This year was one of re-evaluation, exploration and growth. I felt stuck, more specifically I felt disassociated with the day to day. I'd wake up each morning thinking,

"Another day, what does it matter, I'm not gonna make an impact anyways".

Wonderful things would happen in my personal life, but wouldn't even break the surface of my emotions. I realized that my working life and whatever friction lay there was forming a callous around me and the rest of the world.

Through chance a friend of mine suggested I read the book “The Artist's Way” (thank you Tess ^_^) and through it above all other things, I learned that I was actively stifling a key part of myself; my creativity. Striving to be kind, striving to be taken seriously, striving to be humble; Afraid of being selfish, afraid of being seen as aloof, and afraid of showing vulnerability to others, I was a miserly parent who ignored the inner child—a child of eagerness, optimism, and imagination

I knew I had to change things so—I began to say no. I started negotiating a better contract with my work eventually cutting most of the chord so that I could go back to being a contract UI/UX designer instead of a product lead.

I started to say yes—I joined a figure drawing class and an illustration class. I began volunteering as a mentor for my local UX group and to end the year I submitted a poetry piece and am now getting to experiment with writing through the OZ arts artwire fellowship.

All of the new experiences, the new people, and feeling ok with only having to be myself, I am finally beginning to make things again—not things to meet a deadline, not things that were only made in someone else's head, my own things my own ideas. I want to share some of what I've made with you all, my tribe, my people ^_^ Those who I treasure.

May they serve as moments of reflection, may they give you space, may they spark your own inner child.