What Happens Next Year?
Plans for 2025 and Beyond
Good morning to you, and happy new year, just a bit early.
It’s human nature to look back at the year that was in an attempt to plan for the year that will be, at least it feels that way to me, and if I’m honest, some of my happiest moments in 2024 were in the skin of a bumble bee. Walking down the street as a bee, making people smile in the face of all that has been going on did my heart good, and for now anyway, my plan is to continue to do so. It’s selfish in a certain way, but I have felt for a long time that the secret to happiness is to be of service to others. At least that’s where I derive most of my joy, so I will continue to do so for as long as I can.
The above painting, “Death Star in England, The Ultimate Empire”, is a gift I created for my twin and his wife for the winter solstice. One of the things I have decided as the year has come to a close is that I will base all my celebrations on scientific realities like the passage of time. I see that I have been moving toward this for many years, and the decision has alleviated a level of stress that I didn’t predict. I’m officially ringing in the age of casting off false idols, and false holidays must be included. FYI, birthdays are still my favorite, and cake will still be a part of my celebratory plans going forward.
The Center for the Arts
I am moving forward on this, with a big push happening in January for participants and funding. We’re hoping to be in a space by March, so this is indeed an exciting time. I have been doing extensive research on art centers around the country, and the successful ones are usually tied to the city in some way. I’m not a huge fan of having the art center be connected to government, even if it is local. I never say never, mostly because I’m so good at changing my mind at a moment’s notice, but I’m as close to saying never as one can be without compromising one’s values. Anyway, we will be running a Kickstarter in February, so stay tuned and let people who might be interested in supporting the arts know that this whole thing is happening soon.
2025
It’s happening, next year that is. For me, I will be doing what I have been doing since 2016, not participating in as many destructive activities as I can, and the one that I will suggest to you, that has added great value to my life, is to invest in community. Below is a rough outline of simple things I do that help my community by keeping my money within it.
Perhaps the video is a bit melodramatic, visually, but, what can I say? I’m sometimes prone to hyperbole. If you’ve read this newsletter for any amount of time you must know this and to some extent, enjoy it. Or, that’s what I imagine in my head.
One last word on the year that was 2024
I still consider myself to be very lucky, and moreover, grateful for the life I have the great opportunity to lead. I have wonderful friends, a patient and caring partner, a beautiful place to live, and the ability to express myself in many ways. The connections I have made with old and new friends have been the most meaningful in my life, and though it seems like we might be in for a shit time, I do believe that with community, compassion, courage, and alliteration, we will pull through it nicely.
THINGS I LOVE
Happy New Year, hopefully.
Don’t let the bastards get you down.
Sara