Well…it’s been awhile.

Not sure why. Or, if I do have some idea, how to put it into words. So many beautiful things and so many terrible things happened in 2025. So many things that took a lot of mental energy to get done or sort through globally. At the same time, personally, there were so many joys and things to be grateful for. Maybe that’s why I struggled.

And here we are a couple of days into a new year. 2026 doesn’t look like it’s going to be any kinder to the people who need it most. Kate Bowler, a Duke University Professor and four time New York Times bestseller, says, “…despair is also withdrawal and we need to stay hopeful.” So, here’s to championing empathy, creativity and joy. Here’s to seeking it in the most unlikely of places. In the smallest of ways. To sharing those small, unlikely glimpses. To listening. To learning. To compassion.

I’ve been busy doodling, cross stitching, and easing my way back into writing again. The urge to write was gone for awhile there. Maybe not gone, but drowned out. I’m so thankful that once again those ideas are flowing. The words are coming. I want to sit my butt in the chair and feeling the keys moving under my fingertips.

Write, doodle, knit, do a jigsaw puzzle, plan next year’s garden. Listen to music. Read Heated Rivalry. Then watch Heated Rivalry. Watch and read it again. Practice gratitude. Celebrate creativity. We can’t and shouldn’t ignore the suffering happening all over the globe but we can choose to open ourselves up to those precious moments of joy.

Here’s to making sure the humanities remain safe from political pressure, from underfunding, from people who want us to believe that ‘the arts’ are irrelevant and the future is all tech.

Until next time…

What are you doing to fill your creative well? Are you struggling to find inspiration? Want to share what inspires you?