Welcoming Winter, 2026

Winter has already been a bit of a wild ride so far and we’re just getting started. As always, I’m feeling incredibly motivated by the New Year. 2026 is already looking like a big year…the obvious is that I will be turning 40. Which, if I’m being honest, doesn’t seem like a big deal only because I’ve felt like 40 for like 15 years at this point. 

I think the most exciting bit of the year is the fact that I will be celebrating 20 years of art-making. I’m planning on writing a full blog dedicated to this, but it’s kind of unbelievable that I have been painting for this long. Some days it feels like I’ve only been an artist for a year, but oh man. Half of my life? Absolutely bananas. 

As far as goals, I tried to keep things relatively straight-forward, but I know it’s not going to be easy. I have a lot of moving parts and the most important thing is that I stay as consistent as possible. Which is something I completely lack.

I’ve got a few lovely opportunities in the books for sharing my art. It’s been a while since I’ve done a market or displayed work, so I am grateful to dip my toes back in. I’m hoping that this will give me some nice momentum to chip away at my art business that has pretty much collected dust for the last two years. I don’t want to go full-force, but having things to look forward to and setting deadlines has always been the greatest way for me to accomplish my goals.

Looking back on 2025, I’d say the best word to describe it is “still.” While there were changes and rough seas, I’d say overall things stayed pretty much the same. I don’t see that as a negative, but I absolutely would love to see more time away from home. More adventure and markers of change. I want to grow as an artist and as a human…to spend more time out in the world and quietly observe yet connect and absorb as much color as I can. 2025 felt like a year where I fully gave into the fact that I was an introvert now. But when I looked through my jar of “good stuff” from the year, 99% of what was written involved being out with other people. Laughing, drinking, socializing. And I need so much more of that. The activities that I choose to do when I’m not at work (painting, writing, reading) can be lonely ones. A loneliness that I wrap around myself and embrace, but I also know that balance is incredibly important in order to grow, learn, think, appreciate. 

When I did the overhaul of my website earlier this year, I decided to bring back the blogs, but only stick to seasonal updates. I think that does work, but I also feel like I missed out on really sharing in-the-moment projects because they had happened so long ago. One of my goals for 2026 is to share much more. I want to create a lot, whether it’s a craft, a drawing, a meal, a story. We need to share humans MAKING things and the true art of what a creative process looks like. Even if it’s not good. Actually, ESPECIALLY if it’s not good. 

Anyway, as always, I don’t know if this wintry update has any actual purpose. Just ranting while sipping on cold coffee that sat WAY too long and my eyelids are trying to blast off into the ether. I hope that everyone who is here, even if it’s just future me rereading this nonsense, is taking it easy. Thank you for being here. Talk to you again soon!

A Lot of what the start of the year has been so far due to the weather. Wine? Check. Cozy lights? Check. Crafts? CHECK.