A Brave Creative’s Guide to Closing the Year with Heart

Before we dive headfirst into goal-setting season, let’s just take a deep breath.
The kind that fills your lungs and softens your shoulders.

Now let me ask you something…
How are you really feeling about the end of the year? Not the Pinterest-perfect version. The real stuff.

If you’re a little tired, a little proud, a lot overwhelmed, or even a little unsure of how to wrap it all up- you’re not alone. I’m right there with you.

But guess what?
You don’t have to have it all figured out before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. You don’t need a perfectly curated year-in-review. And you definitely don’t need a five-step plan for being “better” in January.

What you do need?
A little space. A little softness. A moment to reflect, to feel, to create something that honors where you’ve been-without the pressure to make it perfect.

Misty of Creatively Misty reading an inspiring book with a mixed media art page featuring the word ‘breathe,’ surrounded by vibrant collage flowers, a butterfly, and a cup of tea nearby. This cozy creative moment reflects mindfulness, artistic expression, and the brave, intentional pause that fuels creative courage.

What if you closed the year like an artist—not a planner?

We’re told the end of the year is for tying things up in a neat little bow—checking off goals, measuring success, setting resolutions. But if you’re anything like me, the last thing you want right now is more pressure to be productive.

Instead, I treat December like a gentle creative closeout.

I check off the final to-dos, yes. I wrap up any unfinished art journal pages or loose projects. But more than anything I slow down. I soak up every free moment. I fill my days with morning teas, cozy light, and just enough quiet to feel what this year has meant to me. Because to me, closing the year like an artist means honoring the journey without needing to polish it. It means letting your year be layered, textured, emotional, honest-just like your art.

No goal lists. No big declarations. That part comes later-in January.

That’s when I update my vision board, not with rules or resolutions (yuck), but with a list of what I want more of in the new year:
More art in my studio.
More connection with friends and family.
More walks in the sunshine.
More color, more courage, more joy.

And that? That’s more than enough.

What if you honored the year not as a checklist, but as a layered art piece- raw, beautiful, imperfect, and deeply yours?

What if you let your reflections come out through paint instead of pressure?
Through texture, color, and mark-making rather than polished paragraphs.

To close the year like an artist means you don’t have to tidy everything up.
You don’t have to fix it, label it, or even make sense of it.

You just have to show up.
Notice what’s rising.
Layer what you’ve lived.
And trust that the act of creating will reveal what matters most.

Because art doesn’t just reflect your year—it helps you process it.
It doesn’t demand answers. It simply asks you to be honest.

And what a gift that is—to give yourself space to reflect in a way that’s gentle, expressive, and unapologetically real.

An unfinished art journal page by Misty from Creatively Misty layering bright pinks, bold marks, and playful neon splatters across a textured mixed media spread. This in-progress page captures the spirit of fearless experimentation and brave creative exploration that she shares with her community of women artists.

Art journaling prompts to reflect & release

You don’t need a workbook or a spreadsheet to close out your year- you need a paintbrush, layers, and a little creative courage.

Here are a few prompts to gently guide your creative reflection:

What did I grow through this year?

Layer colors that reflect growth, then write or collage symbols of how you stretched, learned, or shifted.

What am I ready to release?

Rip paper. Scribble it out. Cover something up. Create a background that holds space for what you’re letting go of.

What tiny, beautiful thing do I want to carry forward?

Paint or collage a small focal point- just one symbol, word, or image that feels like a seed you want to plant in the new year.

How can I celebrate myself and my creativity?

Make a bold, unapologetic page that honors everything you showed up for, big or small. Bonus points for layers.

Let it be real, not perfect

Your art doesn’t need to be Instagram-ready.
This isn’t about making masterpieces. It’s about making space for what’s real.

Let your tears, your joy, your exhaustion, your hope- all of it-show up. You don’t need to organize your year into tidy chapters. Just give yourself a chance to process it with your hands and your heart.

This is where creative courage lives- not in the flawless, but in the free.

Three women painting side-by-side at a Creatively Misty mixed media workshop, surrounded by vibrant supplies, sunshine, and forest greenery. With brushes in hand and focused expressions, they explore creative layering on mini art panels—capturing the spirit of bold self-expression, joyful experimentation, and connection that defines Misty's art gatherings. A peek into the kind of fearless fun and artistic courage you can expect when you say yes to your own creative spark.

Let’s chat in the comments

Do you have any rituals or personal traditions for closing out the year? A journal entry, a long walk, a favorite playlist?
Drop a comment below-I’d love to hear how you mark the shift into something new.

Want to begin 2026 with art, presence & bold intention?

If this blog post has you nodding along, thinking yes, this is what I need-I’d love to invite you to create alongside me in January.

We’ll gather (virtually!) with paint, prompts, and plenty of encouragement to gently reset and reconnect through art. It’s not about doing it perfectly-it’s about showing up with heart.

💙 Click here to join my next online workshop- let’s start the new year together, one bold layer at a time.

Hi, I’m Misty

Mixed media artist, creative guide, and passionate believer in the power of fearless self-expression. After years of playing small and settling for a life that didn’t feel like mine, I chose to rewrite my story through art — and I’ve never looked back.

Now, I help women just like you break free from perfectionism and self-doubt so you can reconnect with your creative voice and boldly explore what lights you up. Whether you’re picking up a paintbrush for the first time or returning to art after years away, my mission is to help you step bravely into your own magic — one joyful, messy layer at a time.

Let’s create a life (and art) you absolutely adore. 💙