When my eyes got too big for my stomach

Hello again,

Last week, I found myself in a real pickle. I was huddled under the blankets, fighting off a nasty flu, and… frantically planning a daily Instagram series for December. Not the most relaxed way to recover, right? But it took me four days of feverishly brainstorming, scripting, and planning before it hit me: there was no way I could keep this momentum going for an entire month.

See, I’d been swept up in that feeling that’s almost palpable this time of year: the ✨ New Year, New Me ✨ energy, reinforced by Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales that promise us we can buy our way to achieving our goals. It’s also been repackaged this year as the Winter Arc trend, but it’s still the same message that convinces us we have to completely flip our lives upside down in time for January 1st… or else. But just like a Thanksgiving dinner’s offerings can be overwhelming, so too can this feeling of needing to mAkE 2025 oUr BeSt YeAr EvEr!~

If we pile our plates sky-high with everything we want, we put ourselves in a predicament of not being able to truly savour any of it. So, I decided that I wanted to close out the last month of 2024 feeling satisfied, instead of stuffed. 🦃

Inspired by the seasonal aspect of the Winter Arc trend, and those precious moments between bites of food at Thanksgiving when we share stories with those we love, I decided that this winter I want to lean into making space for rest and bringing creative fun into my relationships. Here are a couple of things I’m trying over the next month or so:

1. Keeping up with journalling I’ve been really relishing the feeling of slowing down by writing by hand as much as possible. There’s something about the intentional act of physically putting pen to paper that feels like a quiet rebellion against the rush of the holiday season. It’s like choosing to take small bites and appreciate all the flavours instead of rushing through the meal.

2. Making for and with others I’m also rediscovering the joy of making things with and for my friends and family. So, rather than spending the next month toiling away in solitude on an Instagram series, I’m going to be planning a new year get-together with the people I love where we get to share in a creative activity. It’s about bringing potluck dinner-vibes to a craft-themed hangout.

3. Exploring new storytelling mediums And speaking of trying new dishes, I’m sampling a new medium: video! I’m reminding myself to slow down as I play around with a brand new way of telling stories because I want to be as much in love with the process of videography as I am with the finished result. I’ve started a YouTube channel and I’ll be putting out my first YouTube video next week. It’s going to be about a journalling experiment that, while physically small, caused some big shifts in my thinking.

And I’m letting go of what didn’t work out—that frenzied Instagram series? It felt more like I was force-feeding myself seconds and thirds from the Thanksgiving buffet, and completely contradicted one of the things that I value most: working at my own pace. What I had to remind myself in that moment is that I do my best work when I’m feeding off intrinsic motivation versus external pressures. When I get caught up in metrics like follower counts or keeping a streak going, I lose sight of what I actually love about creating, which is the chance to savour the process and share meaningful moments with others.

If you’re feeling drawn to pensivity by this month’s reflective energy, consider:

• What creative accomplishments do you feel proudest of from this past year?

• What projects felt nourishing? Which ones left you unsatisfied? 🍽️

• What do you want to try that’ll help fill you up this month?

I'd love to hear about your recent creative wins – whether you finally started that project you've been dreaming about or connected with someone new over a shared passion. What are you celebrating as we wrap up this year? Hit reply and let's enjoy your wins together like they’re a fresh slice of pecan pie 🥧

Until next time,
Alex