Reflections on courage, creativity, and what now?

It’s January 1st, 2026 – congratulations baby, we made it!

The first thing I want to do is thank you for being here. Thank you for being you. And thank GOD we made it to a new year.

I tried to play down the significance of the new year in my mind, but in my spirit it feels like a big shift has occurred. It’s tangible. I think it’s billions of people mentally moving their energy forward. We want change. We want healing. We want progress.

What does that feel like for you this year?

For me, I woke up and realized something kinda crazy (but not):

I am where I wanted to be 5 years ago.

I am a full-time, self-employed, independent artist.

Yay yay hoorah woooo –

It looks very different than what I expected.

And to be honest I’m asking myself: what now?

I got some ideas.

Dream-Doers

Today, a saying came to me:

We are not dream chasers anymore — we are dream doers. 

It also occurred to me that I am not green in certain things anymore. I’m seasoned. I’ve gained experience. And it feels different. 

I remember when I knew very little about the music business and the music industry. 

I remember when I first started learning guitar, and music theory on piano, and performing- 15 years ago. 

I remember when I first started planning out my EPs and album releases, not having a clue about distribution- eight years ago.

When I started studying music publishing, marketing, and copyright law- five years ago. 

I remember when I was still working full-time as a server at Bonefish Grill and passionately wanted to quit to pursue music- four years ago. And I did.

I had a vision for it to happen one way. It looked different than what I expected- actually it looked crazy. But I survived.

Reflecting on Loss and Gain

My longtime friend and collaborator Ronin always says:

It’s only a L if you don’t learn from it.

Take it to the chin, charge it to the game.

These sayings hit a whole lot different now than when we were younger.

Because now I’ve taken losses. I’ve made some mistakes. I’ve taken some creative U-turns. I’ve crashed out, tweaked out, lost self-belief, regained it, lost it again- then took another breath and took another step.

Risk, Beginner’s Luck, & Courage

I realize now that I was focused on doing what I loved – not on what outcome I would get.

To go through all of that, I had to be willing to take risks in the first place. I appreciate myself for that. If I hadn’t tried, I wouldn’t know what I know now.

In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the king talks about beginner’s luck. Reflecting on how I got to this point reminded me of my earliest wins.

I was 13 when I won my 8th grade talent show; I had been teaching myself to sing and play guitar for maybe six or eight months. Taking home that trophy was a huge surprise. I performed many more times in school after that. 

I treated every performance to be a learning experience- good or bad. I kept going.

In 2019, when I started performing in Memphis as Desire, I was surprised again to find that people loved my original music.

The common thread throughout those chapters is the same: I was focused on doing what I loved – not on what I would get from it. (Stay tuned for my upcoming blog post: Inputs Over Outcomes – Rethinking Goals for Creative Living.)

I got on stage even though it scared me. I felt I had to do it because I was scared. It amazes me now that I had that kind of wisdom as a young girl. 

Beyond that, I just wanted to share this thing I love doing. I said, “I don’t care if I’m performing for two people or two hundred- I want to give them a great experience.”

I’m amazed at the courage I had back then.

As I got older, things started getting harder. Them hits started leaving bruises. I got knocked down for real a couple times. 

“You must not let up, even after having come this far… You must love the desert, but never trust it completely. Because the desert tests all men: it challenges every step, and kills those who become distracted.” – Paulo Coelho

A Note on Courage:

There’s this really satisfying moment in The Alchemist where the protagonist is tested- and passes. He’s uncertain, but he still proceeds. The Alchemist tells him it’s because he had to prove his courage.

“Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World.”

I encourage anyone to read this book- but especially if you need a morale boost, or some guidance. 

I first read it about six or seven years ago. I’m rereading it now because I have before me a blank canvas: a new year, no ties to institutions, and a foundation I’ve been laying for over a decade. Which is thrilling and also feels like a roller coaster ticking up before it drops.

I feel 2026 is going to require a bunch of courage – we’re not newbies to the game anymore. We done been through some s***. And the universe isn’t playing no games; if we want something we’re gonna have to make it happen.

Things happen when you make them happen – unknown

But the beautiful thing is:

“When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it.”

My invitation to us in this new year is to welcome courage.

The courage to want something with our whole hearts.

And the courage to take the next step toward it.

And then the next.

And the one after that.

One last note on The Blank Canvas

I am presently experiencing that quiet fear that fills an artist when sitting before a blank canvas, looking at 2026.

I didn’t think this far ahead 😭🤣

What I am inspired to create is a life full of the things I enjoy doing. I used to think of passion too much as sacrifice. In 2026, I’m thinking of passion as fun, as community, as presence.

“If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. You’ll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living in right now.”

Cheers to a beautiful year,

And may your dreams and your actions move you closer to your heart’s desires.

-Zen Desire

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”

quotes “” are from The Alchemist- get that junt 2DAY | one love