There's a new year drifting in and with it come all the end-of-year-lists, retrospectives and intentional mottos - so why don’t I join in?
2024: exceptional
2024 was an exceptional year for me.
It was my first full year on Substack. My first full year not living on top of my husband. My first Summer going abroad on my own, since, I don't know, 2001?
It was the year my stepdaughter got married. The year I threw myself into Biodanza again. The year I learned to properly speak German. A year of many new connections, while solidifying old ones. And of course, a full year with and around my mother, who turned eighty!
2025: focus!
I love reading pieces on New Year's resolutions - or rather: motivational mantras for the year. Kelcey Ervick suggests making them imperatives rather than just mottos. Get some oomph behind it!
For 2025, I'm thinking about adopting this theme: FOCUS.
I could really use some... uhm wait, the phone rang. What was I talking about? Oh yeah. Focus. Or to make it an imperative: Focus!
Katherine Woodman-Maynard admonishes you to make your motto into art and hang it where you can see, which is a great idea!
Getting a good, steady focus seemed impossible for me over the past eight years - yes, I did a lot of stuff, finished a lot of projects, but the underlying (peri-)menopause seemed to cast a brain fog that had me stumbling more often than soaring.
2024 was the first year where I finally regained my clarity, many thanks to the hormone pill I've been taking since October 2023.
Such a relief! I finally feel like ME again! Someone who can count on her memory and ability to manage stuff!
FOCUS is a thing I can finally do again, without feeling frustration or low-level panic almost all of the time.
Pondering the blog by Kelcey, I think I'd better expand on it. Focus, okay, but on what? On work? Mother? Marriage?
You know what? I'm gonna FOCUS ON MYSELF.
That may sound a bit... self-centred. But it does not mean I'm not there for others - in fact, most of my life is still built about being accountable to others. It means to me that in the surrounding time I give myself permission to focus on myself and my needs, instead of worrying about others and what they might need from me, beyond what I'm already doing.
It’s more about the DON’Ts and less about the SHOULDs, like Sandra Bell-Lundy writes here:
So to me, FOCUS ON MYSELF means I am going to relax a bit.
It means I'm going to stop fretting about things I can't do anything about.
It means I'm going to align myself more with stuff, people and activities that bring me joy and energy.
It means I'm going to put a little faith in others taking care of themselves when I'm not around.
It means I'm gonna give myself permission to "sink in a little on myself", which is how I find my inspiration.
It means, as my husband puts it, "reinventing myself" - both as an artist and as a woman in menopause.
It also means I'm going to dance more. Those Biodanza events have truly been nourishing my soul!
What’s to come?
There are some fun creative projects coming for me in 2025:
I get to make a new book for seven-year olds, in the wake of the success of Kip en Kat.
I'm going to launch at least one crowdfunding, for a third Mijntje-album.
I'm going to stay focused on Substack and recording my life and thoughts here.
Oh, on that note: have you checked my Philosophy Substack yet?
I'm posting my graphic novel on Philosophy in weekly instalments, and have just finished the introductory chapters. This week features the life and philosophy of Socrates, which I think is perfect material to refresh your philosophical knowledge, or even to teach the basics to kids! I've started including Questions For Further Discussion, so I hope teachers will find these posts easy to use in class.
I wish you all a great start of the New Year, and I invite you to navigate it with lots of humor, focus and positive connections!
P.S.
Did you notice a new style in my cartooning? I downloaded a pack of free Procreate brushes to experiment with! They’re made by Jason Heely and I can highly recommend them!
P.P.S.
My Art versus Artist for 2024!
Love!
I love this! (Goes back to rewrite my OWN similar post that's set to run tomorrow. Lol)
Happy New Year! I need to do my round up and ruminations on the year past and coming. But not till next week. I’m enjoying the break. One of the things I’ve loved about this year is this little Substack community of cartoonists – long may it continue! I look forward to seeing what you focus on next.