Hello friend,
I hope the first month of this year has brought you peace and clarity. It’s my first winter in New York, and it’s grey and wet, but I still haven’t seen snow 🙀
I spent some time reflecting on 2022, which I share below. But I want to briefly talk about my intentions for this newsletter moving forward.
I want to share more with you in this newsletter in 2023. I don’t mean that I want to write more newsletters, necessarily. But I do want to share with you more about what I’m thinking about outside of building a creative practice, which is historically what this newsletter has been about. Don’t get me wrong, building a creative practice is still my #1 goal and something I regularly think about, but I have other things I want to share too. Like what I’m learning about leadership as I grow into a new role as a manager and how I structure my day to make time for all the important things.
In the world of email newsletters, the most pervasive advice is to write about a specific topic, i.e. “pick a niche and stick to it” and share writing that your audience will find interesting or helpful. Sometimes, though I think this advice isn’t actually what’s best for me (or for you either!). I want to share things that are helpful, sure, but oftentimes the things I’m thinking about are complex, messy, or still a work in progress. And I am coming to the realization that there’s so much value in sharing these half-baked thoughts.
I want this newsletter to be a space that is full of ✨ possibility ✨ I want writing it to feel energizing, and I want reading it to feel energizing too.
So, all of that to say, expect to see different kinds of newsletters from me in 2023. Maybe I’ll write about a piece of art I’m working on. Maybe I’ll write about something I learned in a coaching session. Maybe I’ll write about my favorite walks in New York City. My writing in these newsletters might not get nicely tied up in a bow by the end, and that feels good.
Below you’ll find my yearly review. This year in list format because my brain couldn’t handle paragraphs. I’m sure you understand.
- Sometimes setting your life on fire is the answer. This year I moved across the country, deleted my Instagram and Twitter accounts, and started taking art classes in a new city. I was in a rut and moving away from everything familiar was the fastest way to reinvent myself.
- I need hours of uninterrupted time in order to get into a creative focused state. Meetings kill the vibe.
- I feel most like myself when I’m making art & when I’m dancing.
- One of my favorite ways to travel is by visiting a friend’s hometown. This summer I met up with a friend who grew up in Buffalo. I loved meeting her family, eating at their favorite restaurants, and doing random suburban things. This is way more fun for me than visiting somewhere completely unfamiliar.
- Birthdays can be hard. Going out of town makes it way more enjoyable. (Hayley Nahman wrote about this somewhere in her newsletter but I can’t find the exact post.)
- Having house guests is lovely, but I need to figure out better ways to ensure I’m getting enough alone time/down time when we have visitors.
- The two best purchases of the year: (1) This sonicare electric toothbrush and (2) This dyson vacuum.
- I feel better when I do some sort of movement every day. 20 minutes of yoga or a walk are enough. Going to the gym is better.
- I’m very good at keeping a home. Sunday cooking and cleaning are my favorite weekly rituals.
- Big, lofty goals are great, but more important are consistent practice and tender discipline.
- I’ve wasted too much of my life forcing myself to do things I don’t want to do. I’m currently exploring what happens if I stop this habit and do whatever I want instead. These are the questions that are guiding me:
- What do I need to feel right now?
- How can my art be in service to that feeling?
- Where can I find flow?
- Diet has a much bigger impact on my nervous system than I wanted to believe. Quitting caffeine and cutting back on dairy and sugar while eating more protein, fiber, and electrolytes has greatly improved my day-to-day functioning and mood.
- Coaches and teachers are the key to staying on a creative and intentional path. I’m currently receiving leadership coaching from Lindsay Parker. Martha Bloom is my printmaking teacher. They’re my real-life fairy godmothers.
- One year oftentimes isn’t enough time to see progress. But looking back three to five years, I can see how I’ve grown leaps and bounds. Four years ago I would have struggled to cook dinner for friends, but now I do it almost weekly and I’m usually proud of the food I put on the table.
2023 Goals
- Build an artistic practice
- Productive mornings
- Share & make friends online
- Make my partner feel special & loved
- Practice wholehearted leadership
I’ve started using Complice to track my goals, and I’ve made them public. If you’re interested, click that link and you can read a longer description of each one.
Thank you for reading & have a great day :)
Sam