didn’t feel confident enough in her skills to teach me, and we couldn’t afford classes.

So it sat unused in a closet for almost 13 years.

In December of 2023, I said “Enough. I’ve always wanted to do it, every year I say I’ll learn, and time keeps passing by. So now I’M REALLY DOING IT!”

Armed with YouTube, a 2010 sewing machine, and a bit of muslin, I made my first tote bag. I felt so proud. But what I really wanted was to make patterns, design my own clothes, and sew garments. So about one month into teaching myself, I decided to pursue classes.

You have no idea how lucky I got. I found who I’m convinced is the best patternmaking teacher in Guatemala, and in a few months, I felt very confident in both my patternmaking and sewing skills. Later, I discovered the indie pattern designer space: an online community filled with creative people designing patterns digitally and selling them.

Very soon after, I decided I wanted in. I saved up some money and invested in THEEE digital patternmaking course, CPMG. Since November, I’ve been working hard on perfecting my first pattern, the seven blouse and dress. The help of my teachers, Victoria, Nat, and Jess, has been invaluable throughout every step of this process.

Now, it’s finally close to being done! After many samples, many obstacles, and many lessons, I can finally see the finish line coming into view. I’m so excited about it, and I’ll tell you more about this process very soon.

Writing

We started by talking about writing, so I thought we could close it out the same way.

I’ve kept writing poems after publishing Right Love, Wrong Time, although at a significantly lower speed than I used to. Turns out having your emotions in check most of the time and being in a healthy relationship makes poetry less urgent. Who knew?

However, I’ve learned a lot more about copywriting, about prose writing, about fiction writing, and more.

Here’s some projects I’ve been working on:

• I’m writing a children’s book, it’s still in its early drafts.

• I’m cowriting a nonfiction book with my mom, which I’m very excited about.

• I’m starting the first draft for a novel for the first time in a long time. The idea for it LITERALLY came to me in a dream, so you know it’s gotta be good.

• Last year, I completed my first draft for my second poetry collection, which I still have to revise heavily, but a complete draft is a big step!

• Of course, I’m still trying to sell copies of Right Love, Wrong Time. If you want a copy, let me know, cause I’d be glad to get one in your hands!

And well, now we’re officially back here too.

I could tell you a lot more about everything that’s happened. This has been a very transformative period in my life. But maybe we’ll leave that for next week.

If you’re still here, thank you!

And if you read aaaaall the way down here, thank you even more!

Promise the next email will be more than a life update. And hey, if there’s anything I’ve shared so far which you’d want me to tell you about, please do let me know! Do you guys want poems? Essays? Life advice? Project updates? Let me know! I can always use ideas, especially if they come from those who actually want to read them.

I love you, thank you for being here <3

-Vale