To your health
Wednesday, Aug. 19 — Happy Wednesday!
Do you have hobbies? Not something that you’ve monetized or turned into a “side hustle” (*groan*). Not something you’re trying to win or set a personal best in. Just something you do purely for joy and fun.
For me, that’s playing the ukulele. I grew up playing classical piano and singing in various choirs, so music is my first love. But sitting down at a piano these days is the opposite of fun. My fingers feel clunky. My sight reading is rusty. My technical proficiency is worse than it was when I was in middle school. But the ukulele? I just stumble through the few chords that I know and sing whatever suits my mood. No scales or drills to warm up. No metronome to keep time. Just whimsy and fun.
This is exactly why I’m excited about this week’s feature story. Atlanta native Teylor Parks started Breathe in Color during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she made colorful affirmation cards and paintings to help her cope with isolation and depression. Now she teaches creative wellness classes, like ceramics, to help others find joy and community through art.
Other things that have brought me joy this week:
👟 Wiz Khalifa is a running influencer now? Also, enjoy this soothing video of him repotting an alocasia.
🌳 This is such a wholesome story from the Washington Post (paywalled) about three landscapers who do free work for elderly folks and those on fixed incomes.
🌊 I’m obsessed with these videos from the 2026 World Dog Surfing Championships. True story: last year, when Doguroo flooded, staff floated both of my dogs out of the facility on rafts. That’s the closest they’ll ever get to surfing.
💙 Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are forever couple goals. I cannot get enough of them, including this interview and photo shoot for Variety, and this utterly charming video of Rhys with “The Interview” for The New York Times.
🏀 I always enjoy learning about how elite athletes fuel for sports, in and out of competition. Apparently, WNBA star Breanna Stewart celebrates wins with veal parm.
💉 U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is documenting her egg-freezing journey online. So many people struggle with fertility in isolation; it’s refreshing to see someone high-profile being forthcoming about their experience.
🏃🏾♀️➡️ I loved the latest Curbed “Look Book” with athletes who competed in the U.S. Track & Field Outdoor and Para Championships last month.
Be well!
✨ Laura
❤️ Therapy that helps you feel seen, supported, and understood—while building practical skills to navigate life with confidence at Intown Psychology. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Breathe in Color Brings Creative Wellness Classes to Atlanta and Clayton County
🎨 Let’s bring back hobbies! I absolutely loved speaking with Teylor Parks about how people have found joy and community by taking her creative wellness classes. A graduate of Clayton County’s Martha Ellen Stilwell School of the Arts, she felt her mental health spiral during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. She turned to the same arts and crafts projects she had enjoyed as a child, making colorful affirmation cards and paintings and sharing them online. It was the beginning of Breathe in Color, Parks’ creative wellness brand that offers a line of affirmation cards, guided journals, and facilitated in-person experiences.
Read my story about how Breathe in Color is bringing arts and wellness classes to Atlanta and Clayton County.
A confident school year starts now
SPONSORED BY INTOWN PSYCHOLOGY
📚 Now that school is back in session, it’s still early enough in the transition to help children and teens settle into a strong start to the classroom routine.
Parents can help by:
• gradually re-establishing school routines and sleep schedules
• encouraging face-to-face time with friends before school begins
• helping kids practice problem-solving and independence
• focusing on strengths and celebrating small successes
➞ If your child is struggling with anxiety, friendships, confidence, emotional regulation, or the transition back to school, Intown Psychology is here to help.
Learn more:
• 5 Strategies to Build Self-Esteem and Resilience in Kids
• Helping Kids Navigate Friendship and Social Challenges
Rough Draft Photojournalism Intern Shares Her Favorite Photos From the Summer
📷 We’re all a little bit down at Rough Draft this week because our photojournalism intern, Ansley Kelly, returned to the University of Georgia to finish up her journalism degree. Ansley was part of the 2026 Atlanta Press Club cohort of summer journalism interns placed at local news organizations.
Obviously, we’re thrilled for her to get back to college life, but she was an invaluable part of our team and will be missed. She was poised and professional, covering multiple events during Atlanta’s never-ending hot, humid summer. Future employers: Ansley is a star, and anyone would be lucky to have her on their team.
⚽ Click here for Ansley’s roundup of her most memorable photo assignments from the summer.
New Park Taking Shape on 14th Street in Midtown
🏞️ Midtown Atlanta’s newest greenspace, Midtown Green, will open to the public and begin hosting events in September.
According to an update from Midtown Alliance, improvements at the 98 14th Street property include installation of a storm drainage system and regrading and leveling the site to create an open, multi-use lawn and walking paths around the perimeter.
Midtown Alliance said in an Aug. 13 social media post that public events at the park will include film screenings, lunch from food trucks accompanied by live music and lawn games, and the Midtown Artisans Market.
🧺 Read more about future plans for the park here.
The Short List
🔎 If you’re not watching “Furious” on Hulu, you need to remedy that ASAP. Thrillers are ubiquitous, but it’s the rare one that centers the female perspective. Emmy Rossum and Lola Petticrew are riveting as an FBI agent and serial killer taking down a network of corrupt men.
😴 There’s a lot of debate about whether melatonin or magnesium is better for sleep. I have been using Beam Dream, which has both ingredients. It could just be the placebo effect, or the calming ritual of a warm drink at bedtime, but I definitely sleep better when I use it. I’m a fan of the salted caramel flavor.
❤️ Therapy that helps you feel seen, supported, and understood—while building practical skills to navigate life with confidence at Intown Psychology. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Book It
🛶 The Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy is celebrating National Park Week next week with several special events, including a guided paddle with Trees Atlanta and the Georgia Conservancy on Sat., Aug. 29. Register here for the five-hour excursion and other events, like a sound bath and wildflower walk.
The Rundown
🧘🏼 Get ready to flow with Golda Kombucha, which kicks off a three-part yoga series tomorrow night at the Cultured South taproom. Sign up for the all-levels vin-yin classes, then wind down with a complimentary glass of kombucha.
🔔 Unwind from the week with a restorative yoga and sound bath session at Tucker Yoga on Sat., Aug. 22. Reservations are required.
The Fit-X Experience is coming to the Atlanta area on Sat., Aug. 22. Expect an all-levels, DJ-driven workout with Ish “The Black Superman” Sandiford and high-energy vibes. Reserve your spot here.
🐶 Sunday Stroll wraps up its summer season with a special puppy edition on Sun., Aug. 23. Come with your own (leashed) dog for the 75-minute social walk, or mix and mingle with adoptable puppies from PAWS Atlanta. Bring a donation of dog or cat food or pill pockets and get a free iced coffee.
🩺 Attend the Roswell Senior Expo at the Roswell Adult Recreation Center on Wed., Aug. 26 for free health screenings and information on Medicare, financial planning, mobility solutions and more.
🚲 Atlanta-based WKND eBikes is hosting its first community pop-up at Huckleberry’s Corner Store on Sat., Aug. 29. Take a complimentary test ride and get a sneak peek at the brand’s debut bike collection between 4 and 7 p.m.
📝 Join Breathe in Color for a journaling and meditation class on Mon., Aug. 31. Sign up here to reserve your spot.
