December always feels like a pause button.
Not a full stop—just a moment where the noise dies down enough to hear what’s actually been happening. This month, I’ve been less interested in doing more and more focused on doing what matters. Here’s what December has looked like for me.
Slowing the Pace (Without Stopping)
I didn’t disappear or go dark—I just eased off the gas. Fewer rushed decisions. Fewer “yes” answers out of habit. More space between ideas. That space has been important. It’s where clarity shows up.
Recording with Intention
I’ve been recording and planning podcast episodes that feel grounded instead of reactive. Conversations that aren’t chasing trends, but sitting with real questions—creativity, mental health, starting before you feel ready. The kind of episodes I’d want to hear if I were driving late at night, thinking about whether any of this work actually matters.
Revisiting Old Notes
December is when I go back through notebooks, voice memos, half-finished outlines—ideas I abandoned because I wasn’t ready then. Some of them still don’t work. Some of them are suddenly alive. Time has a way of finishing sentences for you.
Creating Without Publishing
This has been a big one. Writing and recording things that may never see the light of day—and being okay with that. Not everything needs an audience. Some things are just practice. Some things are just for keeping the muscle warm.
Walking More, Listening Less
Long walks. No podcasts. No music. Just letting thoughts come and go. It’s uncomfortable at first, but eventually something honest surfaces. December seems to reward stillness.
Letting the Year End Softly
I’m not wrapping the year up with a bow or a big “next year will be different” declaration. I’m letting it end quietly. Not everything needs a conclusion to be complete.
If you’re also feeling that strange December mix of reflection, fatigue, and quiet excitement—you’re not behind. You’re right on time.
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is notice where you are… and stay there long enough to understand it.
Here’s to a soft ending—and whatever wants to begin next.
Paintings
These paintings were from 2 sources. The first was Painting to Gogh. With this service, they give you the canvas, paint, brushes, and a video that leads you on how to do the painting, usually acrylic. The other source is from The Art Sherpa. What the Art Sherpa does is give you a list of what you will need and a copy of the tracing to use to help you with your project, and she supplies a video with it, and this is the free stuff. The owl and the Eiffel Tower were hers, and the other three were Painting To Gogh. I really enjoyed these because you could be meticulous and be very exacting, or you can make it your own, which is what I did. Yes, I paint like a 4-year-old on crack, but I enjoy it, and my family enjoys them as gifts during he holidays.
Poems
I have always liked the Tanka form, which is 5 lines, and each line has a certain number of syllables. The first and third like have five and the rest have seven. So it goes 57577. The first three are rich with imagery, and the last two are reflection. I started to get back into this when I decided to do art, poetry, and music every week, not necessarily to sell, but hey, I can make that happen, but to show you what I am doing when I am not doing podcasts to keep my muse strong.
5 Tankas for Colin “Bear” Fletcher
- 20 Dec 25
It was the year 1992
The sky was more than massive
Texas heat blazing
For 33 years we tread
Paths crossing through wire and air
- 20 Dec 25
The smell of coffee
And the black and white flooring
Laughter and sadness
We drained our cups voices
Hope was our generation
- 20 Dec 25
Buckets of rain fell
The streets under the railway
Were murky water
I left my friends for my home
The home that wasn’t a home
- 20 Dec 25
Tattoo left bicep
Another mistake for me
No Texan entry
My missteps were confided
My dreams were never chided
- 20 Dec 25
Years of distant views
Seeing you and your chosen
It was like a home
Years passed by effortlessly
I was welcomed back smiling
End of Year Tankas
28 Dec 2025
- How it all started
I began with fear
My health, my job, my fam all
The fear was closer
It was a dark time for me
Losing all I worked for gone
- How it continued
Going to the gym
Having the ambulance called
Exerting then dark
Making bodily changes
Leaving loved ones in the dark
- How it improved
Promises were kept
Taking an interest in health
Interest in me
Recognizing importance
Remembering beginnings
- How it changed
Ended the bad game
Ended the head games I play
Ended the self-doubt
It took quiet words of love
And a year to be better
- How it ends
Kisses and dating
Challenges that don’t matter
Writing and painting
No planning just do it now
My own cheering is the sound
I will post more as I make more. I am not stressing over doing something every week, but I do want to keep this going for as long as it is fun for me and provides me joy. Here’s to you and your creations.