As we inch closer to 2025, the buzz of "new year, new goals" is already in the air. Countless articles, workshops, and planners promise to help you find success if you just follow their formula. But what if you've already been there, done that? What if, like me, you've spent years chasing that elusive "right way" only to feel burned out, disillusioned, and creatively drained?
This post isn’t about giving you a shiny checklist or bullet-pointed advice. It’s about breaking free, listening to your inner voice, and finding fulfillment on your own terms. It’s for those who are ready to stop chasing trends and start creating from the soul.
Lessons Learned from 2024
2024 was a year of changes and disappointments for me. There were shifts in my art and writing, setbacks in projects like Vella, and the relentless frustration of battling social media algorithms that never seem to work in my favor. But it wasn’t just about external challenges. It was about me—chasing the same rabbit over and over, expecting a different result. The definition of insanity, right?
After licking my wounds and hiding for a time, I had to confront a hard truth: I was stuck on a hamster wheel, endlessly grinding but going nowhere. It was time to get off.
Fuck Convention: My Creative Philosophy for 2025
For 2025, I’m doing something radical. I’m silencing the external noise—all the voices that tell me what I should do, how I should promote, and what I should create. Instead, I’m going to follow my inner voice, the one I’ve spent too long ignoring. Here’s what that looks like:
Paint Without Purpose: If I want to paint something pretty with zero meaning, I will. If I want to create something dark, chaotic, and unsettling, I’ll do that too. Art doesn’t always have to make sense to anyone but me.
Write Without Rules: Trends? Forget them. Market demands? Irrelevant. I’ll write whatever speaks to my soul, whether it fits neatly into a genre box or not.
Explore Without Limits: Different mediums, different techniques, and different styles are all fair game. I want to see how far my talent can stretch and push past those boundaries.
It’s about rejecting the pressure to conform and embracing the raw, messy, and authentic creative within.
Recommendations from Others (and Why They Didn’t Work for Me)
I’ve read all the advice out there, and it starts to sound the same after a while. "Write to market." "Post daily on social media." "Find your niche and stick to it." While this might work for some, it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Here’s the thing: those strategies didn’t resonate with me because they weren’t me. They were someone else’s path, someone else’s voice. So, take what resonates and leave the rest. Your journey is your own.
How You Can Break Free in 2025
If my story resonates with you, I encourage you to try this approach for 2025:
Tune Out the Noise: Take a step back from endless advice and social media doom scrolls. Spend time listening to yourself instead.
Follow Your Intuition: Trust your instincts about what to create. If something feels right, even if it’s unconventional or unpopular, lean into it.
Set Soulful Goals: Forget about "success" metrics like followers or sales. Focus on goals that make you feel alive and fulfilled.
Experiment Freely: Give yourself permission to fail, to explore, and to play. You might surprise yourself with what you discover.
A Final Word
For too long, I’ve allowed external voices to dictate my creative path. No more. 2025 is about reclaiming my art, my writing, and my voice. It’s about creating because it fills me with joy, curiosity, and purpose—not because it’s what’s expected.
If you’re tired of chasing the same rabbit, I hope this inspires you to break free. Fuck convention. Follow your soul. And create something that matters—to you.
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