January 2026

January 2026

I think we can all agree that January, typically, is about 43 years long. The dark nights, the blustery snow days, the lack of motivation after a socializing marathon. This year, however, January felt very different. In my head, it’s still the first week. But here I am, typing away already in February, wondering where the hell time is going. I have a theory as to why, but that’s for another day. 

For now, I want to chat about what I’ve been up to. Despite the pace of this last month, I do feel like there were moments, glimmers, worth mentioning. 

Right at the very beginning of January, I felt a huge surge of motivation to get back into my art studio. For many moons, I found myself avoiding going there all together. It’s not like it was messy or chaotic, but things felt…closed-in. So I decided to do a little rearranging and decluttering. I also played around with the lighting. Instead of blinding overhead fluorescents, I put a dim lamp basically in every corner. It doesn’t really work for detail work, but for general crafting and doodling, it’s absolutely cozy and lovely.  Now that everything is in its place, there’s places for Alex and Phoenix to sit while I work, and it feels like a whole new space, I find myself wandering down there a lot more often. Which feels like a huge victory. 

Kind of an…awkward (?) thing that I’ve gotten back into is YouTube. I don’t know why I feel so weird about it. Probably because I’m nearly 40 and it just seems like my perspective is a bit ancient for social media. But also? I don’t give THAT much of a shit. I still have a lot to learn about filming on a real camera and using editing software, but it feels good to share more than the occasional sketchbook tour every 8 months. I hope to become more consistent. And learn a new skill while I’m at it. And, the real reason I’ve been posting is because I think the world needs more creative corners…things made by humans. A little bit of hope in a scary, serious world. Are my videos that outlet? I surely doubt it. But for my inner circle, a source of fun maybe. And that’s all I can really ask for. 

Last month I hinted about having more opportunities to show my work. This happened in a big way at the beginning of January: A Staff and Faculty Art Show. When I was a student at the university, I endlessly tried to get my work hanging in the campus art gallery…rejection, rejection, rejection. I was delighted to be accepted into this staff art show with my peers. And even though it’s technically not hanging in the gallery, it IS in the lobby OF the gallery. Baby steps. My painting, Collecting Colors of an Approaching Storm is actually sitting in front of the university president’s painting. Quite a wild feeling. I’m really proud that I had an opportunity to show the creative side in front of my colleagues. The nutty thing is that the show will be up the entire semester! It’s possible I’ll forget about the painting by the time May rolls around. But for now, I’m proud as hell.

I do have another event in early spring. I hope to chat about that later, but I did finally drop off one of my paintings for the fundraiser piece. It was another landscape that I’ve been drawing/painting lately, so I think it will be a nice fit for the event. 

Other than those creative bursts, January was a blur of stressful work in the office and nights spent reading, watching movies, or scrolling on my phone before going to bed earlier and earlier. Winter doesn’t usually zap away my energy quite like this, but I think when burn-out and stress are added into the mix, it becomes harder and harder to manifest any kind of motivation. 

February has also had that push-pull of chaotic days and unbelievably slow nights, but I feel like I made a little bit of progress this weekend…taking care of some things that I’ve been pushing off for months. And while I still prefer reaching for a good book than putting in overtime, I think we’re getting to a turning point. Longer days, days when I don’t have to wear the wool coat, evenings when I could actually put in a few extra hours in the studio.

Brighter days ahead. 

Thank you so much for being here. Talk to you soon!