Art (focused) New Year’s resolutions
It’s that hazy holiday limbo between Christmas and New Year’s when no one is quite sure what day it is. After an overload of food, drinks, family time, and socializing, I felt the urge to sit down and snap out of the festive fog by writing about New Year’s resolutions.
I’m not usually one for big, formal resolutions. I prefer loose ideas floating somewhere in the back of my mind, goals I work toward in one way or another. But what surprises me every year is that some of those intentions do come to life—like this Substack. I started it a year ago, and now here we are: hello 1k+ subscribers!
All this to say: writing things down does help. Maybe it’s the subconscious seed-planting, or the quiet accountability that comes with it. And since this is an art newsletter, I’ll keep my resolutions art-focused. I hope they inspire you as you think about your own creative year ahead.
1. Read more art history & art-related books
I read a lot, but lately my reading has skewed heavily toward literature—novels, fiction, and very little nonfiction. Next year, I want to shift that balance and finally get to the long list of art-related books patiently waiting in my Goodreads:
Perspectives by Laurent Binet - technically still a novel - Even though it’s a historical fiction I think it’s fair to add it to the list.
The Invention of Art: A Cultural History by Larry Shiner - The author challenges our conventional understandings of art and asks us to reconsider its history entirely, arguing that the category of fine art is a modern invention
All That Glitters: A Story of Friendship, Fraud, and Fine Art by Orlando Whitfield -A memoir of his fifteen-year friendship with the disgraced art dealer Inigo Philbrick
Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen - is an authoritative guide to how neuroaesthetics can help us transform traditional healing, build healthier communities and mend an aching planet
2. Work on my bucket list tick offs
My imaginary bucket list of art destinations grows faster than I can keep up with: site-specific works, foundations, dream museums scattered across the world. In 2026, I want to intentionally check some off, either by planning art-centered trips or weaving special visits into travels I already have planned.
And soon, I get to make a big checkmark: I’m going to Japan. I can’t wait to explore and share everything with you in the Stellar’s Club “Art & City Guide” section.
3. Professional art goals
This category is always the hardest. I tend to overload myself with goals and expectations. The real lesson, each year, is that quality matters more than quantity. Fewer projects, but better ones.
For 2026, I’m planning a maximum of three shows—partially mapped out already—so I have space for advisory work, research, and, most importantly, idea development. Research takes time, and I want to give it the time it deserves.
A ritual that helps:
look back at the year that just ended
list the achievements and the misses
ask why things worked or didn’t
then write the ideal goals for the new year
compare, reevaluate, adjust
Plans never unfold perfectly, but this creates a realistic framework that keeps me grounded.
4. Learn more about design
This has been on my list for years, and I somehow never get far beyond snapping pictures of beautiful objects or buying the occasional vintage lamp. Art takes up so much of my bandwidth that design often gets pushed aside. But art and design go hand in hand, and my dream is to work on an interior + art project one day. Maybe this is the year I finally carve out time for it.
*One of my favourite interior designers who blends art and design wonderfully and also writes an amazing Substack is Kelly Wearstler .
5. Watch more art documentaries & films
A resolution I might actually nail. All I have to do is swap a new season of Emily in Paris (lol) for a documentary or art film. Here’s what’s on my so far:
Peggy Guggenheim Art Addict - years ago I read the book but I would love to refresh my memory.
Frida - again years ago I watched this movie and I remember I loved it, would love to rewatch.
Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Girl with a Pearl Earring - I read the book and would be nice to see the film version
6. Continue collecting thoughtfully
This is an ongoing practice I refine every year. I want to make fewer impulse buys (this applies to everything, not just art) and instead make more thoughtful, researched, informed decisions.
I also want to push myself to consider works outside my usual taste—pieces I wouldn’t immediately gravitate toward. It’s good to be challenged, but it’s equally important to maintain your own voice and style as a collector. The balance between those two things is where growth happens.
I’ve written a lot about collecting here, so feel free to explore previous and upcoming posts for more on that.
7. Keep growing (and enjoying) Substack
One of my biggest goals. I started this newsletter a year ago, and it has brought me so much joy. It’s gaining momentum, and before it morphs into yet another Instagram-like platform, I want to really enjoy what it is now.
If you’re thinking of starting a Substack—or simply reading more—do it. You connect with people who share your interests on a deeper level, and the sense of community is so much richer than on traditional social media.
8. Spend more time thinking about art I don’t immediately like
This one is less concrete, but important. I often overlook art I don’t instantly connect with. I glance, dismiss, move on. Next year, I want to slow down and ask: Why don’t I like this? What does it challenge in me? What can I learn from it?
The goal isn’t to force myself into liking everything—it’s to understand more. That’s how we stay curious, informed, and open-minded as viewers.
And what are your New Year’s resolutions?
