The countdown is palpable.

Last Sunday of the year.

Mid-year I decided I would write every Sunday.

And I did.

Not perfectly. But I showed up.

I wanted to keep my IG a little more art-oriented and keep my opinions for my blog. A blog I started in 2010 and slowed down once my art career really started. I did share my opinions on IG, mostly in stories and sometimes in posts, but I kind of did the shift.

Not sure how many of you saw this, but I’m glad I did — first for myself. To show up better. And then for all of you.

Then I decided to resume sports, really try to get in better shape. I had neglected myself on that side since May 2023. I started slowly. Not as much as I wanted. But little by little.

First half of the year I reached out to a nutritionist — a little hard to keep up and I gave up when she changed platform. Since September, I went back más o menos once a week to a sport activity. I walked more. I moved more. I also tried LPG with Clinique Libessart to help with water retention and heavy legs.

Work-wise: steady. More institutional. Lots of progress.

Next year, I know I need to focus again on meeting the public.

Progressed with Unchained Mothering too — thanks to you all.

Still so much to be done. One step at a time.

This weekend we took two nights away in Naples with the kids and the parents, and it really reminded me that self-care and disconnecting are very important gifts. Time with family. Changing environment. It helped recharge and change perspective.

I hope you can take a welcome break from the everyday.

I wish you all to remember what you have accomplished — the small steps, the harder ones — even if they are not yet where you wanted the results to be.

And if it all gets too overwhelming, take a break from the “ordinary.”

I also wanted to see more shows and bring the family to see more shows. I did better this year than last. Not perfect, but better. At least I enjoyed it — and I hope to keep doing that.

This past week I started three books.

Let Them from Mel Robbins — important series of reminders. I clearly still need to learn the “let me / let them.”

Noon at Tiffany’s — by Echo Heron reminding me why we create art, all the mini details and instincts that bring us to choose this or that, to make something become alive, and also how difficult it was for women to be able to have such a job, like so many others. Women’s rights are recent, not everywhere, and we should never take things for granted. We should honor the women and the men who made gender equality possible — without forgetting all that still needs to become, and the countries where things went backward.

Guided — by Laura Lynne Jackson, her 2 previous had a great impact on my life, the one I opened last. Let’s see where that one takes me.

Unchained Mothering wishes to honor women in their wholeness while keeping men by their sides — not stepping on their heads — because it’s together that we’ll be stronger.

Bonus:

I’ll share some simple template lists you can use to track what you did in 2025 or what you want for 2026. Feel free to use them, make them yours, and share on IG. Tag me so I can see — I’d love to see.

I’ll stop for now.

Wishing you a great end of 2025 and a gentle start of 2026.

Manifesting the cold I recently caught to leave me alone, so I can enter the new year well, recharged, and ready to dance toward what’s next.

And like my dad always says: health, family, friendship are the most important.

Peace and success to you all.

With love and light,

Jessica aka Hopeje

Ps: had fun and created something that I m sharing here!

PS:

Also feel privileged — thank you to all of you who are following me here as well. It feels cozy and intimate. On my IG, these past 90 days, I had almost half a million views!!!!!! And it’s here that I’m pouring my heart out. 💛

PPS:

A reminder that everything is relative. That we create our own reality and decide what matters. Also a thought on how often we are our own hardest detractors. I’ve learned to pause, acknowledge my wins — which is already a win compared to past years — and sometimes even celebrate them. I wasn’t even doing that before. That’s something I learned from Geraldine. I’m trying to be as caring with myself as I try to be with others 😉 — not the easiest, but progress.

PPPS:

Ok, I really wanted to keep this short… so of course I’m adding one more thing 😉 A reflection: in the past, many women wanted people to forget they were women, because they didn’t have the same rights as men and were afraid of being dismissed for being women. Being a woman was seen as a handicap, so proving they were as good as or better than men felt necessary to be taken seriously. Today, I see many women saying women artists or women this or that as the reason they should be valued. I understand this too — support is still needed, as we are still not equal. I just don’t believe being a woman makes us more or less valuable in any task compared to any gender. What matters is being valued wholesomely, as the women we are — in all that we are. That’s also what Unchained Mothering stands for.

And if you still don’t know what Unchained Mothering stands for… it might be time to check the website — or just call me 😉