Begin
Hello, and Welcome to Black Moss Studio
I'm Megan Chauncey, the artist behind Black Moss Studio, and this is my very first blog post. I've been nervous to start this affirmation deck, unsure if it will be compelling enough to interest others, and equally unsure whether to start this blog.
The perfectionist in me wanted to have everything mapped out, polished, and ready before I shared anything with the world.
With social media and curated online presences, it can sometimes appear that everyone has perfected the art of living, doing, creating. But what makes us part of the natural world—part of the same ecosystem as the animals and plants I draw—is imperfection and scrappy action.
So here I am, beginning anyway.
This perfectly captures the essence of my first affirmation card: "I take the first step before I feel ready." Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is start exactly where we are, with what we have, imperfect as it may be.
Introducing My Affirmation Card Series
My work at Black Moss Studio has always been about finding meaning in nature's quieter moments—the moody, contemplative spaces where growth happens slowly and authentically. As I've been navigating my own journey as an artist and new parent, I've found myself drawn to creating affirmation cards that feel grounded in real wisdom rather than polished perfection.
Nature teaches us that nothing begins perfectly. A beaver doesn't wait for ideal weather to start its dam. Fireweed doesn't require pristine soil to take root. These plants and animals thrive through messy, imperfect action—the same kind of scrappy persistence that actually creates meaningful change in our own lives.
This "Begin" card features three of nature's most resilient teachers:
Beaver: Through consistent repeated actions, large or small, come tangible outcomes. The first branch eventually becomes the dam.
Fireweed: The first to grow as pioneer of disturbed ground - a reminder that conditions don't need to be perfect to begin.
Horsetail: Has survived 400 million years as the earth went through countless changes - a lesson in showing up and sprouting anew no matter where you are in your journey.
How I'm Using This Card
I've set up a small altar in my studio with this card as a daily reminder to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Alongside the card, I've arranged green tomatoes from my very imperfect garden, dried flowers that speak to the beauty found in different seasons of growth, and a piece of clear quartz for clarity and amplifying intention. There's also a small skull terrarium—a reminder that cycles of death and rebirth are natural parts of any beginning, and an hourglass that represents how meaningful things take time to unfold.
The garden hasn't been given as much attention as it probably should because I'm learning to balance caring for my first baby with everything else in my life. Yet somehow, the tomatoes are still growing—imperfect, uneven, but undeniably alive.
Those green tomatoes sitting on my altar are perfect symbolism for this concept. They represent all the things we begin before we feel ready, all the projects that grow despite imperfect conditions, all the progress that happens when we embrace our place in the natural world rather than chasing some impossible standard of perfection.
How You Can Use This Card
Create Your Own Beginning Altar: Set up a simple space with this card and a few meaningful objects:
A candle (the spark of beginning)
Something from nature (a leaf, stone, or like me, something growing)
A crystal for grounding energy—try citrine for creative courage, clear quartz for clarity, or labradorite for transformation
An object that represents what you're beginning
Something that represents time and patience—perhaps an hourglass, or anything that reminds you that growth happens in seasons
Not someone who's into crystals and altar-making? That's totally okay! The card's message can stand alone as a powerful daily reminder. Simply place it somewhere you'll see it regularly—your bathroom mirror, computer monitor, or car dashboard—and let the wisdom of beaver, fireweed, and horsetail encourage you to take that first imperfect step.
Daily Practice: Each morning, look at the card and ask yourself: "What is one small step I can take today?" Don't wait for motivation or perfect conditions—just begin.
When You Feel Stuck: Remember the beaver's wisdom: every dam starts with a single branch. Your beginning doesn't need to be grand or perfect; it just needs to be real. In nature, there are no perfectly curated outcomes—only authentic growth that happens through consistent, imperfect action.
This card, this blog, this entire affirmation series—they're all acts of beginning before feeling ready. They're messy, imperfect, and entirely human. And maybe that's exactly what makes them authentic.
What are you ready to begin today, imperfections and all?
This is the first card in my upcoming affirmation deck. Follow along as I share more nature-based wisdom for grounded, authentic growth.
