I saw what was happening in the Persian Gulf and asked why. The result is a 12-minute video essay on a 1974 handshake deal between the US and Saudi Arabia, how it quietly became the engine of American economic dominance, and how that engine is starting to break down. Researched, scripted, and produced solo over six weeks. Features nearly 20 motion graphics and 4 fully animated segments built in After Effects, with the final cut assembled in Premiere Pro.
I wrote original post and newsletter copy across LinkedIn, Facebook, and Substack for Ditch the Ditty, a published women's lifestyle brand. Each piece is in brand voice, paired with custom companion graphics designed in Canva. I monitored post performance throughout to inform content and aesthetic decisions.
…The Golden Ticket arrives disguised as a marvelous opportunity, promising connections, career development, and a bright future. It's your chance to shine, your stepping stone to great things ahead—but when the shine wears off, you might find yourself right where you started, minus free time and energy…
…Hot (Sweet) Potato: Someone's in the kitchen crafting a mashed potato masterpiece when they realize there's no more butter! They turn to you and ask you to handle it, but you've got your own problems hosting, cleaning, and so on. Don't: Drop everything and run to the store. Do: Delegate to someone who doesn't have a lot of "everything" to drop…
✨ All that glitters… Might be a ditty in disguise.
This week's Ditty Disguise is the Golden Ticket, an especially devious ditty that hijacks your brain's FOMO centers to make you say "yes" to the stress.
The Golden Ticket arrives disguised as a marvelous opportunity, promising connections, career development, and a bright future. It's your chance to shine, your stepping stone to great things ahead—but when the shine wears off, you might find yourself right where you started, minus free time and energy.
Before you decide to cash in your Golden Ticket, ask yourself:
🎫 Am I interested in the journey, or just the destination?
🎫 What will I really lose if I pass this up?
And, most importantly:
🎫 If it's so great, why aren't they doing it?
The next time you find yourself being handed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could turn out less than golden, consider getting off that train before it leaves the station. 🚂
The Thanksgiving Day Charade
Serve your gratitude with attitude.
Is everyone feeling thankful?
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, bringing with it a tidal wave of seasonal responsibilities (many of them suspiciously Ditty-shaped). Even worse, most of these responsibilities are going to end up on women's plates.
While others are sitting on the couch watching football, we're usually the ones behind the scenes making the magic happen—hosting the gatherings (how many Friendsgivings do we need to have?), cooking the food, sweeping up pie crumbs, etc.
It's our job to be the gracious host, the talented chef, the delicious baker, the tireless cleaner and much more—probably all at once.
And yet, strangely, nobody ever seems appropriately grateful for all the planning and hard work that goes into making a great Thanksgiving celebration.
An Invitation to Dabble with Ditching
The Case of the Missing Casserole
Someone has a last minute emergency and has to cancel. It's your aunt, the one with the famous green bean casserole that's the main reason everyone comes to Thanksgiving in the first place.
Don't: Try to become a last-minute protege and take up the mantle of casserole queen.
Do: Let someone else who has the time handle it, or accept that Thanksgiving will still be delicious (but maybe slightly less so).
The Hot (Sweet) Potato
Someone's in the kitchen crafting a mashed potato masterpiece when they realize there's no more butter! They turn to you and ask you to handle it, but you've got your own problems hosting, cleaning, and so on.
Don't: Drop everything and run to the store.
Do: Delegate to someone who doesn't have a lot of "everything" to drop.
The Bottom Line?
Sacrificing your sanity for a celebration is like baking a pumpkin pie and not getting a slice before it's gone. Sometimes, it's better not to give 100%.
With that in mind, try setting aside a piece for yourself before the whole thing starts—metaphorically or literally.
With loving irreverence (and a side of cranberry sass),
Miriam, Lindsey & Molly
…Be honest. Tell them your initial agreement was made unwisely, but now you've had a sudden attack of wisdom and you've realized your mistake. If you've found yourself in a sticky situation, don't be afraid to stir the pot and realign your responsibilities with your capabilities. The results will be enchanting.
…not all "nos" are created equal. If you're not sure how much "no" you need, refer to our handy "no"-ometer.
Level 1: No, but how might WE…?
"I can't, but I know someone who might be able to."
Level 11: Hell No!
"No, and don't ever ask me again."…
🧙♀️ Ready to brew up some magic?
Ditching Ditties isn't always as simple as saying "no" to a new request. If you're like us, your life is probably full of Ditties that you took on before you even learned what a Ditty was. Getting rid of these can be harder than keeping them out in the first place, but it's not impossible. It just requires a little bit of Ditty Alchemy ⚗️ to transform your old "yes" into a bright, shiny new "no".
Your Ditty-dispelling brew might include ingredients like:
🧪 The Reconsidered Refusal: You've given it some more thought, and you've realized you're unable to commit to your initial "yes".
🧪 The Changing Circumstances: Unforeseen changes to your situation have made it impossible to fulfill your "yes".
🧪 The Priority Pivot: A new responsibility requires your full attention, and you won't be able to give your "yes" the energy it requires.
🧪 The Call-in-Well: Be honest. Tell them your initial agreement was made unwisely, but now you've had a sudden attack of wisdom and you've realized your mistake.
If you've found yourself in a sticky situation, don't be afraid to stir the pot and realign your responsibilities with your capabilities. The results will be enchanting. 🔮
Saying "no" is the first step to Ditty ditching, but not all "nos" are created equal. If you're not sure how much "no" you need, refer to our handy "no"-ometer. 🌡️
🚫 Level 1: No, but how might WE…?
"I can't, but I know someone who might be able to."
🚫🚫 Level 2: No, but how might YOU…?
"No, I can't drive you, who else could you ask?"
🚫🚫🚫 Level 3: No. Why don't YOU…?
"No, I can't help you move. Why don't you ask your brother?"
🚫🚫🚫🚫 Level 4: No.
"No, I can't do that right now."
🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫 Level 11: Hell No!
"No, and don't ever ask me again."
There's a "no" for every request, as long as you know how to package it. Practicing saying "no" will teach you how to put your foot down just as hard as you need to, guilt-free.
Pitched, scripted, and produced a 90-second animated brand video for Ditch the Ditty, depicting the brand's origin story. The concept paired the brand's millennial scribble-and-collage aesthetic with the narrative pacing and intimacy of storytime animation. Animated in After Effects and Photoshop, then edited in Premiere Pro.
Watch on Ditch the Ditty's LinkedIn →I saw what was happening in the Persian Gulf and asked why. The result is a 12-minute video essay on a 1974 handshake deal between the US and Saudi Arabia, how it quietly became the engine of American economic dominance, and how that engine is starting to break down.
Wrote original post and newsletter copy across LinkedIn, Facebook, and Substack for Ditch the Ditty, a published women's lifestyle brand. Each piece in brand voice, paired with custom companion graphics designed in Canva.
…The Golden Ticket arrives disguised as a marvelous opportunity, promising connections, career development, and a bright future. It's your chance to shine, your stepping stone to great things ahead—but when the shine wears off, you might find yourself right where you started, minus free time and energy…
✨ All that glitters… Might be a ditty in disguise.
This week's Ditty Disguise is the Golden Ticket, an especially devious ditty that hijacks your brain's FOMO centers to make you say "yes" to the stress.
The Golden Ticket arrives disguised as a marvelous opportunity, promising connections, career development, and a bright future. It's your chance to shine, your stepping stone to great things ahead—but when the shine wears off, you might find yourself right where you started, minus free time and energy.
Before you decide to cash in your Golden Ticket, ask yourself:
🎫 Am I interested in the journey, or just the destination?
🎫 What will I really lose if I pass this up?
And, most importantly:
🎫 If it's so great, why aren't they doing it?
The next time you find yourself being handed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could turn out less than golden, consider getting off that train before it leaves the station. 🚂
…Hot (Sweet) Potato: Someone's in the kitchen crafting a mashed potato masterpiece when they realize there's no more butter! They turn to you and ask you to handle it, but you've got your own problems hosting, cleaning, and so on. Don't: Drop everything and run to the store. Do: Delegate to someone who doesn't have a lot of "everything" to drop…
The Thanksgiving Day Charade
Serve your gratitude with attitude.
Is everyone feeling thankful?
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, bringing with it a tidal wave of seasonal responsibilities (many of them suspiciously Ditty-shaped). Even worse, most of these responsibilities are going to end up on women's plates.
While others are sitting on the couch watching football, we're usually the ones behind the scenes making the magic happen—hosting the gatherings (how many Friendsgivings do we need to have?), cooking the food, sweeping up pie crumbs, etc.
It's our job to be the gracious host, the talented chef, the delicious baker, the tireless cleaner and much more—probably all at once.
And yet, strangely, nobody ever seems appropriately grateful for all the planning and hard work that goes into making a great Thanksgiving celebration.
An Invitation to Dabble with Ditching
The Case of the Missing Casserole
Someone has a last minute emergency and has to cancel. It's your aunt, the one with the famous green bean casserole that's the main reason everyone comes to Thanksgiving in the first place.
Don't: Try to become a last-minute protege and take up the mantle of casserole queen.
Do: Let someone else who has the time handle it, or accept that Thanksgiving will still be delicious (but maybe slightly less so).
The Hot (Sweet) Potato
Someone's in the kitchen crafting a mashed potato masterpiece when they realize there's no more butter! They turn to you and ask you to handle it, but you've got your own problems hosting, cleaning, and so on.
Don't: Drop everything and run to the store.
Do: Delegate to someone who doesn't have a lot of "everything" to drop.
The Bottom Line?
Sacrificing your sanity for a celebration is like baking a pumpkin pie and not getting a slice before it's gone. Sometimes, it's better not to give 100%.
With that in mind, try setting aside a piece for yourself before the whole thing starts—metaphorically or literally.
With loving irreverence (and a side of cranberry sass),
Miriam, Lindsey & Molly
…Be honest. Tell them your initial agreement was made unwisely, but now you've had a sudden attack of wisdom and you've realized your mistake. If you've found yourself in a sticky situation, don't be afraid to stir the pot and realign your responsibilities with your capabilities. The results will be enchanting.
🧙♀️ Ready to brew up some magic?
Ditching Ditties isn't always as simple as saying "no" to a new request. If you're like us, your life is probably full of Ditties that you took on before you even learned what a Ditty was. Getting rid of these can be harder than keeping them out in the first place, but it's not impossible. It just requires a little bit of Ditty Alchemy ⚗️ to transform your old "yes" into a bright, shiny new "no".
Your Ditty-dispelling brew might include ingredients like:
🧪 The Reconsidered Refusal: You've given it some more thought, and you've realized you're unable to commit to your initial "yes".
🧪 The Changing Circumstances: Unforeseen changes to your situation have made it impossible to fulfill your "yes".
🧪 The Priority Pivot: A new responsibility requires your full attention, and you won't be able to give your "yes" the energy it requires.
🧪 The Call-in-Well: Be honest. Tell them your initial agreement was made unwisely, but now you've had a sudden attack of wisdom and you've realized your mistake.
If you've found yourself in a sticky situation, don't be afraid to stir the pot and realign your responsibilities with your capabilities. The results will be enchanting. 🔮
…not all "nos" are created equal. If you're not sure how much "no" you need, refer to our handy "no"-ometer.
Level 1: No, but how might WE…?
"I can't, but I know someone who might be able to."
Level 11: Hell No!
"No, and don't ever ask me again."…
Saying "no" is the first step to Ditty ditching, but not all "nos" are created equal. If you're not sure how much "no" you need, refer to our handy "no"-ometer. 🌡️
🚫 Level 1: No, but how might WE…?
"I can't, but I know someone who might be able to."
🚫🚫 Level 2: No, but how might YOU…?
"No, I can't drive you, who else could you ask?"
🚫🚫🚫 Level 3: No. Why don't YOU…?
"No, I can't help you move. Why don't you ask your brother?"
🚫🚫🚫🚫 Level 4: No.
"No, I can't do that right now."
🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫 Level 11: Hell No!
"No, and don't ever ask me again."
There's a "no" for every request, as long as you know how to package it. Practicing saying "no" will teach you how to put your foot down just as hard as you need to, guilt-free.
Pitched, scripted, and produced a 90-second animated brand video for Ditch the Ditty, depicting the brand's origin story.