So often I feel like I don’t have good advice to give on a consistent basis or much to say in general, and I feel pretentious trying to say things that would be “inspiring”. But what I can say is this year I am working to be more transparent and show all sides to my life, rather than just what I allow people to see. Freelance, while amazing, isn’t this magical unicorn that makes everything better. I’ve worked harder these past few years than I ever had before, and I’ve had to learn to navigate the slow periods that inevitably come up (still hard, still not easy). It’s hard during those times to allow myself the time to explore my personal work and create just to create because I immediately jump into feast or famine mode, and have to actively work hard to not fall into a depression. I’m lucky to have a network of friends and family who help keep me afloat during those times, and help me to remember that things could always be worse and that remaining positive, no matter how hard it may be, is the best course of action.