Preparing for 2026
Fun Friday Share #13
TODAY’S FUN FRIDAY WILL SPAN TWO WEEKS. IT WILL BE DIFFERENT THAN IN THE PAST, SO PLEASE READ THESE SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.
Getting Ready for the New Year!
”Deadline”: Thursday, December 18
As we wrap up 2025 and look toward a new year, it is an ideal time to reflect and consider our creative plans for 2026. Whether you’re a print-on-demand designer, handmade artist, printable creator, or anything in between, this week’s Fun Friday is all about preparing ourselves and our businesses for a fantastic new year.
QUICK SUGGESTION FOR THE START OF YOUR POSTS FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS: I would love if people could introduce themselves here. Whether you are a new member or a continuing member, it would be nice for others to see who is here and what all we are into! :D You might consider things like what you create, where you sell, and your social media. Let’s network a little.
Part One: Looking Back, Looking Forward
After you introduce yourself, let’s take some time for reflection. 2025 was a tough year for online creative solopreneurs, but a lot of opportunity still awaits. Now is a good time to really think about our creative business or businesses (I know we have lots of multi-passionate creators here!). January tends to be a bit of a slower business month for many creatives, but time moves fast, so it’s nice to begin at least considering our plans before it’s time to jump back into creating, organizing, marketing and “all the things” once again.
Here are a few things I’ve been thinking about a lot. I hope some of these might help you as you think about your own work.
What’s staying?
What has worked well? Where will you be “present” this year (this could be a marketplace, a particular social media site, etc).What’s going away (if anything)?
Are there any things you can leave behind to make your business work a little more smoothly or conserve some of your energy? Did you find something that’s just no longer working or not so enjoyable any more?What are you focusing on this year?
What are your “top three” hopes for 2026? What is your basic plan to get there? What do you want to learn more about or work on?
Share as much or as little as you want. I know this share is a little personal. Even if you choose not to post, I hope you will at least be thinking about where you want to go next!
Part Two: Show Us YOU
This is definitely a little different, but I think it will be fun. And I’m hoping it will be a way to get to know one another! We have been slowly adding creatives from a variety of places, so let’s celebrate our growing community of so many talented creators.
Share at least one piece of work that feels like you. Think about your artistic style and what makes you stand out from other creatives. Again, I know a lot of us have a few different ways we create and different ventures within our businesses. Feel free to share a handful of things to complete the “picture” of you.
If you’re not sure where to go with this, here are a few additional ideas.
If someone who knows your work were scrolling through listings, what would make them stop and say, “I know EXACTLY who created this!”
What’s something you’ve been working on or created recently that energizes you?
What is something you hope to expand on in the new year (style, product type, etc)?
If you’d like, tell us a little about why you chose it and what it says about where you’re heading.
NOTE: You may share items that we don’t always feature here. I know we have clip art artists, course creators, handmade artists, bloggers, template creators, printable designers, and more. This is your chance to share a little bit of all the things you do!
QUESTIONS?
This is a lot of info and different from what we’ve done before. Please let me know if you have questions. :)
Hello!
I am Amanda Renee, aka CtrlZ Digital Designs/Everyday Wanders. My primary marketplace currently is Zazzle, but I have a store on RedBubble that I've left up despite not updating it. I also have an Etsy store that's been on "vacation mode" for quite some time, and a Teachers Pay Teachers storefront that I don't remember if I ever deleted! lol
This year, I plan to more narrowly focus my creative efforts and primarily use Substack, email, and FourthWall. I hope to offer a small, curated store on FourthWall that will feature bundled products that combine physical and/or digital products in a single offer. My content will center on my nature writing and photography, slower and more deliberate living, and a return to the true self. If you are interested in keeping up with my work, you can always subscribe to my main publication for free here on Substack (https://ctrlzdigitaldesigns.substack.com/) and join my email list here: https://ctrlz-digital-designs.kit.com/96ba9aa1ed. : )
I don't plan to delete my Zazzle store, but instead will leave it to work in the background as RedBubble does. I also plan to step away from Facebook again as we move into the new year. I did so at the start of the year last year, and this time, I may exit for good. I do not plan to focus on Pinterest, but I may occasionally add pins, especially as related to my blogs and freebies. I am currently deciding what to do about my YouTube channel. I may hide it from the public for awhile so people don't get confused about what it is or why it is "dead." I have not yet figured out what my plan is for Benable.
I DO know this: I'm in too many places, I'm tired of chasing algorithms, and I'm excited to refocus a little bit on actual creation!
I will edit this comment later to add some creative work.
I hope to see more of our creatives share in the next week or so.
Amanda
NOTE: The next theme challenge will be written up sometime soon. If you'd like to be thinking a bit, it is tied to the new year as well and focused on helping your customers start the new year off strong! :D