Hello, happy holidays, and brightest wishes for the New Year!
I’m writing to you from a liminal space — that (hopefully) quiet and contemplative time between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
A perfect time to sit still with the year that was, and to start setting intentions for the year to come.
I like to pick an intention word for the year — it’s kind of like setting an abstract, pervasive goal. One that leave space for unfolding.
And they tend to unfold in unexpected but fantastic ways!
But first: An intention word recap
In last year’s intention word post, I included a bit of reflection on how my annual intention words have built upon each other and influenced my creative life.
Here’s a brief recap:
2023: Create
It’s no coincidence that 2023 was the year that I started publishing this blog.
This intention word started as a permission slip to make stuff, but it became far more expansive than I had expected. A creative practice became a non-negotiable part of my daily life, and prioritizing my creativity kept me grounded. I’m still feeling its influence today, speaking of unfolding.
Of course, after a creative reclamation comes the challenge of fitting your new creative sense of self into an old paradigm.
2024: Authenticity
Authenticity is paramount to creating space for your ideas in the world.
I envisioned authenticity as feeling comfortable showing up approximately the same way wherever I went, but I wound up exploring the nuances of authentic living at a deeper level, which developed into a grounding period of self-discovery.
Leaning into creativity helped bring more authenticity in, so naturally the next step was to guide inauthentic parts out.
2025: Release
Armed with a creative practice that nourishes the soul and a stronger sense of who I am, I entered 2025 with the simple intention of releasing who I am not.
Like a KonMari decluttering of my life.
And once again, I couldn’t have anticipated how this one unfolded.
Intention in action: How release showed up in 2025, the Year of the Wood Snake
It happens that in the Chinese zodiac, 2025 was the year of the Wood Snake, and this year felt very much like a shedding of the skin. It was transformative, but with purpose and optimism.
As I understand it, in the Chinese zodiac the element of wood reflects potential, growth, expansion, and new beginnings, aligning well with the metaphor of a snake outgrowing its old skin.
Completely unintentionally, my intention of release felt very much aligned. I went into the year wanting to release things like habitual overwork, limiting beliefs, traditional definitions of success, perfectionism — you know, the classics.
But in practice, release inspired deeper transformation built on the intentional work I had done in the two years prior. I started to see where life was demanding more authenticity. Misaligned aspects emerged from the periphery of awareness, illuminated. My creative voice grew louder, as though that were even possible.
All of this transformative energy cumulated into perhaps my boldest move yet: I finally made the decision to release my career of 13 years, allowing the identity I had built around it to shake loose — a bit like panning for gold. The decision was in one sense a long time coming, but in another, a bit of a surprise. (This story arc deserves its own blog post — stay tuned!)
So I wound up releasing far more than I had anticipated: my own sort of skin shedding, necessitated by growth and expansion; and as it happens, very much in alignment with the spirit of the Wood Snake.
But here’s another interesting aspect of the wood element in the Chinese zodiac (again, just as I understand it): Wood is also a bit like kindling to the creative fire, where passion and inspiration ignite to push us forward.
The threshold of the New Year: 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse
It happens that February 17, 2026 marks the start of the Year of the Fire Horse, which I understand is symbolic for drive and forward movement, spurred by passion and innovation.
Following the great release from 2025, it kind of feels like we’ve made figurative space for growth and expansion; in other words, we’re ready to take inspired action.
But not quite yet.
January 1st marks the beginning of the New Year, but for me, it rarely feels like a true fresh beginning.
Maybe it’s the Canadian tax season cycle, but I typically don’t feel like we’ve really stepped through the threshold until February, the start of our tax season. January continues to feel liminal to me. It’s largely reserved for planning, preparation, tying up loose ends, and closing out the year that was.
It’s kind of a relief, don’t you think? An extra month and a half to resolve unfinished business and set intentions for the year to come!
Speaking of planning and preparation, last year I started writing The Busy Season Survival Guide to help busy people minimize burnout by staying resilient and creative, even in their busiest seasons. I may give it a refresh this year!
My intention word for 2026: Ease
Not that I need everything to be easy. With 2026 being the Year of the Fire Horse, I’m expecting action. Drive. Rubber hitting road.
…I have a lot of ideas.
But I don’t think those ideas need force.
In my family, the joke has been that we always find the most difficult possible way to accomplish something. Except this year, we’ve caught a glimpse of the amazing stuff we can accomplish when we don’t try to make it more difficult than it needs to be.
The popular reframe, “what would this look like if it were fun?” comes to mind. If I’m going for a sprint, I’d rather sprint on flat land than up a gravel hill.
Plus, I’m cognizant that I’m still learning to be still, to allow creativity to unfold, and to be comfortable in uncertainty.
So I’m seeking ease in 2026.
I want to find experiences that feel easeful. Things that are easy to say yes to. And it happens that after such a transformative 2025, I’m confident that I’ll be able to hear yes far more clearly, and with conviction.
So, here’s to a year of less friction, more authentic living, and much wonder in the unfolding!
Are you ready for movement this year?
May the Fire Horse of 2026 take you to wonderfully unexpected places — the places your whole self says yes to.
As always, a warm invitation to join my monthly letter where I share creative insights, journal prompts, and the latest from the blog — a wonderful way to stay connected to each other, and to our creativity!
Want some more notes for the threshold of a new year? You may enjoy:
