I used to have this tradition on DeviantART, where I would post a journal on (one of the) last day(s) of the year reflecting on what I'd gone through. I'd predict a keyword for the coming year, too.

I've been thinking of picking that back up here because it was really nice to read back those journals and see myself looking back on the most important aspects of the year :) I don't have a lot of followers here so it's really mostly for my own entertainment, but if it entertains you to, that's an added bonus!

2024 is a bit of a strange one though. I've been struggling with burnout pretty much the whole year. My contract didn't get renewed because of it. But I've also had so much fun with arts and crafts, and focusing on the bad would feel like disregarding the better things that also happened. I made new friends. I saw Dublin. I made steps towards potentially starting my own business. These things are just as, if not more important than any of the others.

I feel like the best keyword for 2024 would be honesty. I was considering if it was slowing down, but I feel my progress in being more honest with myself and the outside world is even more important than that. If anything, slowing down is a result of me being more honest. And I also definitely picked up the pace with my creative practices lol, so it wasn't all slow.

And now.

We're heading into 2025.

I'm curious what the year will bring. I've been taking a huge risk into starting my own thing. I do believe in it wholeheartedly, and others do too, but there are so many steps that are simply unclear to me that I don't know what to expect. I might fail. I might land perfectly on my feet. I might change course halfway through and find an even better path. I don't know. I truly don't know because I also feel like I should keep my expectations low.

Maybe it's about trust. Trusting myself and trusting those who want to help me. Trusting the universe to point me in the right direction. Trusting that after darkness comes the light.

Happy New Years!