2025 was a rollercoaster of a year!
2025 was one hell of a year, and I am not even kidding around. I went through the most amazing and thrilling experiences, while battling issues that tossed my mental health in the drain. It definitely was something. The craziest part? I absolutely knew that I was just going through the motions, but even still, I was not creating anything or putting much effort into my business and hobbies. Also, did it seem like it took FOREVER to get through 2025? I swear, that had to be the longest year ever! Admittedly, I did get some things done, and attended events, but I was not 100% there. Between stress and anxiety on the home front, and then even more stress and anxiety when it comes to dealing with the public, I kind of just shut down. According to my therapist, I went into "fawn mode" because I didn't know what to do.
My sewing? Down the drain. I haven't even done the #CostumingYearInReview challenge yet, because I believe I only made 3 or 4 new garments off the top of my head. I definitely was not as active in my online groups, and just trying to put myself out there was exhausting and draining. Like I said, it was a very rough year.
However, I am absolutely determined to make 2026 better. I need to get a good schedule going so I can follow my time management guidelines, because there are so many things that I want to do! Of course, there is the sewing, but I also want to record videos of getting ready, and discussing things like the Black presence in the various time periods that I dress in. I really, really want to kick off my stationary/wax seal business. I also wanted to restart my podcast. There is just so much! But knowing me, if I had a good schedule laid out and an accountability partner, I could definitely get it done.
But all is not bad! I have to stay optimistic! For one, I will be presenting at the Costumers of Color: Coco Noir Symposium this year! This year would be my second time presenting, and I have so much more experience and confidence under my belt to make this a worthwhile presentation. You can find out more and register here: https://costumersofcolor.org/events/coco-noir-historical-symposium/.
I am currently in the process of getting my things together to apply for the creator-maker fellowship at Winterthur Gardens and Museum. I applied last year on a whim, and definitely did not have everything needed. But they did say they were interested in my project; "Dressing While Black: Fashion Outside the Scope of Slavery", so I consider that a win. And again, now that I have more experience under my belt, with my artist CV fleshed out, I am hoping to be accepted. I already have some amazing Black costumers/vintage clothing enthusiasts lined up (but I can't tell you who yet!). I've also been looking into grants and such, so there are things I need to get put together in order for me to apply.
I've been adding more work to my print site as of late, and at least that forces me to be creative even when I am feeling down. I cannot promise that I will take a photo(s) on each day, but so far I have created and published images for my site on both days of the new year. Go me!
I wasn't necessarily going for a theme, but if I had to define a theme for the first two days, it would be defined by "textures". You can browse these pieces and more on my print site:
https://www.marisataylorphotography.com/PrintSite/
There are also some home projects that I want to do, the main one is swapping the dining room and living room. My sewing area is currently in my dining room (including my two-rack portable closet). Meanwhile, my living room is not used as much. So my friend suggested we swap spaces, and I could not agree more. But before I can do that, I need to go through and purge things, box them up carefully, so that the swap can happen. Moving into the living room means I wil have room for my two sewing tables, my computer desk (which I use for my letterwriting & wax sealing), a space to set up to record videos, and storage for my costuming. I am, however, going to be easy with myself and give it until the end of the month to get all that done. Because honestly? Having ADHD, almost being 40, and hitting perimenopause is kicking my butt. So while I live and die by my planner, I have to be more realistic about my energy levels and time frame.
There are a couple of big events coming up too! And ultimately, I would like to launch my Skool platform to teach sewing basics and shortcuts for historical costuming.
I love you all! And as always, thank you so so much for your support!
-Marisa
