Can humans get software updates too?
On muscle memory & letting a robot plan my life, crafty updates, recommendations, fun links, + more.
There really isn’t anything new to be said about January that I haven’t already said before. Just like last year, I arrived at the end of December in a crumpled heap; vowing to never feel like this again!! (v3_final_final_for_real_final). I have the salty winds of Tofino to thank for blowing life back into my deflated soul (A bit melodramatic, but it sure felt that way), and I am approaching 2026 with my usual gentle reminders to go slow, savour the space, and tread mindfully.
What is different this year is my new ~routine~. In the heaviest days of my December, I did something I have never really done before which is use Chat GPT. I know some folks are on BFF terms with their chat bots but I’m a bit of a luddite that regards AI with suspicion. However, I realized I’ve been operating the only way I know how for so long and I keep ending up in the same place at the end of each year (full of anxiety and feeling squeezed). It’s a perpetual groundhog year and I felt ready to outsource and update my habits. Maybe the robots DO know better??
While Chat didn’t offer me anything revolutionary, it did offer me a tangible schedule, based off of my astrology big 3 (lol), and tailored to my goal of becoming the “Taylor Swift of Children’s Books”— all while keeping in mind my current reality of client work. The biggest thing in that schedule? Do not check emails or social media for at least the first 90 minutes of the day.*
I thought: Easy Peasy!
And I thought WRONG.
The reality? I catch myself defaulting to the “mail” app literally the moment I open my bleary eyes, second only to turning off my alarm. IT IS A SICKNESS I TELL YA!! I had to grab my own hand the other morning! I used to tell myself that checking the emails first thing meant “getting ahead” of any fires for the day when in reality it just spiked my cortisol and blood pressure and had other people’s needs/ requests living rent free in my head as I tried to reclaim my “slow morning” with matcha and stretching. Side note- I honestly thought social media (aka Instagram) would be the tricky part but I’ve actually been very sane and sensible in that realm.
It’s now been two weeks of trying to reprogram my muscle memory and they say three weeks is the sticking point soo… cross your fingers for me, my mental health, and my attempt to do a casual overhaul of my way of being.
*The 90 minutes in the AM are to be replaced with journaling, doodling, and actively working on picture book ideas which has made mornings a lot more fun.
A little admin note:
If you’re one of the 0.5% of people who are a paying subscriber to this newsletter- thank you! I made the decision at the end of last year to no longer tuck things away behind paywalls (long story for another day) so your subscription is truly a gift/ representation of your belief in the value of my words and work, and it means so much more now than it did before.
If you enjoy reading this newsletter— if it’s made you laugh or if you’ve learned something new— and have an extra $5 to kick around, consider becoming a paid subscriber ♥️
Lastly, I’m considering refreshing/ revamping the type of content I share here. If you’d like a say, you can vote below:
It’s been a little all over the map the past month/ 6 weeks since my last newsletter so I wanted to share some random things I’ve worked on:
I submitted to an illustration competition the first week of January (theme was “tea-time”) and pictured above are:
1.) My new way of selecting colour palettes which makes the process feel fun/ like I’m playing a card game
2.) Palette at work— a lot more brown than anticipated which is silly because of course, tea is brown (duh).
3.) Imaginary book cover that was submitted to the comp.
I finally finished my embroidered lamp in Tofino! The stitches are SO wobbly and I probably broke 5000 embroidery rules due to my lack of patience but whatever, it’s done. I’m happy. It lives in the spare bedroom aka my office space and provides a cute warm glow at night.
Back to my daily gratitude and doodles! I’m trying out a new planner this year and while I’ve already stumbled upon some cons (it doesn’t actually open flat despite its product listing promise), it’s been nice to have more space for the drawings. I really missed doing this in Q4 of 2025 (the first time in years I lapsed) and I think I need it more than anything to stay grounded/ stop myself from spinning into a spiral of doom.
Asides from finishing the lamp, the only other crafty thing I wanted to do in Tofino was make my own textured paper. Loved my pan pastels for this and it was fun to play/ create with no expectation! (Second photo is of the Sanrio character Cinnamaroll but my ego was heavily bruised when I showed it to my niece and she was like “Who is that supposed to be?!” Brutal.)
Lastly, I spent some time putting together some monthly spreads based off of my sister’s life in 2025 to help showcase the changes that are being made to Yearbook Club this year (mainly the addition of photos and more mini illustrations). If you have no idea what Yearbook Club is, you can learn more about it here! Doors are open until the end of this month and there are just 2 more spots!
Remember back in November when I said I was ready for a book that didn’t leave you hanging? Well friends, I have been on an Agatha Christie ROLL since the end of December. (Kickstarted by the new Knives Out.) My little grey cells cannot get enough of her murder mysteries and I’m now five books deep since December 28th.
My favs so far: And Then There Were None and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
And for those with little readers, my nieces and I (and Rob) all thoroughly enjoyed Charley Mouse Cleans House. It’s a fun seek and find that is great for anyone who loves looking at tiny dollhouse details and imagining little worlds/ side plots.
Okay, I’m not super proud of this but the Meet Cute audio romcoms are actually kinda sweet? I listen to a LOT of podcasts while I’m doing illustration work and I like the bingeable episodic nature of this. It’s like a cheesy CW show or Netflix Christmas movie in your ears:
Asides from the aforementioned Knives Out (so good), and Bugonia (so wild), I watched one of my favourite movies of 2025 in December:
It’s about a young family (two sisters and a mom) living in Taiwan, trying to make ends meet. A little bit slice of life meets a little bit of drama. It’s absolute perfection.
Other notable fun facts: It was filmed entirely with an iphone and was produced by the guy who directed last year’s Oscar-winning Anora aka Sean Baker aka one of the guys who helped save The Park, an indie theatre in Vancouver.
Nothing right now! I did install a hummingbird feeder after seeing a little guy flit around a few times last week but that’s about all the attention I’ve paid to the garden this month.
Some links from around the internet:
A fascinating read about AI & the humanity of being “allowed” to forget.
7 Reflection Questions for a Happier New Year
One of my favourite new-to-me substackers:
The ultimate introvert vs extrovert showdown:
A different way of looking at setting goals (Note: the person is trying to sell something at the end of the post but I found the text before it all interesting.)
Many people aren’t trying to “change” next year.
They’re trying to stop carrying the adaptations that got them through this one
