Organizing With ADHD: Book Review & My Top 5 Tips

Happy Tuesday, intrepid explorers of the interior realms!

(That's my new name for people cleaning out their closets.)

So I don't have ADHD, but most of my friends I help with organizing do. Organizing is a passion of mine, so for years I've barreled through various friends' homes, trying to make the systems I use work for them. And for years, far too often, I've watched those systems fail.

Listen, I love a good mess. The bigger the piles in the smaller the space, the more excited I get. Even so, I reached a string of projects where nothing I did seemed to be working anymore. My neatly labeled containers were quickly buried in mountains of clutter. I'd leave a space pristine, only to come back and find empty counters filled again, neatly hung clothing strewn in piles, stacks of bins unstacked and scattered ... in short, my organizing efforts felt like a band-aid on a tidal wave. I knew I was doing something wrong, but what?

Then I realized the one common denominator: everyone I was working for at the time had ADHD. A-ha! And since ADHD brains see and process things differently, it makes sense that they organize differently, too.

So I got to work. I did as much online research as I could, but quickly became frustrated. So many click-bait videos and articles, so little help.

Then I went old-school, and bought an actual book. This book:

Organizing Solutions For People With ADHD


It has rave reviews and multiple re-prints, so I was beyond excited to inhale the whole thing. Finally. Answers!

Within a few pages I realized this book is for people with ADHD, not for people trying to help people with ADHD. The advice it gives is brutal and matter-of-fact, with zero allowance for things like mental health, retail therapy, collections, etc. And because it's not aimed at the helpers, it also doesn't give any advice on how to start conversations about, say, purging. It just tells you to purge.

In fact the #1 tool in author Susan Pinsky's arsenal is purging. In many cases it is the only tool she offers, instructing the reader to purge as much as 80% of a given space. Listen, if you only have 4 pots in an entire kitchen cabinet, then you don't need an organizing strategy:

 

 

... which of course is her whole point.

 The book is filled with before-and-afters, each one with the "inventory" reduced to comically Spartan levels:

C'mon. No one is going to do this.

[Correction: from the comments I've learned some people DO do this, and love it. So don't let my disbelief stop you!]

With that said - and admitting I argued OUT LOUD with this book in every single chapter - Organizing Solutions did open my eyes to what I was doing wrong. It clearly explains why and how organizing is difficult for people with ADHD, and that perspective shift alone was worth the price.

With this new understanding came a whole new way of looking at organizing. Now I see why my methods won't work for an ADHD brain. I don't have all the solutions yet, but at least I can see the puzzle more clearly.

And with that loooong intro, let me share my 5 Top Take-Aways from Organizing Solutions For People With ADHD.

First, the easiest and most effective tip you can implement in 2 seconds:

Cartoon Shoes, Alien TP, & The Cutest Mini Moon Knight

Happy Tuesday, adventurers! I come bearing treasure from the distant wilds of the spidery inter-webs.

Also this photo of a yard here in Florida:

(pic by Sherry K, friend of a FoE.)

Just 'cuz.

:D

 

Starting with the latest custom kicks by the queen of cell-shading herself, Ginoza Costuming:

HEART-EYES

 

These are themed to the new Borderlands video game Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, which I can't wait to play with John. 

Even if you're not a fan of the game, though, who wouldn't want cartoon shoes? Here are more Brittani's painted:

 

You can see more - including Brittani's internationally acclaimed cosplay - at the Ginoza Costuming Facebook page. (Srsly, prepare to have your jaw drop. This woman's got SKILLS.)

*****

Because I'm a sucker for all things glowy and colorful, I bring you the creations of Fiore Di Luce, or Flowers of Light, in Milano, Italy:

My Google Translate isn't working, but I believe these are all handmade by a single couple, Elisabetta & Pier. From the process photos the lamps look like a form of paper fiber stretched over individual wire frames. Amazing.

Their lamps and pendant lights come in all sorts of fantastical floral designs, plus there are a few with butterfly wings:

Hey! Read This If Your Hands Go Numb When You Look At Your Phone

We're a tech-heavy crowd here - by which I mean we're on our phones and computers a lot - so I bet some of you have your hands go numb while you're typing or looking down. Am I right?

My fingers started going numb probably 4-5 years ago, usually while I slept. I'd wake up and shake my hands around wildly to get the feeling back, not realizing the problem wasn't in my wrists, but my neck. Eventually I learned that a few neck twists looking over my shoulders would bring the feeling back, but even then I blamed it on tight shoulder muscles, and didn't think much of it.

Over the years the numbness got worse, though, so I finally did some Googling and found a name: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Even better, I found a diagram showing exactly where the problem is:

via Johns Hopkins

The culprits are the scalene muscles, which connect the neck to the clavicle. Things like "tech neck" and poor posture cause the muscles to tighten over time, pulling in the clavicle and constricting the nerves underneath against the top rib. The result is hand and arm numbness, tinging, pain, etc. (I'm not a doctor, of course, so hit that link to Johns Hopkins to learn more.)

The diagram was a revelation. Now when parts of my hand went numb I stopped simply twisting my neck - which was working less and less - and instead banged on my neck with my knuckles, all over the scalene area. This worked like a charm, but never lasted long. As soon as I lifted my arms or looked down at my phone again, the numbness would come back. It shifted around, too; sometimes my thumb and forefinger were out, other times the entire pinky side of my hand. My fingers would also ache from time to time, deep down.

I mentioned the numbness to our chiropractor many times, but nothing he did ever helped. So save your dollars if you're considering chiropractic; TOS is a muscle issue.

Over the years the numbness went from an occasional nuisance in the morning to an almost constant impediment. I was stopping over a dozen times a day to bang on my neck, and when we volunteered as painters a few months back my hands were so numb I couldn't hold the brush without stopping every few feet, for fear of dropping it. I knew that TOS doesn't cause permanent damage, so I wasn't worried, but it was so. dang. frustrating.

Now here's where we turn to the good news. Yayyyy.

If you've researched Thoracic Outlet Syndrome then you know the recommended treatment option of "physical therapy" is annoyingly vague. I couldn't find any recommended stretches or exercises, just repeated recommendations of "physical therapy." Harrumph. I'd been doing yoga almost every night since before Christmas, but that wasn't helping, no matter how many neck and shoulder stretches I did. So with the only other options being surgery or nerve blocks, I finally caved and asked John to find a physical therapist.

We were directed to an osteopath, which is a doctor who uses "physical manipulation" in addition to conventional medicine. Osteopaths aren't as common here in the U.S. as they are in Europe, but I'd heard good things. (It was an osteopath in the Netherlands who helped my mom recover full range of motion in her arm decades after a car accident, something no other doctor or chiropractor had been able to do.)

As soon as I sat on the table the osteopath and his assistant raised my arm, tilted my head back and to the side, and took my pulse. How's this for fascinating, y'all: because TOS constricts blood flow as well as nerves, they can diagnose TOS by a diminished pulse. They could even tell that my left arm was worse than my right, just by my pulse! So within two minutes I had an official diagnosis of "severe" TOS. Not the worst he'd ever seen, but definitely bad.

This is getting kinda long, so as the TikTokkers say, let me skip to the good part.

I've had one 15-minute treatment a week for 6 weeks, and while I'm not fixed yet, I'm happy to report my hands only go numb a few times a day now. Considering it took most of my adult life to develop TOS, this much improvement in a month and half is incredible, and honestly more than I hoped for.  It's actually more frustrating now when my fingers go numb, because I'm not used to them being numb all the time anymore - and that's a wonderful feeling.

I also won't keep you in suspense; I'm going to tell you what the treatment is. Mostly because it is absolutely fascinating, and something I couldn't find online. Hopefully this will help if you're considering physical therapy yourself.

It's, uh, also quite painful. The description may bother you a bit if you're squeamish.

As the doc explained it to me, the scalene muscles are too tight and need to be stretched, but there's no way we can stretch them ourselves. Instead we need a doctor to stretch the muscles for us.

To do this, the doc pulls my arm out at a right angle, applying constant pressure, and uses his other hand to dig his fingers in above my collar bone. He gets a grip around the collar bone with hooked fingers, and yanks. He uses all his strength, bracing his foot on the table below me and leaning back with his body weight. Then he stays like that, for several, excruciating minutes.

It hurts, y'all. And apparently it looks like this:

My First Asian Lantern Festival: "Into The Wild"

Happy Friday, you ferocious firecracker! Have you smiled yet today?

If not, I got you:

Last weekend John and I visited our first ever Asian Lantern Festival at the Central Florida Zoo. These lighted festivals are apparently all the rage in zoos across the U.S. but I'm told ours is an especially snazzy example. Even better, this particular exhibit, "Into The Wild," travels! So some of you have seen these exact displays in your state, and some of you might see them soon. I love that, really spreads the joy around.

If you can't watch the video where you are right now, never fear; I also have photos, and there's so much more to see! I tried to video the ones with a lot of motion, but I took regular pics for the rest.

A line of giant candy-colored snails greeted us in the parking lot. Peep that reflection in the pond!

The entry is flanked by these froggy friends:

If you saw my video, you know they blink! ("JOHN, THEY BLINK!! YES I KNOW I'M BEING TOO LOUD.") Going in I only expected a few static displays, so this was my first inkling that we were in for something special.

These festivals are a DELIGHT to photograph, because by the time you lower the exposure enough to capture the colors, all the people in frame practically disappear.

("De-light"? See what I did there?)

The narrow entry path was flanked by lighted cacti, snakes, and even a giant scorpion and spider. This iguana was my favorite, though:

Our Project Reveal At "Give Kids The World"!

Hiya! Remember when I mentioned this last month?

Our friend Arielle is a theme park designer, and she does some really cool volunteer work, like this mystery project. And since the big grand opening was a few weeks ago, now I get to show you what it is, and what we did!

The cave tunnel is at Give Kids The World, the free charity resort for children with life-threatening illnesses. They have a little train ride there called the JJ Express, which recently got a Jurassic themed makeover. The cave tunnel was turned into an archeological dig, complete with faux dinosaur bones and - here's where we come in - cave paintings.


A quick peek at the train ride from GKTW's Facebook page.

The cave paintings needed to look like real cave paintings, so something like this:

... but they also needed to be paintings of dinosaurs.

(Don't come for me, historians, GKTW is a place of wonder and whimsy, aight? :p)

The three of us were given free rein on the designs, but that much responsibility freaked us out, ha. So thankfully one of the project directors e-mailed some sketches to use. We took the sketches, projected them onto the walls, and arranged a story scene.

We traced everything with chalk, then filled in with extras like footprints and hand prints.

Arielle brought 3 different paint colors: we used one for the fire, one for the people, and one for the dinos.

Let's Visit The Exclusive Disney Store Where NO TOURISTS Are Allowed

I got to do something SUPER COOL the other week, y'all.

For the first time in maybe 20 years, I visited Cast Connection and Property Control! WOOHOOO!

Don't worry if you don't know what that is; few people do. This is the one store on Disney property they DON'T want you to see, because it's not for us, it's for cast members. Happily WDW just started allowing CMs to bring friends and family in again, though, so our friend (& FoE) Robin brought John and I out for a visit.

The bargain shopping is obviously the biggest draw, but if you're a park nerd like me then you'll find an even bigger treat just inside the warehouse doors: a whole room of giant, park-used shop displays, all lining the walls:

OMIGOSH.

Sorry I don't have a person in there for scale, but this Mickey is a good 6 or 7 feet tall!

Someone there told us he's from the Main Street Emporium.

I think this Goofy is from the World of Disney (aka WOD) at Disney Springs; I remember a lot of the big figures there having this nifty metallic finish:

Really makes the colors glow, right?

Easy to tell where this one's from:

"More Than A Body": The Book I'd Like Every Body To Read

Back in 2019 I published "No Pictures, Please: The Thing About My Face," and started a long overdue conversation here about self-hate. It was... eye-opening. No, it was more than that. It was a revelation. It turns out I wasn't alone, or even in the minority; it turns out most of us don't like the way we look, and our struggles range from nagging to life-destroying.

Since then I've been plugging away at my "Self-Hate Battle Plan", a 7-pronged approach I came up with to combat self-hate. My progress has ebbed and flowed, but slowly and surely, I'm both recognizing and knocking the teeth out of the lies I used to live by.

One of the best parts of my plan was following Beauty Redefined on Instagram, a non-profit run by two PhD-holders advocating "body image resilience." Unlike Body Positivity, which wants everyone to know their bodies are beautiful, Body Image Resilience wants everyone to know they are more than their bodies. It's a seemingly subtle shift that makes an enormous difference, and I've found this approach so much more meaningful than #BoPo alone.

Beauty Redefined is run by twin sisters Lindsay & Lexie Kite, and they recently published a book. This book:

More Than A Body: Your Body Is An Instrument, Not An Ornament

I've just finished reading it, and I have 5 pages of notes and THINGS TO SAY. :D

First, this book is not a page-turner. It won't make you laugh. It's not even very comforting at first. In fact if this is your first introduction to a Body Image Resilience approach then I'm willing to bet this book will make you mad, or at least want to argue. I know I did, back when I first started following Lindsay & Lexie on IG. They have controversial stances on everything from the "wellness" industry to dress codes to sharing before-and-after weight loss pics.

So why should you read a book that's probably going to tick you off?

Because this book offers hope. Not the short-term, quick-fix kind of hope promised by the latest miracle fad, but a lasting hope that shows us how to get off the merry-go-round of shame and self-hate.

Body Image Resilience breaks with just about everything we've ever learned about beauty and self-image, so I'm not about to cram it all into one blog post. That would be too much too fast. I've had two years to sit with my discomfort, to research, to wrestle and ruminate over what I believe and what I want to believe - and I'd like you to have the same option of a slower pace. So instead of cramming everything in, let me just share 2 of my favorite snippets:

Grocery Shopping, But Make It ADVENTURE

John thought of a way to get us out of the house that didn't involve crowds of people OR being outside, so we made a whole afternoon of it:

WE HAVE FUN HERE

The International Food Club is one of those hidden gems you treasure; it's always empty in the late afternoons when we visit, the prices are reasonable, and it has foods, snacks, and drinks from all over the world. It's like a theme park for your mouth, y'all.

 

Also the front door is made of heavy plastic flaps you have to push through like you're in an action movie chasing after the baddies in an abandoned warehouse. BONUS.
 

 I mentioned our grocery haul in my Stories a while back, but now I'm back with REVIEWS. Awww yeeeeeah. Buckle up, gourmands. We may not be able to travel, but at least our taste buds can.

Starting off with my most fascinating find:

Doganay is apparently a popular drink in Turkey. I had one or two people on IG tell me they drank it daily when they lived or visited there.

I expected this to be carbonated, mildly sweet, and sort of kombucha-like.

This... was none of those things.

Witcher Lightsabers, A Macrame Droid Display, & Redefining The "Head"

I've been whining to John this week that my posts don't feel weird enough anymore. Usually most of my snazzalicious geek content comes from our trips to comic conventions or Dapper Day or Slug Club meetups, so as we drag ourselves into the 11th month of lockdown I fear my blog has become, dare I say, boring.

Also here's a skull toilet.

(The Fabulous Weird Trotter)

I like to think the lights turn fiery red when you flush.

 I'm just saying all this transforming closets and making butterfly wreaths feels so... ordinary. So everyday. Where's my niche content? Where's the retro stuff only the coolest people recognize?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by StanWinstonSchool (@stanwinstonschool)

Maybe with a little luck, we'll find some.

I know I'm not the only one missing my con photos and geeky parties and stories of fans getting together to play and laugh and just BE, but for now, all I can do is keep sharing stuff I find that I love.

Like sweet macrame decor:

(ChurrosAndTheChild)

... with a custom painted BB-8 inside. Who says droids can't be Boho Chic?

Then there's Vaults of Valhalla (who I'm sure has a real name, I just can't find it), who makes custom etched lightsabers that will take your breath away. Check out this Witcher themed one:

After Reading 2 Books On Perfectionism, Here Are My Top Fourteen Take-Aways

So hi, you. 

::floomphs down on couch::

How are things? How ya holding up?

John and I are still working offline jobs as often as we can, then balancing work here online and making time for a few fun projects, too. This could be just me, but lately it all feels... a little harder? Anyone else feeling that? Florida just lifted all their Covid restrictions, which had the curious effect of making some of our friends give up social distancing, and others return to total lockdown. John and I work for older and at-risk friends a lot, so we're more on the cautious side. Turning down invites is always awkward, though; no matter where you fall on the social-distancing scale, you still end up feeling judged, right? And that's hard on people-pleasers like me.

Anyway, there's your reminder to give friends & family a lot of grace right now, whether you agree with them or not. We're all just trying to live and love each other the best we can out here.

On a more positive note, the last few weeks I've read a couple of books on perfectionism: why it's bad, how it holds us back, and how to work around it. I also started CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) for the first time, since up 'til now my therapist has been using something called Attachment Theory. (Which has helped enormously, btw.) All of this has me learning some nifty new tools, and I'm kind of amazed how well the stuff I've learned about perfectionism goes with what I'm learning in CBT.

In fact, I've been so impressed that I thought I'd share my top take-aways from those two books: things I wrote down and have been trying to practice/absorb since.

First up, How To Be An Imperfectionist, by Stephen Guise

If you have Amazon Prime you can read this for free on your Kindle. Score!

Now I have to admit, I wasn't going to review this book at first, because the author got on my nerves. He's the usual self-help guru type, always bragging on himself and pitching his last book, and then he only uses illustrations about sports, how much he goes to the gym, or how many women he's asked out. Gah. By the last few chapters I was reading with gritted teeth, and at one point John walked in and burst out laughing at my expression.

BUT.

As much as I disliked reading it, this book really does have some great tips on beating perfectionism: things that made a positive difference for me as soon as the next day.

Harrumph.

So... FINE. 

Here's what I wrote down as I read:

- Emphasize the effort, not the results.
 
For this I've been reminding myself how much more you readers respond when I share my "failures" versus my successes - how the imperfect stuff brings us closer and sparks better conversations.

- When doing something difficult, don't look ahead. Focus on your very next step, and no further. Looking ahead will only overwhelm you and make you want to give up.

I feel this one a LOT. I loooove looking ahead and deciding The Thing is not worth The Effort. So I'm trying to tunnel-vision myself and only look at my feet, so to speak. One step at a time.

- We perfectionists must ignore our current circumstances - meaning how we feel - AND the possible result. Focus instead on the procedure.

Feelings lie. I already knew depression lies, but I'm learning ALL emotions can and do lie, so I can't trust myself when I "don't feel inspired" or "don't feel like" doing something. Most of the time motivation follows action, not the other way around.

- Replace "should" with "could."

Take away the self-condemnation. So when thinking about the past, replace "I should have gone to that party," with "I could have gone to that party." Or replace "I should get back to work now," with "I could get back to work now."

This one has made a noticeable shift in my thinking, y'all. It changes the whip into a hall pass, and makes me feel like I have a choice instead of an obligation. HIGHLY recommend.

- Confidence requires practice, because confidence is comfort. Practice taking up space and striking confident poses, then practice minor "embarrassing" things like wearing something silly or talking to strangers. Get comfortable being awkward, and you will feel more confident.

He cited a study that said people who struck a confident pose for just 2 minutes (hands on hips, head tall) increased their testosterone by 20%. So silly as this sounds, I've been practicing holding my arms out wide when I walk on the treadmill. I don't know what my testosterone thinks about this, but it feels... nice... to take up more space.

Catbusters, Cake Fascinators, & Jareth Drives Us Crazy

Hey. 

You know what we need right now? 

We need Yzma and Kronk sitting in their roller coaster car, where Yzma's lookin' all 2020 grumpy and Kronk's still blissfully 2019.

OH LOOK:

The Emperor's New Groove Sketchbook Ornament from Shop Disney

I don't collect character Christmas ornaments - in fact, I don't think I've ever bought one? - but this may be the exception.  I wouldn't hang it on a tree, of course; I'd have to build a little roller coaster track for it, maybe have it wind around the wall? :D


*****

Mary Jane McGuire combined two of my favorite things: Ghostbusters and cats:

MASS HYSTERIA.

I love the "slime," and how concerned "Ray" is for "Venkman" after.

Hee!

*****

Someone in my Labyrinth fan club just got this sunshade, and I'm preeeetty sure you need to see it:

For me it's the photoshopped steering wheel that really makes it. And you KNOW there's a song parody coming now, right?

Ahem hem hem.

♪ How you turn my world 
you precious thing ♬

I MOVE THIS CAR FOR NO ONE

::bowing::

Thank you, thank you very much.


Someone else in the group posted this link to purchase the shade, but I can't vouch for that website, so shop carefully, k?

*****

My Modern Met is a great page to follow for all things beautiful: art, nature, photography, etc. This next gem isn't geeky per se, but it's gorgeous and inspiring:

15 Black Creators To Follow On Instagram

This has been an intense, history-making week in the Black Lives Matter movement, and through it all one shining light has been the worldwide promotion of so many incredible black content creators. Like many of you I've been spending hours each day browsing hashtags, reading, listening, learning, following, and sharing. And I've found so many gems, you guys. SO MANY. So for those who don't follow my Story on FB or IG, here come some of my favorites.

(Note: This isn't everything from my Story; I also share information or news or links as I see fit. For this post I'm focusing on actual content creators you can follow, though.)

@ColorMeCourtney

I chose this post from Courtney because it includes a handy 5-day action plan in her caption. Go read it if you're looking for a helpful "to-do" list.



@OhHappyDani

You've probably seen Danielle's art a lot over the past several months and just didn't realize it; her work gets shared all over, because it's awesome.



@DapperMinisterOfMagic

I've heard from 3-4 readers who've been following Gerald ever since I featured him back in 2018, and every single one RAVED about him. So it's not just me, y'all. ;)


 
 @gdbee

Another long-time follow for me. Her art is the most vivid eye candy.

Happy Things, Because Wow Do We Need Happy Things Today

This was supposed to be a post about practical ways to reduce anxiety, but ironically I was feeling  too scattered yesterday to finish writing it. I really do try to keep Epbot as our sweet geeky bubble insulated from the ickiness of the real world, but I have to admit, that world is getting to me at the moment. I bet it's getting to some of you, too.

So instead of practical advice, here come a few things that have made me smile through my fear, laugh through my anger, and reminded me there is still good and beauty out there.

*****

Rowena Meadows is a photographer in Australia who roped her family into the most colorful quarantine project I've seen yet - and the longer you look, the better these get:

 

 

 Their prop choices are perfection.

Bahaha! The dad looking at the baby doll cracks me up every time.

This makes me want to do my own series, but just with toys and art and random objects from around the house. That would be such a fun project, right?

But first head to Rowena's IG post to see the rest of her family's color portraits, 'cuz they are so, so worth it.

 *****

Some of you know the DoubleClicks, the sibling duo nerdy music group that gives the BEST live concerts. Obviously they can't do in-person concerts right now,  though, so they put together a virtual one... in Animal Crossing, New Horizons.

Prepare to smile a whole lot:

 

SO CUTE.

*****

About a month ago Weird Secondhand Finds (one of my favorite Facebook groups) had a trend where everyone was posting their collection photos. I LOVE COLLECTION PHOTOS. They're so satisfying, they make me so happy.  I saved a few of my favorites to show you:

Amy's vintage swag lamps:

(Click to embiggen)

This is MAGICAL. Omigosh. And those perfectly spaced brackets are so satisfying.

Ami's vintage Jem collection:

Introducing Epbot Movie Nights!

It's a Big, Momentous, and otherwise adjective-riddled day, my friends.

NOT ONLY am I turning 42 today - thereby leveling up to becoming the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything - but also - ALSO - Epbot (this blog, in case you forgot where you were) turns 10. Ten! Can you believe we've been together a whole decade??

I actually forgot that my first Epbot post was on my birthday, and I CLEARLY did not plan this far in advance, or expect a global pandemic to be in the mix. So I've decided to focus on Epbot's anniversary first, and have my Hitchhiker's-themed birthday party (which you'll all be invited to, don't worry) later this year.

I want to celebrate Epbot first because John and I've been cooking up something new and scary, and it seems appropriate that we announce it on Epbot's 10-year-anniversary, which at the time was ALSO new and scary.

So starting this Friday, May 15th, at 8:30pm EST, I'd like to invite you to the first official Epbot Movie Night over on our shiny new Epbot Discord server.

Don't worry if you have no idea what Discord is; neither did I 'til a few months ago. It's essentially a private online chat room where you can hang with friends, watch movies or games together, and have real-time conversations through text, voice, or even video. Unlike Facebook this is going to let us interact in real time, which I hope will help us feel more connected and seen.

Just think: No algorithms hiding your posts, no waiting for someone to "like" or comment. Instead you click into a virtual space with other real live people and chat about your day, show off pictures of your latest outfit or project, ask questions, lurk and just listen to other people, etc. And because the server is private we shouldn't have many random trolls or meanies wandering through.

Here's how the Epbot Discord looks in action:

8 Super Chill Maker Youtube Channels That Are Completely Addicting

I'm not on YouTube TOO much - it can easily suck my whole day away - but I do have some favorite channels I think you guys are gonna like! Here they come, in no particular order:

1) Rescue & Restore takes old tin toys and makes them look brand new again. His videos are SO SATISFYING, like a balm for your brain when you're feeling frazzled. I mean, first you think the sand-blasting is the shiz, and then he bakes on the enamel paint. DUUUUUUDE. So good.

Here, take a look:

My only complaint is he only has 17 videos so far. Trust me, you'll blow through those fast!

*****

 2) Creative Mom

Creative Mom makes the most incredible fairy houses from upcycled "trash" like plastic soda bottles and cardboard, which she then covers with paper clay. It's fun watching her start with a simple bottle and then 10 minutes later there's this elaborate fairy house (or pirate ship or wagon or whatnot) in front of you.

She's been at this for YEARS, too, so there are tons of magical builds to watch on her channel.

*****

 3) Adam Savage's One Day Builds

Adam is my favorite Maker because of his unabashed enthusiasm; it's pure joy and totally infectious. His One Day Builds are a subsection of Tested's channel, and so far there are 66 of them. Here's one of his more recent ones that's actually his first ever how-to:

These Pokémon Terrariums Turn Nintendo Game Systems Into Magical 3D Worlds

 Y'ALL.

I just found an artist on Instagram doing something I've never seen before - are you ready for this?

 

 LOOKIE

 Jennifer Z. of Oh Honeydew takes custom Nintendo covers - not the actual game system, don't worry! -  and transforms them into the most breathtaking Pokémon terrariums.

 Jennifer creates detailed floral scenes to complement each colored case, with exquisite little trees, flowers, and even mushrooms!

She also put screenshots from the show onto the back screen, so they look like little windows.

C'mon. How magical is this??

This pink, black, and gray color scheme is speaking to my soul. So good.

I think her DS style is my favorite, since it looks like an open book: