Hello friends, welcome to the first newsletter of 2025. so much has changed since my last letter to you- in the world at large, in my world personally and professionally, and, of course, in my body.

First and foremost, I’d like to mention my surgery was successful with no complications, and my wounds have almost fully healed. I still have to avoid exerting too much force, but other than that, I no longer have any restrictions. I’m grateful to every single one of you who reached out by message or just sent good vibes my way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I’ve been considering what this newsletter should be, what part it plays in my online ecosystem, what differentiates it from YouTube and Patreon, and how I want to show up for you in these letters. Nothing is ever concrete, and everything could change in the future, but for now, I think I’ve come up with an idea I am excited about and want to share with you.

My word of the year is balance, and I spoke a bit about why I chose it in this letter, focusing on the angle of work-life balance (and the lack of it in 2024). But of course, there are other angles to it and other ways I want it to manifest in my life. One important one is the input-output relationship in our day-to-day lives that so many of us are concerned with nowadays.

What is the perfect consumption-to-creation ratio?

It’s a nuanced conversation I’ve been having with myself, considering we live in a world of overconsumption and overproduction. Tilting to one side or another has pros and cons, but that’s why I’m approaching the subject with my word of the year in mind. So, what does balance look like with this concept at its forefront?

In 2022, I read about 86 books (not including the ones I started and didn’t finish). In 2023, I read less than 15, and in 2024, less than 10. I do not subscribe to the idea that reading is the only valid and intellectually uplifting form of media, but I miss reading, and so this year, I’ve decided I want to dedicate more time to it.

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At first, my idea was focused on increasing the number of novels I read (upping my total book count for the end of the year). Still, I realized there was another component I hadn’t considered that doesn’t fit into a quantifiable spreadsheet as easily (I love a good spreadsheet #datanerd): The research and learning process, something I’ve always loved but struggle to dedicate time and energy to the outside of a classroom or workshop environment. I thirst for knowledge (#corny), but historically, I have only allowed myself to quench it in spurts. I couldn't attend university, so I haven’t been subject to any long-form curriculum for over a decade.

Learning is a practice I must seek for myself, and I intend to do it in 2025. How and when is something I still haven’t entirely answered for myself, but I know I want to make it a priority.

I originally wanted my substack newsletter to feel more like a commonplace entry in my notebook, but then I doubted myself and my voice – inched away from my plans and created “a patchwork life.”

I think I am finally ready to switch things up. The elements of “a patchwork life” – occasional glimpses of my day-to-day (slice-of-life content, if you will)- will continue to exist on Patreon and be available to all members, free or paid. But I want my substack newsletter to be about the things I'm consuming that, then, in turn, start consuming me.

Will I occasionally talk about my life? Sure, but more than anything, I want this to be a newsletter that delivers inspiration and glimpses of new ideas and exposes you to things you may not have come across otherwise. I’ve debated whether I wanted to start creating bookish content on YouTube or not and, for now, decided that I want that to live in these letters instead.

The format is undecided, the frequency is set to sporadic, and the new name is under construction, but I’m excited about this new chapter. May we be open to learning new things and expanding our minds in this new year so that we can hold space for the vast amount of realities of the people around us.

this week the internet has led me to:

the following is a chain of events where one led to the next (in sequence)

1. A post on Landscapes ( a writing group facilitated by Cody Cook-Parrott —>

2. —>

3. Her website —>

4. The episode “How could a PBS of the internet cultivate a more human web? showcasing an interview with Laurel on the “Reimagining the internet podcast” —>

5. Are.na —>

6. the Pomera DM30 —>

7. A review of the device on this website: Art vs. Entropy.

8. And in the most serendipitous and joyous of moments, as I was grabbing all these links for you, I realized I’d been a long-time subscriber of the artist who wrote that review of the Pomera DM30 on Youtube.

Life’s threads can be so full of wonder sometimes.

What has caught your attention this week? With so much bad news bombarding us every second, spend a few moments searching for something that will bring you joy. Perhaps you will be led serendipitously to a location you couldn’t have anticipated before starting.

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