What changed?

What I'm trying to do this year.

I'll forever be grateful to have gotten to where I am as a result of illustrating ideas, and more importantly, the people and processes that got me here.

Lately, two truths have been playing on loop in my mind.

What got me here will keep me here. As long as I keep showing up with visuals, I'll get to have a positive influence on people. I'll get to work with amazing and cool people from around the world. I'll get to be self-employed.

But what got me here will also keep me here.
That's right.
It's the same sentence.

Let me explain.

For the last two years I've been sharpening my skill to explain ideas visually with as little words as possible. I've focused on what you see on paper (on your phone, to be precise).

If I stopped or pivoted to do something else, I'd lose momentum. So I've got to keep going.

But if I only did what I did, then I wouldn't be able to go further.

So I hatched a plan for 2024.

I feel good yet guilty at the same time, so I guess this is something like a confession.

My plan is to repost my past visuals this year. I've shortlisted the good ones. This is the part I'm guilty about. I feel like I should be giving you fresh visuals.

But this has become necessary because I'm short on time.

I need my time, energy and creative juices to develop other skills.

I'll still be creating visuals, though mostly for clients.

Occasionally I'll create new ones for you. I've got lots of ideas and ugly hand-sketched drafts in my phone. But I'm pressed for time.

Because this year I'm building my writing and speaking skills.

Last year, this newsletter got neglected because I was spending so much time illustrating that I didn't have any juice left for writing.

Last year, when I got the opportunity to speak on stage at a conference, I was a nervous wreck (I haven’t even watched or shared the video recording with you).

This year, it's going to change.

So my plan was to repost old content. I told you why I feel guilty about it. Let me tell you why it also feels good.

It's good to repost my old visuals because you might not have seen all my visuals. And even if you've seen them before, wouldn't it help to be reminded of some of those ideas?

I've lost count of how many embarrassing moments when my friends sent me my own visuals as a reminder of lessons I've forgotten.

I can't be the only one who need to be reminded, right? 😅

But I can promise that I'm not sitting back and sipping margaritas doing nothing.

What I am doing differently for me and for you this year is that I'm writing more stories to go with my visuals.

My captions used to be a short phrase or a sentence long. Sometimes if I fancy, I'd write something more. But I used to be a miser with my words.

Now I've flipped to the other side.

I'll share my stories and my thoughts in the hopes that they're educational, engaging and entertaining.

I want to be a storyteller. A writer. A speaker.

And honestly, I didn't think of sharing this with you until this conversation on Instagram:

I hope you enjoy it too. Do let me know your thoughts!

So... yea, that's it. My update you on my shift in direction.

Because what got me here will keep me here.

This is inspired by skateboarder Paul Rodriguez. He said “what got you here will keep you there.” I’ve got to keep showing up with my visuals.

But that alone is not enough, because Marshall Goldsmith said it well: “What got you here won't get you there.” I know I want to develop my communication skills beyond visual thinking. To do that, I need to find time to write and speak.

Let me know what you think!

P.S. - It's been on my mind to write you a new self-introduction post, and also a post about what I hope to do/have/be this year. The last time I did this, I attracted some unexpectedly amazing support and opportunities. Feels a little self-indulgent or self-important, but I also believe in the power of telling the "universe" (in this case, you) what I am aiming for.