It’s January. Which means everyone suddenly thinks they’re going to become a new person just because the earth did a circle. January 1st isn’t a reset button. It’s just December 32nd with better branding.
Scientific fact: Your brain does not know what a “calendar” is. It barely knows where your EarPods are at this moment.
“Oh, this year I’m gonna wake up at 5 am, eat dehydrated cucumber chips, go to the gym 2 hours a day, and finally become a woodcraft artisan. Maybe change my tires from summer to winter like I’ve been meaning for 4 years.”
No, you won’t. You bought a sketchbook in 2017 and used it once – to swat a fruit fly.
And the e-mails. “New Year, New You! Try hot yoga! Learn aerial skills! Take tango lessons!”
Like no thank you, my back still hurts from doomscrolling all year.
But here’s the thing. At NOOD, we don’t care about New Year’s Resolutions. You heard us. We want you to think about New Year’s Realizations.
Like:
“I realize I’m tired.”
“I realize I’ve been busy surviving.”
“I realize I’ve used my residual energy unsubscribing from free trials.”
That’s real.
You didn’t fail to make art – you were just spending your energy on other life things. You had a limited budget of time, energy, and emotional stability, and you spent it. On earning a living. On family. On relationships. On not screaming in public. On putting your legs in the proper pant holes. That wasn’t failure. That was economics.
You’re still thinking, “But my friends joined a New Year hot yoga group special!” No, that’s not a special offer. That’s peer pressure with a promo code. That offer is only “special” if you authentically want to be there, not if you’re lying in child’s pose wishing you had treated yourself to French toast.
And you haven’t made art in years? Relax. Your creativity didn’t leave you. It’s in airplane mode. It’s waiting for you to stop being exhausted. Art is like a sourdough starter. You can ignore it for a while, come back, feed it a bit, and boom!– it’s alive and weird again!
… probably holding a pencil.
… possibly half-dressed.
… but certainly alive, weird, and drawing butts.
So, when you’re ready – when your internal funding comes back online – we’ll be here. No deadlines. No guilt. Just vibes.
Happy New Year. You’re doing great.