I didn’t make a concrete plan at the beginning of this year. I knew I had a novel to write this year, perhaps two, but other than that, I thought I would just be. The political landscape has been so tough these past few years, so draining, that living in the moment sometimes seems like the perfect antidote. 

Swinging hands on long walks, on getting down on the floor to play with the children, going out for cake, singing at the top of our lungs, playing tennis outside on a winter’s day until our noses turn red, picking out cloud shapes and mapping out the stars.  

Life is beautiful, lest we forget.

It’s so important to just be and not overthink. To fill our wells and gather strength before we return to striving. Striving for ourselves, our children, our communities. 

I haven’t been alone. Lots of people around me – not only creatives – have had mission drift these first few weeks of January, but it seems the engines are finally recalibrating. We are coming out of hibernation.

I’ve had time now to reimagine my goals, to build on last year so I know what to reach for, what worked last year and what needs fine-tuning. For me it means writing two novels this year and having multiple streams of income, because it pays to spread our wings in a volatile publishing landscape.

There’s power in purpose. There’s power in a dancing to our own rhythm.

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