A Look Back at 2022
Well, folks, it’s December! Not sure how it snuck up on me this year, but time always moves way too fast and I often feel like I’m struggling to keep up. I set myself a few goals for 2022 on a Ladygang goal manifestation sheet that I’ve kept on my desk all year long as a reminder of the things I promised myself I’d do, or try my very best to get done.
Here’s what was on the list for my writing/work section:
Have four new publications
Launch a new line of products
So, did I meet my goals? Let’s take a look at what I accomplished in 2022 writing-wise.
Have four new publications
This goal sat on my goal sheet for quite a while this year—until September—when I had my first publication of the year, Woodland Witch.
Woodland Witch, September 2022
This is a short story/novella (it’s right on the cusp, really) which follows a reclusive mushroom witch an da group of abandoned place explorers. As the adventurers wander deep into the forest to seek out a location for their next video to post to their online channel, they run into trouble—and then learn the place wasn’t quite abandoned after all.
I loved writing this story (and I spend a lot of time watching videos of people exploring abandoned places), and I hope you’ll read it. Woodland Witch can be purchased for 99 cents on most retailers.
Autumn Reveries Paperback, October 2022
Then, in October, I finally decided to publish a paperback version of Autumn Reveries, which had been available as an ebook only since October 2017. So, it went 5 years without a paperback version, and then finally I decided I wanted to hold the physical book, leaf through my poems in a tangible way, and it’s sold so well in paperback that I’m kicking myself for not doing this years earlier.
I had thought it wouldn’t be worth having as a paperback because it’s a short book—only 31 poems, one for each day in October—but poetry chapbook paperbacks are more common than I’d realized, and that was the driving factor in my making this one available in print.
Autumn Reveries can be purchased in paperback from Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, or you can purchase a signed copy right here in my shop.
Wreathbound, November 2022
My first full-length poetry collection was released in November, and I couldn’t be happier with this book. This one is very close to my heart as it’s an exploration of my relationship to Christmas over the years, and deals with themes of grief, longing, joy, family traditions, and love.
I designed the pixel art cover myself (it only took me 7 hours to make, haha), and again, couldn’t be happier. Wreathbound is available in ebook on Amazon, and in paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, or you can purchase a signed copy in my shop.
Effigies of Old Gods, Forgotten Lore, November 2022
In November, I had a story published in Forgotten Lore, an anthology edited by Rhonda Parrish. My story is called Effigies of Old Gods and you can read it by downloading a copy of the ebook (free on all retailers) or purchasing a paperback. Signed paperback copies are available in my shop.
Goodbye to Perfect, The Poetry Club Magazine, December 2022
I joined The Poetry Club in November 2021 as a founding member, and a year later Shelby Leigh decided to create a publication specifically for members of the club—The Poetry Club Magazine. It was a thrill to write and submit an original poem to this publication, and I’m happy to say the magazine is available to download for free.
A New Line of Products
I had envisioned something much different for this—maybe party invitations or some new printable in my Etsy shop, for example—but what I did begin to offer in this final month of 2022 is:
Signed paperbacks in my store
Poetry prints in my store and my Etsy shop
This is the first year that I’ve had my work in paperback form, so it’s also the first year I’ve offered signed copies. :)
As for poetry prints, I’ve started with a few favorites and will be adding more printable poetry prints to my shop as I create them. Some poems will be from already published books like Wreathbound or Autumn Reveries, and some will be from upcoming collections like Jellyfish. Can’t wait to share them with y’all.
Personal Goals for 2022:
Try a few simplicity challenges
2022 was a depth year
One of my major simplicity goals for this year was to hold a depth year. This means a year of not adding anything new to my life, just going deeper on what I already have. While that’s really vague, I wrote a blog post about my depth year here, and I think of it in terms of hobbies, relationships, and material things (buying to replace instead of to add something new, for example).
This has gone okay, though I will admit I began cross stitch again this year when I haven’t done it since middle school, and therefore have added 1) a new hobby, and 2) a lot of new supplies. So, this one doesn’t quite follow my rules for a depth year, but I am happy to have a non-electronic hobby to add to my list.
Simple November
For November, I wrote myself a list ahead of time of one small thing I would do each day to make my life easier, to help with observing the small or often forgotten things, and to overall live a bit more simply. I missed a few days due to forgetfulness, but I quite enjoyed this challenge and will have to repeat it during future months.
Read 35 books
Easy peasy. :) This year, I’ve read 77 books (220% of my goal, Goodreads tells me), and I hope to finish at least two more before the year is over. Time off and reading go very well together, I’ve found.
Learn to play harp
Ha, I wish. I kept up with this for a few weeks, played Greensleeves and nursery rhymes, and then dropped the hobby once again once the harp moved to a different room. It became an issue of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ and so I might have to move my harp back to a location where it’s more visible.
And there we have it! I made a few goals in various categories (including some I’ve kept private instead of listing here) and I’ll have to do the same for next year. Here’s to a great 2023!
