Notice anything different this Monday?!
Welcome to the refreshed Megan’s Monday Motivation!
At the beginning of this year, while on maternity leave (and once Ben was sleeping a little more consistently!), I got a burst of creative energy and motivation to do something I’ve wanted to do for a while: refresh the look of this newsletter.
Over the past few months, I’ve been working with the talented designer Madeline la Rosa Designs and web developer Amanda Hawkins to update the visual identity of Megan’s Monday Motivation. My goal was simple: to create something that felt more reflective of the newsletter today than the version I put together back in 2019.
As we worked through inspiration images, fonts, colors and design concepts, I found myself reflecting less on what I wanted the newsletter to look like and more on what it has come to mean to me.
When I started Megan’s Monday Motivation in October 2019, I was 25, living by myself in Chicago and looking for a creative outlet.
At the time, I remember feeling like I wanted to add something to my life. A few years had passed since college, friends were moving away or settling into new seasons, work was busy and I wanted a reason to write that had nothing to do with my job.
I got the idea for this newsletter on a walk to work one day and could NOT stop thinking about it.
So, on a whim one weekend, I created it.
Sitting at the small table in my apartment’s kitchen, I was amazed at how quickly the format flowed out of me and the idea took shape. I didn’t spend much time thinking about logos, colors, websites or long-term plans because, honestly, I assumed my mom and grandma would be the primary readers. I certainly didn’t imagine that I’d still be writing it years later!
But now, I love what this newsletter has become.
Over the years, family members, friends, coworkers have reached out after reading an edition to share a similar experience, recommend a book or continue a conversation that started in the newsletter. It’s created opportunities to connect on a deeper level than we might have in day-to-day interactions. For something I originally thought only my mom and grandma would read, that has been one of the best surprises.
This newsletter has also seen me through so much change: dating, meeting Matt, getting engaged, getting married, moving cities, becoming a mom, changing jobs…
When I look back at old editions, I don’t just see essays (and writing that has certainly improved over the years!)… I see snapshots of a life.
Somewhere along the way, what started as a creative outlet became the way I record seasons.
And not just of major milestones, but also the everyday moments in between. I see goals I was working toward, books I couldn’t stop talking about, routines I was trying to establish and worries that felt enormous at the time but eventually worked themselves out.
In many ways, the newsletter has become like a digital scrapbook. Not of perfectly curated memories, but of thoughts, reflections and lessons learned in real time.
Having a reason to write each week – simply for fun! – encourages me to pay attention and ask questions I might otherwise rush past.
- Why did that book resonate with me?
- What made that month feel meaningful?
- What am I learning in this season?
- How do I want to spend my time?
It might seem a little silly to invest in updated branding for something that doesn’t make money. (And in fact, it’s the opposite – it’s something I pay to do.)
But when I think about the value it’s added to my life, the investment feels easy to justify.
The new branding feels like a reflection of what Megan’s Monday Motivation has become. I’ve evolved, my writing has evolved and now the look of the newsletter has now evolved too.
Seven years later, I’m grateful that one weekend project has become something I still look forward to every Monday.
And I’m even more grateful that you’ve chosen to read along! Thank you for being here.
Here’s to happier Mondays!
