New Year, New Intention
Woo hoo! It’s 2025. I’m so excited for this bright, sparkly New Year. For those who have been following my journey over the years – thank you! I’m so glad to have your support. Being a writer and chasing your dreams can be lonely but this year, my intention is to really focus on community. I want to give back to those who have been there for me. I want to help those I can – particularly any aspiring creatives and I want to bring people together so we can empower each other as we follow what lights us up. So, if you need help with your own audacious dreams, please reach out and let me know how I can serve you!
This year, I will be releasing six new titles too as part of a junior fiction series I have been working on. I can’t wait to share these stories with you. I’m really happy with how they’ve come together and I’m so grateful to the team at Wombat Books for believing in me and bringing these books to life. I hope you enjoy them and join me as I launch this series. More details to come over the next couple of months.
There’s been a lot of momentum in my writing world, I won’t spend time recapping the last few months but I’ll list some of my highlights at the end of this blog post. I’m beginning to really understand the concept of “energy flows where attention goes.” I made a conscious decision toward the end of last year to stand firm in what lights me up and put in the work towards my creative pursuits. As I’ve done this, I have seen doors open and I feel the flow of creativity once more. I feel joyful again. The joy that only comes when you’re doing what you should have been doing all along. It’s easy to get swept up into the day to day and when you’re straddling motherhood and two careers it’s easy to neglect what’s calling for you and what’s in your best interest. Luckily for me I have a tribe of beautiful friends and family who keep pointing out what my heart is yearning for and help me push past whatever limitations to find balance in the juggle.
I also reached out to the incredible Lisa Messenger. I’ve been following Lisa for a very long time. She’s someone who has inspired me through many chapters. I’ve read all her books cover to cover and even have gazillions of post-it notes scattered throughout them – they are just that good! Over the years I have been fortunate enough to connect with Lisa. This year I bravely decided to ask Lisa for some help! I knew her advice and guidance would be just what I needed to propel my dreams forward that little bit more (and to cure some major imposter syndrome). There’s something about courageously and vulnerably sitting at a desk across from someone you truly admire for doing great things, that helps build confidence. I’m so grateful for our time together and her thoughtful guidance. She’s been a fabulous mentor.
Being mentored has also inspired me to mentor others once again. I used to do this but last year I pulled away from it slightly, although I was informally doing it from time to time. If you are an aspiring creative who needs some assistance please do reach out to me because I would be very willing to help you and share what I’ve been learning through my mentoring journey too.
I’m looking forward to 2025 – it’s going to be a beautiful year – I can just feel it…maybe because I’m still on holidays and have just been spending time writing and with family and friends 😊
I’m hoping to be more consistent with blog posts this year too, as I want to share more and hopefully help those I can through my sharing.
Speaking of sharing, one practice I did to start the New Year was to consciously and deliberately close 2024 and open this new 2025 chapter. I did a lot of journalling and regrouping practices on my own, with friends and my family. Some questions that I thought were really useful to consider were:
- What did I change my mind on during 2024?
- What was the best book, movie or story I enjoyed in 2024?
- What was the funniest or silliest moment I had in 2024?
- What were my greatest hits and my worst misses in 2024?
- What was my biggest learning in 2024?
- What do I want to spend more time doing in 2025?
- How do I plan to take care of myself and my energy in 2025?
- What are the three things I want to achieve the most in 2025?
- What is one new habit I would like to cultivate in 2025?
- What is my intention for 2025?
I’m all about being more intentional with my days this year. During the course of last year, I felt like I was going through the motions, but not necessarily getting anywhere (or at least where I wanted to go). This year I want to put purpose behind everything I say, do and lean into. I want to guide my energy towards what lights me up – hence the more blog posts.
With all that, I want to wish you all a magical 2025. Let it be a year of peace, tranquillity, joy and more dreams come true! Bring on the fun.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTHS – Updates are also available on my News Stories page
Thoroughly enjoyed attending Goulburn Bookfest over the weekend @goulburnlibrary
One of my favourite events. It was lovely meeting members of the Goulburn community, connecting with readers and fellow writers. A very happy day. My highlights included catching up with @danielle_mcdonald_studio – my daughter’s favourite illustrator. Laughing with Rhian Williams. Spending time with my writing buddy @sandrabennettauthor. Connecting with the amazing library staff And, sharing my books with lovely people – I even received a beautiful message from a family who picked up Charlie’s Adventures…in South Africa. Can’t wait to visit Goulburn again soon.
A treat to meet and learn from the lovely and inspiring Jane Godwin last night @thebookcowkingston 📚 Thank you to @scbwiact for organising such a special gathering. It was also a treat to spend time with some of my favourite author and illustrator friends including @danielle_mcdonald_studio (a delight to see you twice in a week😊), @stephanieowenreeder and @christinecrawfordauthor 💕
Love the children’s book community and my younger self is always jumping for joy when I get to spend time with such incredible creators 💕💫 A beautiful evening 😊
Attending a very special reading with Tania McCartney – One of our favourites!
A wish come true 🌟 As a little girl I loved reading @theschoolmagazine and it has always been on my wish list to have a story featured in this beautiful publication. A huge thank you to the team at The School Magazine for making this wish come true for me. Over the moon to see my little story featured on the cover too! And, how gorgeous are the illustrations- thank you to @sarahsketchy for brining Manisha to life. Thank you to my writing buddies for encouraging me to share this story – couldn’t have done it without your support. A very happy, magical moment and I got to share it with my little girl – a special moment for the both of us 💫
Surround yourself with people who inspire you ✨Being mentored by Lisa Messenger has been invaluable. I knew her advice and guidance would be just what I needed to propel my dreams forward that little bit more (and to cure some major imposter syndrome)💛 I’m so grateful for our time together and her thoughtful guidance.
Celebrating the end of 2024 with my beautiful writing tribe! So grateful for these ladies.
