Hello newsletter, my old friend

The last missive I sent was in August 2016. It's so interesting to revisit that time in my life, that time in the world, to examine what has changed and what has not. A lot of things are different in my life from 2016. I moved twice: accidentally to Atlanta and intentionally to Brooklyn. I'm single. I got diagnosed with a mood disorder. Yet a lot of things remained constant anchors, particularly my relationships with my family and closest friends. For them, I am so grateful. We've also experienced so much in the world since 2016. We went through a global pandemic. America lived through 45 and elected a new president. But unfortunately, while we've made a bit of progress, things remain the same. In August 2016, we had just witnessed the police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. In January 2023, even after the Black Lives Matter protests for Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and more, police are still killing Black people like Keenan Anderson.

Going back to snapshots of who I used to be is a reminder of how powerful it is to actually go back and spend time with our past selves. Often this can feel cringy or painful, which is why I often avoid it, but it can also help us find patterns and meaning for who we want to be going forward.

This newsletter is a bit of a reset. A reintroduction. This is me in 2023: doing my best, figuring it out, and showing up. I'm not sure exactly what form this newsletter will take, but expect occasional (aiming for monthly) dispatches exploring the intersection of creativity and mental health, ruminating on questions of what it means to create when you aren't feeling well, when do you feel ready to tell a story, and how do you protect your own space and energy while doing so?

I owe a big thank you to Ash Huang for giving me the push I needed to revive my newsletter. If you don't know her, she's an amazing writer, artist, designer (what can't she do!) who, along with Ryan Putnam, organized a project called Bring Back Blogs. A newsletter is basically the blog of 2023, right?

Thanks for reading. If you're interested, drop your email in the signup form. If this doesn't sound like it's for you—no hard feelings.

Wishing you all a delightful start to the new year,

katie