Less doubt,

More DO.

January 5, 2025

Hello You,

“Less doubt, more DO,” was the first thing I wrote on my Less / More list for 2025. I’m not really a fan of New Year’s resolutions, so when these Less of This / More of That lists started popping up here and there, I found them really intriguing. I like the way the idea of them sits in my brain, as if I’m doing a bit of a heartkeeping by writing one rather than setting a bunch of goals that I’ll hate myself for not reaching.

Less of this, More of that, 2025

Less doubt, more do. Less bitching, more witching. Less stagnation, more perambulatin’. Less isolation, more connection. Less caution, more dance. Less fear, more hope. Less calculation, more intuition.

What’s on your list?

I made my 2025 list as part of Wendy MacNaughton’s 30 Day drawing challenge. This is my first year participating, and so far I’m having a blast. Each day participants are invited to do a different 10 minute drawing exercise meant to help our brains lean into our creativity. It’s been a great way to kick start the year!

Heart keeping and body cleansing

New Year's Rituals

This past week as the wheel of the year turned, I turned a few cards at my kitchen table to help set a course for the months ahead. I won’t get into the weeds with it, but the cards definitely served to remind me that: comparison is always the thief of joy, and time spent with the people I love and on the things I deeply care about is never time wasted. So, here’s to more stories and poems written, and more connections made in 2025!

The week also brought the start of the slow roll towards my annual colonoscopy, wherein I spend several days simplifying what I ingest so I’m ready for the “great purge” before the procedure. If you’ve read my memoir, you’ll know that I have Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition that predisposes me to several types of cancer at an earlier than normal age. This week’s scopes are part of the annual slate of screenings I undergo in order to stay healthy and to detect any cancer at the earliest possible stage. Things are looking good healthwise for me these days, so I’m more than hopeful for an “all clear” report, and sunny weather soon after for a proper celebratory mermaid dip! Wish me luck.

The Awe Report

spirals, lines, shapes

If you’ve attended one of my writing workshops in recent years, you’ll know I’m a big believer in the power of free drawing to help loosen up all the constrictive clutter that accumulates in our brains. I start my daily writing sessions with drawing, which may seem counter-intuitive to some, but it’s worked wonders for me. Even if you’re not an artist of one sort or another by profession, I highly recommend 5-10 minutes a day of wild, expressive, no-judgement doodling. You’d be surprised at the relief and openness it brings. (If you decide to try it, please drop me a comment, I’d love to know what happens!)

Closing thoughts

Wishing you and yours kindness and wonder as you begin the New Year. Thanks, as always, for reading my words, and for being here. I’ll leave you today with some kick-ass wisdom that artist Sol LeWitt once wrote in a letter to artist Eva Hesse when she was struggling with her work. It’s read brilliantly in the video below for “Letters Live” by Benedict Cumberbatch. WARNING: The letter contains several swear words, so if that’s not your jam, maybe don’t watch. I, on the other hand, freely admit to having a ton of self-doubt as a creative AND to having a bit of a potty mouth, so it’s an annual watch for me. *wink*