I’m not entirely sure how to sum this year up, but it feels like one of those moments where it’s worth stopping for a second. This year changed my sense of time more than anything else, especially with welcoming our daughter and trying to show up properly for my son too, which has a way of quietly rearranging everything else around it, including how and when I work.
I found myself slowing things down without really planning to, being more selective with projects, finishing some pieces I’d been sitting with for a while, and generally trying to do the work with a bit more patience and intention.
Tattooing felt more considered this year, and that came with its own challenges but also a lot of clarity. I spent some time learning again, stepping out of my own bubble and into rooms where I could listen, take notes, and recalibrate a bit - seminars with Black Symmetry, Bintt, and Aston Reynolds didn’t radically change what I do, but they helped confirm the direction I’m already moving in and reminded me why I’m drawn to this kind of work in the first place.
None of this would have been manageable without the support at home that kept everything from tipping over when my focus was split, and none of the tattoo side exists without the people who trusted me with their skin this year, especially on the bigger, slower projects that ask for more commitment on both sides.
I don’t think I have a clean conclusion or lesson from 2025, it just feels like a year where life and work stopped pulling in opposite directions quite as much, and that alone feels like something worth carrying forward.
