Unknown

My hopes of scrounging together some last-minute money before Christmas didn’t pan out. That’s not a prophecy about my future or a verdict on my career, but just the reality of where I am right now.

It does mean some uncomfortable debt lingering in the background. Some relational tension to navigate. And it likely means starting the new year in a scramble, rather than with the calm focus I’d hoped to give to creative work.

So what does that mean, exactly?

Honestly, I don’t know.

My hope is to provide weekly new-release reviews, podcasts, and newsletters, alongside daily writing here on Beyond the Balcony. But right now, it feels like climbing out of a deep pit with stress mounting and pressure increasing while I’m still figuring out how to live and work in a way that actually supports my neurodivergent brain.

A few consistent clients would ease the financial anxiety. But depending on the workload, I don’t yet know how much energy or mental capacity I’ll have left for sustained, high-quality creative work. That balance is still something I’m learning.

I also know this about myself: I spend a lot of time worrying about what isn’t here yet instead of focusing on what is. My brain craves assurance and predictability. Freelance life offers neither.

So, for now, I land on one word: unknown.

Not without ambition. Not without intention. But with a commitment to creating my best possible work in 2026, whatever shape that ultimately takes.

Things will happen. I will grow.

---

If my work resonates with you and you’d like to support it, there are a few ways you can help:

• Subscribe to Life on the Balcony newsletter 

• Toss a few dollars into the tip jar via the Support Me badge or my Ko-fi page.

• Consider hiring me for your business.

• Or order one of my custom Santa Letters and Christmas Stories

Every bit genuinely helps. Not just financially, but emotionally. It helps me keep going, keep writing, and keep building something that matters.