From the Editors:

Thank you for reading Issue 6 of Cropped — our first issue in a post-“Lemonade” world (we've both been listening nonstop).

This month has been busy for both of us. Maria ran a half marathon, and Marina has taken on some extra creative projects.

As a result, we've been thinking about our own lives, and about Cropped, and come to the same conclusion: We need a little reflection break in order to make ourselves and Cropped the best they can be.

We're going to take the next two months to think about Cropped in depth, the many possibilities for the site and how we can grow this supportive community beyond the issues we publish each month. We'd love your feedback during this time: What would you like to see from us? What would be the best way for you to read Cropped stories in the future?

We'll keep you updated on our thoughts. Cropped isn't taking a break — just the issues are! Please continue to submit your own stories and interact with us on social media; we have some exciting ideas about ways to stay connected during our publishing break.

One way we'd like to stay in touch relates to our personal needs for reflection time. We are committed to taking at least some time each week to fully relax — read a book, watch a mindless TV show, be outside, whatever it might be. It's so easy to schedule a full week of activities with no breaks! We're hoping that making it more intentional is going to help. We'll be posting our “do nothing” breaks with the hashtag #CroppedTimeOff, and we'd love to see your posts with that hashtag, too. We'll re-post some of them to keep us all connected and inspired!

Thank you for reading Cropped, and we'll be excited to deliver an amazing new issue in August. Until then, enjoy some time off (and our latest recommendations below)!

Xo,
Maria and Marina

ON OUR MINDS

Maria:

I just discovered the podcast “2 Dope Queens,” and I can't get enough of it. It's billed as a comedy podcast, and it's definitely funny, but I feel like I've learned important lessons from the hosts Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson, too. Mainly, how important it is to look at life with a sense of humor sometimes, instead of obsessing about every decision.

Another recent discovery that I'm late to: the “Ask Polly” column in New York Magazine. It answers questions about life and love I didn't even know I had. This one is my favorite so far: “You are here. Sit down. Feel your potential in this moment. You have accepted too little for too long. That is changing today. Breathe in. Draw a picture of yourself. Tape it to the wall, with the words: YOU ARE HERE. You are here. Cherish yourself.”

Marina:

This is a photo series I was introduced to a year or two ago, but I recently stumbled upon it again and was captivated. Since 1974, photographer Lucy Hilmer has been taking a self portrait on her birthday in just her underwear, socks and shoes. I found it refreshing to see this woman — to see her openness, to see her age, to see her as she sees herself. This journey called life can seem daunting, but these photos of someone else’s experience are a nice reminder that the journey is what it’s all about.

Although it’s far from realistic for me right now, I have been thinking lately about what it would mean to purchase property — to invest in a place. At what point in growing up is this possible? Logical? In this essay for Lenny Letter, Jami Attenberg writes about buying a home in New Orleans: “It always feels crazy right before your life changes, but I don't think you should question the crazy; you should embrace it.”