Hey y'all!
It's been a miiinute. Let's chat.
The original version of this email was all sorrows and bad news. Earlier this year, I was in a bad car accident, had to have surgery, and have since been in rehab and recovery of my injuries and losses. I lost my ability to function normally, to work, and to create. If you have been disabled (temporarily or permanently), you know what the loss of ability and independence can bring. It is as much a process of physical strain as it is a mental/emotionally one.
I was fully ready to take the winter off and give myself space and time to process all that came with the accident. Not to mention, the weeks that I would spend redesigning and planning the campaign for the 2024, I was in and out of the hospital and doctor's offices. Everything was thrown off. Life hit hard.
As weeks went on, I adjusted. I healed a bit. I learned to accommodate where I was in the moment and give myself time to be there, not where I wanted or thought I should be.
Then the homies started texting me like “What's good with the planner next year?”, “I need my 2024 Annual…..”, and “WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO PLANNER NEXT YEAR?”
So here I was, more able bodied and inspired/peer pressured (LOL), but here's the thing. My original printer was not an option. Long turnaround times meant that while I was injured + recovering the window for that closed. That ruled out the return of the original binding. And (is this a safe space?) …I did not like the 2023 Annuals. The planner I designed was designed for the binding and book style that I selected originally. It felt too clunky and messy in the wire binding. It was the opposite of what I have intentionally created with this brand and I felt let down by the printer in some aspects of last year's production run.
It felt like I hit the wall and the dead end of possibilities. I just wasn't sure about how exactly to move forward, and I was ready to send the email about what felt like failure and hardships of running a small business as a woman, alone.
Then, I remembered I created all of these rules, which meant I could break them as I needed. If I didn't like it, I could use what I had to change it into something I did like.. with a printer who could accommodate the time crunch.
So……I redesigned it.
Still coil bound, but sleeker. It's a fraction of the weight and thickness (slightlyy bigger), making it much easier to carry around. Updated the weekly layout, the monthly plan and focus, and the project planner. I also changed the cover materials and paper weight for interior text. It is the same functionality but so much less bulk. It feels more like an everyday and (almost) everywhere companion.
I'm actually really excited for what I have dubbed "The Annual-Mini." and I think it might become a staple in the line up.
I'll be sharing pictures with you soon! I just wanted to say “Hi” and let you know that the Annual is coming….Very soon! Plus…possibly a lot more. We'll see how recovery continues.
