Happy New Year!
May 2026 bring you fantastic opportunities to discover more of you.
Whatever your profession is, wherever you go, however you’re choosing to approach your challenges, may you remember that you’ve got everything to face any challenges.
This is exactly what I love the vibe of a new year. We all begin with a clean slate. We believe this time something can be different.
It already is.
It’s time to wrap up the year. Some great experiences made 2025 really special. It’s going to be a tough one to say good-bye to. Luckily, I got to make beautiful memories with the people I love, and this entry is a testament to everything that left a mark.
Here’s my 20 things:
Creative life means re-arranging all the pieces that come your way. Every circumstance, pleasant or challenging, is meant to activate something in you.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about a drawing class I took in junior high school. I remember feeling anxious about “not doing it right”. I had not drawn anything in a long time. I was also worried that the instructor would laugh at my basic skills. Still, I wanted to give it a try and feel as free as I did when I was a child.
One day, he doodled some random lines on blank sheets and handed them to each of us. Then, he said: “Draw something out of this. Let your imagination find the form.”
I thought that was brilliant. There were no rules and no expected outcomes. Just the freedom to deliver something unique.
Even though I doubted my skills, I loved the idea of re-arranging those lines in a way that worked out for me. It was liberating to be the one defining the form. In case you’re curious, this was my end result: a fish swimming in a pond. I wish I would have kept that drawing.
Years later, I still think of that particular exercise. Especially, when adversity shows up in my journey.
Back then, part of me wanted more lines, more shapes…something to make the process easier. It was uncomfortable to “figure it out” on my own. Now I realize what I was doing: resisting the “lack” of elements. Fighting the exercise itself. Once I embraced the challenge, I was able to make progress.
Creative living often asks us to do the same.
At any given point, life hands us unexpected events, detours or blank spaces. It invites us to re-arrange the pieces we’re handed. Some moments are joyful; others, test our resilience. Regardless, we, as creatives, have the power to transform them and turn them into an experience that helps us grow. At our own pace and in our own way.
So when an unforeseen situation arises, pause and ask yourself:
“How can I re-arrange this?”
“What could this be teaching me?”
“What shape wants to emerge from this moment?”
The answers may lead you somewhere you never expected. Maybe toward a new skill, a new strength, or a new perspective. Sometimes, the point is to discover more of yourself and more of what you’re capable of doing.
What’s something in your creative life that you can re-arrange today?
Doing the minimum creative effort on any given day might be the most powerful creative habit you can build.
Life shifts constantly. Schedules change, responsibilities pile up, and some days it’s impossible to give your creative projects your full attention. That’s why the common mantra “make something every day” can backfire.
The phrase suggests that each day should yield a finished product. While initiatives like Inktober, The 100 Day Project, and NanoWriMo encourage commitment, they can also add pressure.
For me, as a writer, my minimum creative effort is simple: sitting at my computer for 30 minutes to write a page of my new novel. Let me tell you: it works. I’ve proven myself that small actions accumulate over time, and repeating this action consistently pays off.
It’s deeply satisfying to know that I’ve touched my project, even briefly. Since I juggle multiple interests, I also assign specific days to different creative pursuits. That way, I rarely get bored. There’s always something new to work or experiment with!
The main take away? There’s power in focusing on minimum creative efforts. Small steps compound into meaningful projects. A single sentence added to your draft keeps your novel alive. A sketch, even a rough one, plants the seed for a larger idea. A note on your business plan keeps momentum flowing. Slow progress is still progress.
Artist Carolyn Yoo, author of the Substack See You, describes her approach like this:
I make lists of the smallest or largest actions I can do in a day to feel like I’ve meaningfully contributed to my creative work, then I’ll estimate the time it takes to do each action and order them by time period.
Carolyn Yoo
We don’t create with the same intensity every day, and nor should we. Creativity moves in seasons. Some periods are abundant and high-energy, while others call for rest and gentler effort. It’s natural. The key is to honour those cycles instead of fighting them.
When energy is low, ask yourself:
“What is the minimum I can do today to feel satisfied?”
It might not always involve direct action on your craft. Researching, reading, or simply talking with like-minded creators all count as staying engaged. What matters is connection to the work, not constant completion.
Austin Kleon, a writer who draws, puts it beautifully:
Find the one-armed, half-brained, miniature version of what you do. (…) The answer will be different for everybody. For me, the bare minimum is pretty bare. If I go for a walk, write at least two pages in my diary, and read a few pages of something decent, I can be pretty functional. (…)
Take a little time to figure this out for yourself. Once you know your bare minimum, then you can figure out what you have to do to make it happen.
Austin Kleon
So, what about you? What’s your minimum creative effort?
Try defining it today. Whether it’s a single line in your journal, a five-minute sketch, or one not saved on your phone. Then celebrate it. Those little steps carry you further than you think.
Dear creative, please don’t explain yourself to the world. It’s not necessary. Just do you.
One thing that changed my perspective on life radically was the Personal Bill of Rights. This is a therapeutic tool in assertiveness training, and it outlines basic rights that we all have: the right to our own thoughts, feelings, and decisions.
As I’ve integrated it into my day-to-day, I’ve come to realize that these same principles apply to the world of creativity in any discipline. I’m particularly resonating with #15:
“I have the right not to give excuses or reasons for my behaviour.”
The image of the misunderstood creator comes to mind. Conceiving an idea is a personal process. It requires quietness, privacy, and interest in a wide range of topics. People witnessing it can sometimes question why creatives do what they do. Why they’re fascinated by the simplest of things.
In the worst case scenario, that witnessing turns into criticism. Even shaming.
I have painful memories of people frowning at me for wanting to be a writer. “You won’t make enough money.” “How about a real job?” “Your brain is meant for something greater.”
I wish someone would have said: “You don’t have to explain yourself. You do you.” Creative calls require no explanation or justification. Sometimes, it’s challenging to “make sense” of it.
Franz Kafka, legendary author, says it more eloquently in this timeless quote:
Creativity is abstract. It doesn’t always manifest in specific words or linear thinking. It’s not always logical. It’s more of an inner knowing. It’s something that needs to come out to the surface. It’s not rational. It just needs to exist. And YOU are the channel through which it comes alive.
Your focus needs to be inward; on the execution and not on the justifying to others. Not on the need to be understood.
You have your own unique ways of channeling whatever that inner world is saying to you. Only you know what you need to fully shape or reshape the idea you’re receiving. Silence. Music. Books. TED Talks. “Weird” interests. It’s your call.
Whatever that looks like in the eyes of someone else, that’s none of your business. Let them live with their own thoughts. You do you. You don’t have to explain yourself.
Have you ever felt the need to justify your creative calling? What helped you reclaim your creative autonomy?
Fear of being seen is my Achille’s heel. I would say, this is the case for many creators out there. The struggle is challenging when there’s so much to say and little courage to speak to a camera or share thoughts on any digital platform.
My personal journey had rough start. In my university days, where I participated in a classroom exercise that left a mark.
Each student stood before the class in complete silence while their peers anonymously wrote down impressions on slips of paper. Later on, the individual standing would get them to gain insight into perceptions and reflect on their accuracy.
For me, the experience was excruciating. Standing there for two minutes felt like an eternity. I remember my teacher reassured me: “Don’t worry, Alice, it’ll be over soon.” Honestly, I don’t know how I managed to endure those moments. It was evident: I was afraid of being seen.
Most of the comments I received pointed that out: “she’s clearly uncomfortable with attention”. “She seems to be struggling badly.” “She seems to keep a lot to herself”. However, there was one comment that caught me off guard: “You may seem uncomfortable with attention, but you have a lot to say, and you know it.”
I kept that piece of paper. It was a powerful revelation: Someone saw through my exterior, and it shocked me. I recognized this person’s handwriting. It belonged to a classmate who worked with me for a previous team assignment. Although he barely knew me, he noticed the depth of my thoughts expressed through my ideas.
It’s because of that comment that I eventually got the courage to emerge from my shell when platforms like Blogger and Twitter started blooming. They offered endless possibilities to voice opinions and share creations. Throughout the years, I’ve done my best to tackle my fear of being seen. One of my most recent accomplishments is making videos and talking to the camera from time to time.
@alicestrathernauthor Thinking of all recent graduates out there. I’d love to share a little bit of my own experience through this bookrec. I wish someone would have told me this when I was a recent graduate! #booktok #indiebooktok #indiebooks #summerreading
Continue reading “Fear of Being Seen: A Creator’s Achille’s Heel”
Being ready and being curious are two different creative perspectives.
Confronting both concepts made me think about my friend Silvia. She wanted to be a writer.
Wherever she went, she always had a book in her hands. Additionally, she also had a pocket dictionary to look up any new word she stumbled upon. Silvia wanted to fully understand the content she was consuming to the last bit.
Silvia’s dedication to reading and endless curiosity for words was unparalleled. The most impressive part? When she wrote his own stories, she sounded like a seasoned author. Her structure was flawless, and her vocabulary was out of this world. She could have gotten herself a book deal whenever she wanted.
I’ve lost contact with her, so I don’t know what she decided for her writing career. I really hope she’s living her dream.
However, even when it seemed that she had everything to stand out in the writing world, I remember hearing her say this dreadful phrase from time to time:
“I’m not ready because I need more experience”.
How many times have you heard that statement from friends or colleagues? How many times have you caught yourself saying those same words?
Continue reading “Being Ready vs Being Curious: Which Approach to Take?”
First of all, happy new year!
May you have a wonderful 2025 full of great experiences. May you accomplish all you have planned for yourself in the next 12 months.
Whether you are full of energy or not, here’s an interesting approach to consider as you take the first few steps into your goals/resolutions:
Austin Kleon always has a great perspective on beginnings.
Remember: you can go slowly and still reach your goals.
Every year is unique, and that’s such a beautiful thing. You never know what will come your way. Isn’t it great that you discover new interests out of “randomness”? Isn’t it wonderful that you also get to celebrate milestones? All events, no matter how big or small, are worth noting.
Every discovery, every win, reveals a piece of our journey in life.
Here’s my traditional list of 20 things that made my year.
One of my creative fears as a writer was being criticized.
I used to doubt my storytelling skills. I thought that, as soon as I hit the “publish” button, I would receive comments at how “meh” my plot and characters were. As I was getting ready to release Kaleidoscope Eyes, my first novella, I feared I’d only get one-star reviews.
Truth is, this is my current rating:
In the age of rates and reviews, I’ve learned that remaining true to my calling is what matters the most. I’m writing, I’m sharing, and I’m constantly improving. Even while experiencing all kinds of fears, I decided to put my novella out there. I was aware that some people would like it, and others not so much.
So how do you deal with that fear of criticism? In my experience, there’s no step-by-step formula. However, if I could mention one thing that has been useful for me, that would be a mindset shift: let reviewers tell what they want to say, either positive or negative. Let them be. Having a piece of work in the public eye involves getting all sorts of comments. That’s inevitable.
Ask yourself is their feedback is useful to you in any way. If so, then implement them in your next pieces of work.
External opinions are out of your control. All you can do is staying committed to deliver your best work possible every time you share/publish online or in any other format.
Dare to be disliked. Your work is not for everyone, and that’s okay.