We Made it Through

What's ahead in 2026

Happy New Year! It feels so good to leave 2025 behind, finally. I’ve written a lot about how tough a year it was for me, and between what friends have told me and the general vibes I’m getting from social media, not to mention the global news, I was definitely not alone in that. But look, we’re here. We made it. And this year is going to be better.

The last quarter of the year flew by, which was a big shift from the pace of the middle half. I went from feeling pretty awful—depressed, alone, hopelessly trying to force myself to make life in Tennessee work for me—to landing softly and warmly in the arms of my family and my community back home in New Orleans, and having a whole lot of fun doing it.

My judgmental side wants to say it was too much fun. There’s only so many parties you can go to before it starts to look like a hopeless chase. Only so many weekends you can go out, chat, order a tequila soda, dance if you’re lucky, then head home and heat up frozen chicken dumplings for a late-night dinner.

I completely bombed my reading goal for the year, 20 books, which should have been an easy win after the previous two years. This year I only managed 15. And while I didn’t stop going to the gym completely, I’ve just been doing the bare minimum, not really training to the standard I’d been keeping before.

Plus the amount of work I did from October to the end of the year is… very little. I moved home and my drive to get anything done completely fell off. For the last ten years I’d had a full-time career as one half of a content creation duo, and something you never think about when you start a business with a significant other is how much your career will have to change if and when the relationship comes to a close. The brand deals stopped coming in, and I’ve never really been naturally organized or driven enough to pitch myself or chase them down. Anxiously staring down the barrel of a career shift and not really knowing how to proceed, I did what I do best: avoid.

But the more understanding part of me knows all that is exactly what I needed. In full acknowledgement of how blessed I am that I could take a few months to move slowly getting acclimated back to life in New Orleans, my body and mind needed to relax and have some fun. And that’s exactly what I did.

Now it’s 2026 and we’re kicking it back into gear.

I turned 35 on Sunday the 4^th, and I’m ready to start molding the creative career I’ve always dreamed of. For 2026 I’m manifesting a few things for myself. Firstly, more writing, much of that I plan to share with you here. Last year I made it through ten of twelve weeks of The Artist’s Way, and this year I’m going to give it another shot. The practice of morning pages brought me lots of peace and stability during the worst parts of my depression, and I’m excited to see what I can make of it now that I’m feeling so much better.

I’ve also missed acting. I grew up performing on stage in plays and musicals, and later (2017) had a short year as a part-time drag queen here in New Orleans. Then in 2023 I starred in a play White by Jame Ijames, produced by the NOLA Project, and it reminded me how much I need to perform to feel creatively fulfilled. So I’ve already begun auditioning for stage and video projects—manifesting that I’ll book a job or two or twelve to start building up my acting resume.

I’ll also finish my NASM personal training certification this year and start offering online coaching, in addition to bringing back an abbreviated version of Lift Clique posted here each week. A couple kind readers have asked for more Lift Clique, and I’ve got to admit that the practice of documenting each week’s gym performance was a huge help in keeping me consistent, so we’re bringing it back. Lift Clique will be shared as a separate short post for paid subscribers in addition to these weekly posts.

But before I get everything fully back on track, I have one more really fun thing ahead: this Thursday I’ll be traveling to Breckenridge with some friends for a long weekend of skiing and lounging. One last gasp of indulgence. But really, I’m trying to remind myself that there will always be more time to have fun. Rest, pleasure, movement, being around people who make me laugh… those things don’t have to be distractions from the work. They’re what make the work worth doing.

I’m not aiming for perfection this year. I’ve fallen into that trap before and it just leads to anxious inaction. I’m walking into 2026 with a head clearer than it’s been in a long while. I know what sets my heart on fire, I know what drains me dry, and I’m ready to build the kind of life that balances ambition and joy. Thanks for being here while I figure it all out. I’m excited to see what we all create!