PO40 Extras: What I’m Watching

We’re all friends here, so I thought it might be fun to start up a new conversation around topics that inspire creativity. These can be anything from movies we watch to books we read to fashion and/or art exhibits we’ve seen and more.

I’m starting with “What I’m Watching” because there are a couple of shows I’ve seen recently that have helped my simmering creativity bubble over in different ways. Since this is a conversation, drop me a line in the comments below to share your thoughts on the show I’ve highlighted. Or, share a show or two you find inspiring.

WHAT I’M WATCHING

Mum is a beloved sitcom in the UK and it didn’t take me long to fall in love with it myself. I discovered the show last year on BBC’s streaming service, BritBox.

Having just finished up the third and final season of Mum, I can say without hesitation, this show is my all-time favorite show ever. Even though I am still yet in my 40s and not a widow, I related so well to the story of Kathy, a reserved, compassionate woman in her early 60s who became a widow at the beginning of the series. Her story is a lot like other women who have been taught to serve and sacrifice above all else. The series slowly, slowly unfurls her realization that she is deserving of life and companionship beyond the expectations of others.

Each episode unfolds in funny and touching ways and the pace is slow compared to a lot of shows. For instance, the romantic storyline woven throughout is a long-form tease that lasts over the three seasons. The writing is subtle and authentic to how real people live and love. The actors are brilliant, especially those who play the characters of Kathy (Lesley Manville) and Michael (Peter Mullan). They show more with their body language than words can ever express.

Confession:

I rewatched the first two seasons of Mum at least three times waiting for the third season to come out. And when it did come out, I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, it’s the most satisfying ending of a series I’ve ever seen.

What Inspired Me About Mum

The writing of the show is what most inspired me. Being slow-paced, set in regular day-to-day life, I came away with a renewed awareness about how interesting life can be. Basic, ordinary life can be incredibly revealing. Things don’t always have to be flashy or raw in order to be moving.

With that in mind, here are some basic, ordinary moments from my week:

1. My hairstylist showed me how to create a tousled, wavy look with my straight layered haircut!
2. I’m off into the cool, wet Seattle fall in my first (and favorite) turtleneck of the season. It’s from Suzanne Carillo’s fabulous Etsy shop.
3. Which of these things are not like the others? My birthday was this past week and I have a tradition of having donuts on my birthday. This year, life circumstances made it difficult to get to a real, sure-enough donut shop before it closed. Have no fear, though. We kept the tradition alive with grocery store donuts. It’s fun to realize how one tiny little thing can make me so happy.

---

Affiliate Links Disclosure:

There are no links in this post that connect to companies I’m affiliated with. There are other links around my blog, however, that do affiliate with specific brands and companies. Should you click on these links and purchase from those shops I may see a few advertising pennies from those companies. Over time, pennies collect and become a handful of dollars. I use those dollars to pay for my domain name, web upkeep, and other creative endeavors related to this blog. Whether you click on those links and shop or not is up to you! I am just glad you made it my way and hope you find some fun things to read while you’re here. Thanks for stopping by!