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Let’s just be honest, 2019 was a year for the record books. I’ve never been the type to be a sentimental person about the year, but while a taxing year in so many ways, there was LOTS to celebrate in 2019. I was ready to wrap up 2019 because there’s so much that I’m looking forward to doing in 2020!
I always love to read others’ recaps of the year, but it’s been a while since I’ve done any recaps of my own, so here you go – a little recap of my 2019 for you!
Blog & Business
This was a big year for me in a lot of ways. I had two major seasons of technical difficulty (website issues, document storage, spam, you name it, etc.) and I had to call in HELP. Like, the big guns. It was a time of surrender knowing that I had done all I could, but then being open enough to ask for forgiveness and grace when I was catching back up.
I’ve been transitioning further and further from part-time work so that I can be 100% self-employed. I’m SO close, but not to the point where I’d feel completely comfortable going out without some additional income. That said, there’s definitely been some transition in the projects that I’ve taken on. I’ve been doing copywriting, blog writing, and other types of content writing pretty consistently over the past few years, but I really ramped it up in 2019. I ramped it up so much that I have basically had to neglect my own blog to keep up! Clearly doing the writing for others has obviously been good to me, but it pushed my own creations to the side. That said, in 2020, I’m being choosier about what I take on when I can.
Speaking of my own blog, 2019 was a riot! Thanks to this little website, I got to partner with some really great brands – travel, theatre, museums, camp, cities, health, skincare, etc. Whether it was for the blog or social media coverage, I loved getting to explore new places and try new things. I’m already connecting with a few places and organizations for 2020, so stay tuned. I’m hoping 2020 turns out to only be more fruitful than 2019.
Did I mention that I became an official business on January 1st? No? Well, I did! Hire me! 🙂
Theatre
I didn’t spend too much time actually ON a stage in 2019, but I’m not too upset about it. I’ve been transitioning a lot in this region – especially in the last year. I’ve actually been fortunate enough to book a good handful of on-screen gigs through my agency, so that’s been fun. However, I spent the majority of the year behind the scenes in a directorial or production role.
I always knew that I loved directing kids, but I never realized that in just a short amount of time (over a couple of years) that it would become a HUGE chunk of my life. The majority of what I do is centered around putting kids on stage, ensuring they have a great time, and that they look good while they do it. I love seeing kids light up and figure out their own creative process. I love watching them work together. I really just love watching them SHINE. There’s no other way to put it.
I also had some great opportunities to work backstage on a couple of shows, like HAMILTON while it was here in Indy. It was magical, insane, fast, furious, entertaining, and over way too soon. I would 100% do it again. So, HAMILTON peeps, if you need a dresser who already knows the show – CALL ME. I’ll come! 🙂
Community
Off the blog and outside of the theatre, I love working with different organizations as an adjudicator, panelist, or a volunteer. 2019 gave me the chance to work with Indiana Thespians (I’m back this year as well), National FFA Organization, Junior Achievement, YMCA at the Athenaeum, being an election inspector, IndyFringe, and some other theatres – to name a few! Being a giving part of the community I live in means a lot to me – we don’t exist in bubbles out in the world.
Health & Wellness
SO MANY GREAT THINGS happened in 2019 that I’ve been able to bring into 2020 so far. Really. It’s no secret that I struggle A TON in the darker months – seasonal depression can’t be denied. Last year (and into the early part of this year), I really found ways to be very proactive about how to combat SAD when it’s so dreary that I can’t think straight. Finding the right combination of my lightbox, to high-dose Vitamin D, sunrise alarm clocks, and online therapy was extremely helpful. Also, being able to workout again helped significantly. I’m happy to share more about the resources that were helpful to me if anyone wants them, please just email me.
Speaking of working out, I was cleared to work out again (after my millionth foot issue) in August and I jumped on something entirely new to me and the Indianapolis community. Eat the Frog Fitness on Mass Ave has been an outstanding fit for me. I’m even a gold member – that means I’ve done over 50 classes. Obviously, I highly recommend it – sign up here and your first class is free! I love that there are results you can see and feel. Plus, if you need something to be a little easier or a little more difficult – you can modify everything. It’s brilliant and it’s 24/7, so it’s perfect for me!
Plus, I took a lot more time to read books again! The act of slowing down and building routines has become extremely important to me. If you want to chat more about books, you can follow me on Goodreads!
TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS: What are you looking forward to this year? Or what are you glad you left behind in 2019?
