Setting the Table for the Year Ahead

Happy New Year, Reader,

January always carries a certain quiet pressure as if we’re supposed to arrive fully formed, with color-coded plans and crystal-clear goals by the second week of the month.

That’s not how I work.

For me, the start of the year isn’t about making declarations. It’s about setting the table, deciding what I’m willing to tend, what I’m ready to build, and what needs space to unfold.

So instead of resolutions, here’s how I’m approaching the year ahead.

What I’m Carrying Forward

Last year taught me a lot, not just about the work itself, but about how I work.

I’m carrying forward:

• A slower, more deliberate studio rhythm
• Documenting work as it’s happening, not just when it’s finished
• Staying connected to community and collaboration instead of working in isolation

These things kept me steady, even when timelines shifted or plans changed. They’re staying at the table.

What I’m Building (The Business Side)

This year, I’m approaching my practice as both a creative life and a business without apology.

That means:

• Being more intentional about income streams
• Choosing exhibitions and opportunities that align with the work I’m making now
• Strengthening systems that support sustainability: tracking applications, organizing materials, and protecting studio time

I’m not interested in doing more. I’m interested in doing what matters, well.

What I’m Making (The Work)

A new body of work is beginning to take shape, not fully formed yet, but present enough to demand attention.

Right now, it lives in:

• Research and reading
• Material testing and quiet experiments
• Questions about joy, memory, land, and transformation

I’m letting the work emerge without rushing it toward answers. This phase, the listening, the gathering, is part of the making.

What I’m Leaving Behind

Some things won’t be joining me this year:

• Overcommitting out of fear of missing out
• Applying to opportunities that don’t truly fit
• Rushing the work to meet external timelines

Letting go creates room. I’m trusting that.

As you step into the year, I invite you to pause and consider what you want to set on the table, not everything, just what deserves your care.

I’ve included a simple planning worksheet below if you’d like to set your own table for the year ahead, something you can sit with for a few quiet minutes. No pressure. No perfection. Just an invitation to reflect.

Here’s to a year built with intention, clarity, and room to breathe.

Cheers! Talk soon,
Lisa

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👉 Set your table for the year ahead, no pressure, just intention.

​Simple Planning Worksheet.pdf​

What I'm Pondering

A quote by Anita Kopacz. Author of Shallow Waters and THe Wind on Her tongue."I set myself free by letting go." ~ Anita Kopacz

What's On My Shelf

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