an end of january check in...

I can't believe that in a few short days it will already be the end of the first month of the year! Time has definitely flown by. I know typically my blogs revolve more around Marvel-specific topics, but I thought that today it might be nice to just chat with you all and let you know some of what I've been up to behind-the-scenes as a TikTok creator.

At the start of 2023, I really wanted to set myself some goals to achieve for this year, both personally and in terms of my work as a creator. However, I've found that in the past when setting my goals I have really struggled with having an all-or-nothing mindset, and it would make me give up on what I wanted to achieve really really quickly. Like, if I was trying to journal everyday, if I skipped a day of journaling I would just call it quits and never do it again. If I wanted to add workouts to my routine, allowing myself a rest day would just mean that I had failed at my goal, and I would turn that rest day into a rest year. So the first order of business for myself was to remember to give myself gentle reminders and know that I can restart any time. That missing one day or one thing off the list won't derail my entire goal. That quitting just because of perfectionism is a form of self-sabotage on what my own worth and ideals are, and that procrastinating on my goals is only a form of fear because I would be avoiding something so new and different. So with this new and improved mindset, it made making my goals much easier for this year.

At the beginning of the year I made a vision board (no, not the joke one that I made about Marvel's Vision, though I was pretty proud of that one ;)). I put a mix of different pictures that represented different aspects of what I wanted this year to look like for me. Some big ones, some small ones. But overall the main theme was to improve self-care and recognize my own self-worth. Then, for the month of January, I made another vision board. This one with pictures of specific narrowed down micro-goals that related to the overall year goals. And I made it the wallpaper on my phone and laptop. That way, I would have the constant reminders of what I was working towards, because it would be right there when I was doing my work.

I am so so happy that I decided to make my goals this way, because I already feel so much more at peace, and so much better about the things I am working towards. I stopped procrastinating as much as I used to by sitting down and time-blocking out my schedules for the day and making sure I scheduled time for myself to get some rest, relaxation, and do things that I wanted to do as well. I continued journaling (and not giving up this time!), and I learned to take charge of more things for myself, which I used to be so scared of. 

And you guys, one of the coolest things happened this month...I made my very own cosplay piece! I have never made any cosplays before, and I really wanted to challenge myself to make something. I'm not going to say exactly what yet, because that's a surprise for now (or, if you want to see behind-the-scenes/early access be sure to check out my subscriber plan on Insta!). But I am so proud of how this piece came out and so excited to showcase this cosplay to you all soon. Probably in the next week, actually! I'm doing some makeup and hair testing before I officially post some stuff, but I am soooooo so excited for you all to see. Hopefully now that I've done my first piece, this will inspire me to make even more! <3 

I've also just been really working on making sure that I enjoy the fandom that inspires the skits! I need the input for the output, and I've been trying to continue to fuel that. (If you're also a content creator, please try to remember this! I know for a while I was so focused on making skits with the characters that I forgot to actually take the time to sit and enjoy watching/rewatching content because I was so focused on what I could make of it!). I watched all of Spectacular Spider-Man (which, by the way, is SO good!) and I just started the 1990s Spider-Man cartoons. Also lots of Spidey comics and, of course, the Spider-Man PS5 game <3. I finished the main story the other day and I'm now focusing on DLC's and trying to wrap up the map (those pigeons are the death of me 😭).

Overall, I've really been trying to slow down, find time for myself and remember to focus on prioritizing some self-care. And also just trying to find the fun! My mental health has really really thanked me for doing that so far. This month has been filled with building routines and working on myself. And I'm really excited to see what the rest of the year has in store.

I love you guys. Thank you so much for supporting me and my content, and wanting to hear more about my life as a creator <3 I love getting to share this journey with you all. You are the greatest!