This year was a busy one. Some days felt like they flew by and others felt like they stood still. I often tell my friends that I feel like I let this year slip by, but when I actually sit down and think, it was quite a busy year.

I released my first nonfiction this year, THE WRITE FAST SYSTEM, to share my experience and lessons in completely a book quickly

I created and taught two classes, one on writing productivity, and another on self-editing.

I wrote the second draft of my first cozy fantasy, LOVE, DEATH, AND EVERYTHING ELSE I’M BAD AT, which is currently in the hands of my very capable editor.

And perhaps the most significant of all, I completed the HEADSPACE trilogy this summer with its final book, ORB HUNTERS. This accomplishment was monumental, exhausting, and emotional. It not only marked a milestone I had great difficulty imagining at one point, it marked the end of my very first publishing contract. While I continue to have an ongoing partnership with my amazing publishing team, our major project is now complete.

And all that on top of a busy full time job and keeping two children alive as well.

As I revel in the cooling weather and reflect on the final leg of this year, I find myself craving a change and a break from the norm. In the past month or so, after setting my brushes aside for nearly a decade, I’d found my way back to the world of painting with the help of a wonderful little art studio near my home.

I’d spent much of the last few years mired in writing, to the point of getting tunnel vision and ignoring any interests outside of my books. But as I lift my head and take a look around, I realized I missed art and the feel of paint. I don’t know what the next year will bring or what this new chapter of publishing will look like, but painting is teaching me to slow down, enjoy the journey, and be patient with myself. And so, as I take a breather from the keyboard, I allow myself to enjoy the view in front of the easel.