Hey Reader!
Happy Thanksgiving!
And also... Happy last Eduletter of 2025.
I know, I know. It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the new year. But somehow, we're already at the finish line of another year filled with patterns, art licensing adventures, and way too many hours debating whether that shade of teal is really the right choice.
So I wanted to let you know: I'm taking December off.
No Eduletters= no frantically checking emails while pretending to watch holiday movies with my family.
Instead, I'll be:
- Working on new art that's been living rent-free in my head for months
- Actually spending quality time with my family (without my iPad glued to my hand)
- Taking the time to reflect on this year and understand what I want to work towards in the coming year
Aaannndd, I'm really looking forward to it.
I’ve been head-down, knee-deep into the Education side of things all year, and it’s been really fun! I know the Masterclass helped so many artists connect the dots between collections and cohesion, but like everything worthy of doing, it came with its own set of trade offs.
I didn’t get as much time as I’d like to create art this year.
And I’d like to change that now.
But before I sign off until January, I wanted to share two practical ways I am gonna use to make the most of my December. And whether you're also taking the month off or just carving out a few days to breathe, I am sure these will come in handy!
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Carey Copeland’s Retro Nouveau Swans:
- Elegant Art Nouveau Flair: The swan-inspired motifs, flowing forms, and structured symmetry evoke a refined vintage aesthetic with a modern twist.
- Timeless Yet Trendy: Combining retro curves with clean layout makes this design feel both nostalgic and stylish — the kind of thing that feels familiar but fresh.
- Perfect for Wallpaper & Fabric: Ideal for home décor brands targeting high-end or boutique markets — think wallpaper feature walls, accent cushions, or even stationery collections.
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Cozy Christmas Cats by Pattern Playhouse:
- Watercolor Whimsy: These festive felines, decked out in holly, gifts, and Christmas cheer, bring a soft hand-painted charm that screams “curl-up-by-the-fireplace” energy.
- Holiday Humor with Heart: It’s playful but not kitschy — the perfect blend of cute and classy that works for cat lovers and festive fans alike.
- Great for Wrapping Paper & Gift Sets: This one is a no-brainer for wrapping paper, gift bags, or pajama sets in the pet-loving holiday aisle.
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Katie Goertzen’s Pink Bow Christmas:
- Preppy Holiday Perfection: That pastel palette paired with vintage bows is dripping in Grandmillennial charm — think candy-cane Barbie meets classic holiday heirloom.
- Lighthearted Elegance: Soft greens and pinks add a refined sweetness, appealing to shoppers looking for more unique, feminine holiday goods.
- Perfect for Gift Wrap, Linens & Boutique Brands: This would absolutely fly off shelves as gift wrap, festive tea towels, or boutique baby apparel.
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Okay, real talk. December disappears in a blink.
One minute it's Halloween, then you sneeze and it's Thanksgiving, you tap a nap and suddenly it's Christmas. Before you know it, you're staring at January wondering where the whole month went.
And because December moves so fast, it's easy to let it slip by without being intentional about how you spend it. You either end up frantically working through the chaos or feeling guilty for not being productive enough while everyone else is celebrating.
But what if you used December differently this year?
What if you claimed a few pockets of time to do the kind of creative work that actually fills you up? Or took a few minutes to figure out what you actually want from 2026 instead of scrambling when January hits?
Because once the new year starts, you'll be right back in the hustle.
December is your window to breathe, experiment, and get clear before the next sprint begins.
So if that sounds interesting, here are two tips to make the most out of this last month of 2025:
Tip #1: The December experiment (aka your permission slip to play).
December is the perfect time to try things you've been curious about but never had time for.
If you were working on new products, they’re probably all ready to be shipped already. If you were finding Art Directors, they’re probably not checking their emails a lot anymore. If you were freelancing, chances are you’d be done with the deadlines atleast half way through the month.
So you find some time with your iPad, for nothing but pure creative play.
Now I know we’re all in different places, so depending on where you are in your art journey, your December experiment will look different. So pick the path that fits you right now.
If you're just starting out or still finding your style:
Use December to put in the reps without overthinking it.
Set a simple challenge: create one pattern a day for 10 days. Doesn't matter if they're good. Doesn't matter if they all look completely different. The goal is to build your creative muscle memory and see what naturally emerges when you're not trying so hard.
Try different subjects. Flowers one day, geometric shapes the next. See what feels fun versus what feels like pulling teeth. That's valuable data about what YOU actually enjoy creating, which is half the battle when you're finding your voice.
If you have a style but want to expand it:
Pick one new technique or tool you've been eyeing and actually learn it.
Maybe it's that watercolor brush set you bought six months ago and never opened. Maybe it's trying symmetry tools for the first time. Maybe it's experimenting with textures by scanning actual objects around your house.
Give yourself permission to be terrible at it for the first week. Watch a tutorial. Make a mess. See what happens when you combine this new technique with your existing style. You might stumble onto something that becomes your signature move in 2026.
If you're established and feeling a little stuck:
Use December to break your own rules.
Work in a color palette you'd never normally touch. Draw subjects that have nothing to do with your usual work. Create patterns that are intentionally weird or ugly. The goal isn't to make portfolio pieces. The goal is to shake loose the creative cobwebs and remind yourself that making art can be fun again.
Some of my favorite design breakthroughs came from messing around with zero expectations during slow periods. When you take the pressure off, that's when the interesting stuff shows up.
Your December Experiment Game Plan:
- Pick your path based on where you are right now
- Block out 30 to 60 minutes, three times a week (or more if you're feeling it)
- Set a timer and create without judging
- Save everything, even the "bad" stuff (you might surprise yourself later)
- Notice what lights you up versus what feels like a chore
And let things be. Fight the urge to make any extreme judgements about your art like “I actually used to enjoy this medium but it doesn’t seem to feel the same, maybe I should stop doing this” or “I suddenly find that I can draw faces, so maybe I should go all-in”.
Just observe, and find the space to “analyse” things later.
Tip #2: Your year-end reflection framework.
While you’ve unplugged yourself from the “business” side of creating art, spend some time doing this simple reflection exercise.
Now a few “best practices” I’d recommend:
- This reflection is not meant to be done in one sitting. I’d suggest to block off 30-minutes per “question” so you could give it your full attention.
- Feel free to mix, match, combine, remove, and make this review process your own. The is meant to be both 1) a template you can follow exactly and 2) an “outline” you can pull from when creating your own Review process.
Remember: Every year, you are on a mission to make next year your best year yet.
So let’s get to it!
Question 1: What worked this year?
Start by making a list of all the things you accomplished/achieved, in no particular order. To help you generate ideas, this could be:
- Habits you built
- Places you traveled
- Bad habits you broke
- Skills you developed
- Hobbies you explored
- Jobs you left or started
- Goals you accomplished
- Relationships you formed
- Financial milestones you hit
Use this space to CELEBRATE and reflect on all of the big things you did in 2025.
Question 2: What didn't work?
This one's harder, but it's where you'll find the most useful insights.
Write down things you did you aren’t happy about, decisions you made you now see (in hindsight) were wrong, or things you wanted to do but didn’t end up doing. Could be:
- Spending hours on Instagram Reels that got wrong engagement
- Saying yes to projects that didn't align with your goals
- Overcomplicating your design process with too many tools or steps
Be honest with yourself. No to beat yourself up, but to make smarter choices moving forward.
Question 3: What’s the 80/20 of all the work I put in?
An “80/20 analysis” is a way of finding the 20% of inputs that lead to 80% of the outputs.
So the goal of this section is to identify the 20% of:
- Beliefs
- People
- Habits
- Routines
- Environments, etc.
That led to 80% of your positive & negative results this year.
This starts with a “brain dump” of everything you can think of that contributed to your positive & negative results in each life area.
Then, you want to closely look at them to find the 1-3 that led to 80% of the positive & negative results.
From there, you’ll brainstorm how you can double down on the few things leading to the good results & ruthlessly cut the few things leading to the negative results.
Repeated year after year, this process guarantees you are continuing to grow.
Question 4: What do I want to Start, Keep, or Stop doing in 2025?
Based on your 80/20 Analysis, to make next year’s goals highly actionable I encourage you to list out the Top 3 things you want to Start doing, Keep doing, and Stop doing, based on priority.
What do you need to do to make this next year your best year yet?
Bonus step: Pick your "one bold move" for January.
Look at your START list. Which one feels the most exciting and a little scary?
Circle it. That's your focus for January.
Don't try to do all three at once. Just pick one and commit to testing it for 30 days. See what happens. Then adjust from there.
Before you dive into your December experiments, do this one quick thing that will save you so much headache later.
The Hidden Layer Hack: Leave breadcrumbs for future you.
So you're about to spend December trying new brushes, experimenting with different techniques, maybe messing around with styles that feel completely different from your usual work.
That's great! But before you start playing around, take five minutes to document what's already working.
Because nothing is worse than creating something beautiful in December, taking a break, coming back in January, and having absolutely no idea which brushes or colors you used. Trust me, I've been there. Scrolling through hundreds of brush sets trying to remember which one gave you that perfect texture is not how you want to start 2026.
So add a hidden layer on top of your best 2025 work that lists:
- The brushes you used (full names, not just "that watercolor one")
- Your color palette (hex codes are your friend)
- Any special techniques or settings you tweaked
Then hide that layer before you export.
How to do it:
- Open one of your favorite pieces from this year
- Create a new layer on top of everything
- Use the text tool (or just scribble with a brush) to note down: brush names, hex codes, any special tricks you used
- Hide the layer before exporting your final piece
- Repeat for 3 to 5 of your strongest pieces from 2025
Now when you're ready to create coordinating patterns, build on your style, or just remember what worked, you've got all the info right there.
You can also do this moving forward as you create new work in December. Just add a hidden layer as you go instead of trying to remember everything at the end.
Future you (aka January you) will be very grateful you took five minutes to do this now.
Alright, that's a wrap on 2025!
Thank you for being part of this creative journey with me this year.
Whether you've been reading since Eduletter #1 or just joined recently, I'm so grateful you're here. Your replies, questions, and stories make this so much more than just a weekly email. It's a community of artists building real businesses, and that means the world to me.
I'll be back in your inbox on the first Thursday of January 2026 with fresh perspectives, new art biz tips, and probably a story about whatever creative experiments I get into during my December break.
Until then, I hope you take some time to rest, create for the pure joy of it, and soak up the season with the people you love.
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See you in 2026!
