2024 Has Been a Crazy Year

Hello friends,

As the year draws to a close, I thought it would be a great time to reflect on everything I’ve created and experienced over the past twelve months, and to share some of my personal highlights. I’d also like to take a moment to talk about my goals and intentions for 2025.

FAVOURITE PIECE OF ART I MADE
First, let’s start with one of my favorite creations from this year—my number one is definitely this little black cat with button eyes.

FAVOURITE MOMENT
This year has been an absolute whirlwind. I devoted a lot of time to my garden and travelled extensively. One of the highlights was spending two months in Japan across not one, but two visits. Meeting locals and connecting with fellow artists was incredibly meaningful to me. I miss exploring Tokyo’s bookstores to admire the stunning illustrated book covers—there’s something uniquely special about them. But I digress. Without a doubt, my favorite moment of the year was the opening party for my first-ever solo art exhibition at a creative residency in Tokyo. Achieving this long-term goal filled me with pride, and the night was made even more memorable by a celebratory karaoke session afterward.

FAVOURITE BOOK I READ THIS YEAR
I read a total of 60 books this year, so it’s difficult to pick only one favourite, but this one has moved me and stuck with me the most: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I absolutely loved this story! The characters were beautifully flawed, making them feel real and relatable. While the plot unfolds at a slower pace, my curiosity about everyone’s fates drew me back in. The writing is incredibly immersive. At 976 pages, it's a substantial read that takes time to get through, but I found myself constantly pulled back into the story.

It follows a thirteen-year-old boy grappling with the loss of his mother in a tragic accident. The narrative delves into themes of grief, guilt, and the challenge of moving forward after such anevent. Art is also a major theme.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND GOALS
This is where I start bragging about everything I've accomplished in 2024. But honestly, I often get caught up in feeling like I'm not doing enough or making progress. That's why I find it so important to take a step back and reflect on what I've achieved throughout the year, and to mindfully set intentions for the year to come.

2024 SUCCESSES 
I read 60 books.
I launched my second art book.
I spent two months in Japan.
I had my first solo exhibition.
I made over my garden.
I changed my nutrition to regulate my blood sugar, and raise my iron levels.

2025 INTENTIONS
Pass my driving test, and get my license.
Make more sequential art (series, comic pages).
Make little art books.
Simplify my life, and relax more.

On a day-to-day basis, it can feel like I'm just going in circles. But often it’s a matter of putting things into perspective: