At the end of the year, it’s tempting to just dive into planning for the next year. But if we don’t pause to reflect on the year we had, we rob ourselves of much of the empowerment and joy we earned through our actions. For creatives especially, doing an annual review process can give us the confidence and courage to brave new things. In this solo episode, I share why it’s so important to reflect. I also share some of the major challenges I experienced, some creative wins, including one of the biggest creative projects of my life.
The lens I look back through is always focused on my creative process. What did I make? What did I learn from that? How did the books and podcasts and shows and movies and things that I consumed impact my life and my creativity. With these guiding inquiries, I’m able to not only see what I did, but I can appreciate who I became as a result of doing those things.
Doing an annual reflection process helps us digest the year, the things we did, and who we were. It allows us to honor and savor our efforts and our being. We often skip this step and end of the year feeling harried and unaccomplished, we start the new year on an empty tank.
Mentioned in this episode:
Annual Review for Creatives workshop
Mindfulness Workbook for addiction: a guide for coping with the grief, stress and anger that trigger addictive behaviors by Rebecca E. Williams, PhD and Julia S. Craft MA
(also available in the Denver library)
Tim Ferris with Paul Conti: How Trauma Works and How to Heal from It
School of Life: Why Happiness is a Useless Word
Things that made a difference in my life this year
Workshops
Center for Applied Jungian Studies
Esther Perel The Great Adaptation Conference
Natalie Goldberg haiku workshop
Transform Your Relationship with Food
Suleika Jaouad’s Isolation Journals
Books
Still Writing by Dani Shapiro
The Situation and the Story by Vivian Gornick’s
Living Color : Painting, Writing, and the Bones of Seeing by Natalie Goldberg
Illustration Workshop : Find Your Style, Practice Drawing skills, and Build a Stellar Portfolio by Mary Kate McDevitt
Three Simple Lines by Natalie Goldberg
How to be an artist by Jerry Saltz
Let’s Eat France
This might be the coolest book I have ever seen. It’s for the lover of food, the francophile and the person who loves trivia and history. Feel free to treat me to this for Christmast!!
Magazines
Cook’s Illustrated
I got this randomly from the library. I couldn’t even get past the masthead because it was so interesting and valuable! I tore out the subscription card and handed it to Steve. “Birthday present,” I said. I LOVE this magazine and cannot believe I am only this year getting on board.
Poets & Writers
If you are serious about the life of a writer, this is the magazine to have. In this episode of Stumbling Toward Genius, I mentioned a special piece I have in the January/February 2022 issue. Don’t miss it!
Podcasts
I listen to podcasts constantly, it seems. These are the ones I especially loved this year.
Other treats
A fun, unexpected treat was Mud\Wtr. My stepson Mark Davenport and I were talking about mushrooms. I have been using Lion’s Mane in my morning coffee and also taking a mushroom supplement. Mark asked if I knew about Mud/Wtr. I checked it out.
Their copywriting and marketing was so compelling, I had to order. I got their morning kit and was in love with it before I even tasted it! Then I tried it. I love the blend of spices, mushrooms and a spot of black tea. This has replaced my second cappuccino. I highly recommend this. Use this link to check it out.
My new favorite notebook! I put images from my favorite calendar on the front of these to jazz them up a bit. Zen Art Supplies dot grid notebook
Affiliate links are used in this blog post.
Cynthia, thank you for an especially moving podcast about your year and why it’s important for us to review our own. I do this every year and I always find things I did that I forgot about and even a so-called bad year can have many positive things. I always love your solo podcasts because you go right to the heart of what you subject is and you present it in a clear and engaging way.
So glad this was of use to you, Donna. I love that an annual review is part of your process.
Thank you for your kind words about my solo episodes! I seek to never waste anyone’s time, so I am glad that they get to the point and are engaging. I really appreciate hearing that.
Thank you for listening and commenting!
I feel like this podcast and attendant resources are a treasure that will serve me well in the coming year. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Kortney, for letting me know! I love that this feels like a treasure.
Chère Cynthia, your generosity of spirit is such a gift! So many treasures in this podcast! I have loved your year end review for so long and am always inspired by all that you share about your personal and professional year. Although I follow you on IG I wasn’t aware of the many growth opportunities 2021 has presented you with and I admire your willingness to make lemons into lemonade. Bonne année 2022- blessings of boundless creativity, peace and joy!
Thank you, Auna!
I love doing an annual review to share. I had planned to share much more but this was what I was able to pull off. I am happy that it moved you.
It was definitely a mixed year – lots of really great stuff and some pretty bad things, too. That is life, right?
Lots of creativity, peace and joy to you, too.
I LOVED this podcast! Loved learning more about your annual review…venturing this week into the process!
Thank you!
Thank you, De! I hope it’s a fun and fruitful process for you. You made a lot of cool things this year and had a big impact. Big growth year for you!
Cynthia, I am so happy you started podcasting again this year. It was nice to hear the things you overcame and faced this year. You’re interesting, entertaining, and inspiring to listen to. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Carla. That means a lot to me. I am glad I brought the pod back, too. It’s a lot more fun now.
Thank you for listening! Pass it on to anyone you know who is stumbling toward their genius.
Your end of the year reviews are like a tradition for me. I remember the PDFs you used to put out. They were a book in themselves. Just seeing a newsletter email from you reminds me to breathe and take a moment to be kind to myself and my creative spirit. I loved this entire episode. It was like a hug from a friend who continues to remind me of who I was and who I can still be. If you’re ever anywhere near Los Angeles, San Diego or Santa Barbara, I will buy you a meal so we can chat in person. Wishing you a good year. xoxo PS I’ve taken up knitting and crocheting this year. Growing and drying herbs. And still the social justice political activist who uses her writing and photography skills to make the world a little better.
Hi Bobbi!
I would love to meet you in person. I know we would have fun and talk on and on!
I loved making those annual review books. I may do that again someday…it takes quite a lot of work and focus, and these days that attention goes to other projects. What I love about an annual review process is it can shrink or expand according to one’s energy and time. It’s always valuable, and I am glad that you do it.
I love hearing about your creative expression, and how your art-making honors you and your values. Thank you for being ever-resourceful and creative! And for listening to my pod. That means a lot to me.