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Taking a look back at Week 25 of 2025

Hey there!

I hope Week 25 of 2025 ended well for you!

For me, Week 25 was a much better week than Week 24. I can feel the flow coming back. The muses singing. And thought I didn’t achieve everything I wanted to achieve, I got damn close.

Often, we get bogged down with what I didn’t accomplish, rather than what we did accomplish.

When you allow your mind to focus on the bad, rather than the good, it can be demoralizing. Lead your mind to a bad place. And with everything that is currently happening in my country, I was in a very bad place.

Despite all of that, I created. I can control that. Focusing on what you can control is sometimes all you can do.

On Writing

I continued to write essays on The Emotional Craft of Fiction. You can read them here:

• ​Using Meaning and Arc to Elevate The Emotional World of Your Characters​
• ​Developing an Emotional Plot Alongside an External Plot Will Make Your Stories Unforgettable​

Since I’m writing each essay based on a book chapter, I believe Week 26 will have the last two essays.

The goal for Week 26 is two complete essay 21 and essay 22, and write the first draft for the short story WIP Grounded.

On Design

For design, beyond the covers I created for my essays (and for this weekly issue of Creative Reflections), I work on the following project you can check out here:

• ​Design #116​

The goal for Week 26 is to create two designs based on anything

On Illustration

Now, here is where I continue to falter.

There isn’t much to say, in all honesty. I just didn’t sketch. I hope to change that for Week 26.

The goal for Week 26 is to sketch every day. Even if it’s for five minutes.

Inspiration and Recommendation

​To anyone afraid they will resent their own art.​

A great video on learning to love the act of creating, and building community through that act. An uplifting video that keeps me creating.

​Rick Rubin on The Creative Act, Overcoming Ego, and Enjoying the Process​

A long interview between Rick Rubin and Ryan Holiday. I highly recommend listening to this interview when you get the chance.

​The Rainbow Bridge, Humanity, And Why Stories Matter​

This essay by Linda Caroll had me in tears. Stories are how we connect with one another. How we bond. It’s what makes humans human — are ability to share our experiences and learn from those experiences.

What are your goals for Week 26? Reply to this email if you are reading this in your inbox.