The January Digest

Some of my favorite film shots of my favorite place over the years. Malibu, CA.

Hello, dearest February.

All I can say is - thank goodness. And I am so, so grateful.

Grateful my loved ones and I are safe and healthy. Grateful I had somewhere safe to evacuate during the Los Angeles wildfires - and that I still had a home to return to. Above all, floored with gratitude for this beautiful city that fiercely loves and shows up for its community in every way possible. Still heartsick over the sheer scale of loss the we’ve experienced as a collective, but even now, there isn’t anywhere else in the world I’d rather be. Hug your people a little tighter this month.

January was heavy. For me, for LA, for the world. It was a month of navigating trauma, devastation, and darkness in more ways than one. Living out of evacuation-ready suitcases for weeks, looking at everything you own and rationalizing what you really, irreplaceably need. And yet - underneath it all, it was also a month of crystallizing the deepest inner work I moved through in the final weeks of 2024. The kind that can only come through stillness, through reflection, through getting really quiet with yourself and asking, Where am I going? What am I actually calling in? Who am I becoming?

For the first time in as long as I can remember, I feel like I know. Like I’m standing at the threshold of something I’ve spent years working toward, and instead of sprinting forward, I’m letting it rise to meet me.

So instead of the usual digest format, this month’s review comes in the form of shifts - ones I’m actively cementing, ones that are guiding how I move through February and beyond. Because I’ve spent years in the sowing season, and now it’s time to reap.

A conscious shift: allowing more ease. January handed me a wake-up call that I’m melting into every aspect of my life: How can you expect your blessings and manifestations to show up if every single second of your day (and life) is full?

If you know me, you know that allowing more space in my schedule to be goes against every fiber of my being. I don’t still still, I don’t operate at half-speed. I fill every moment, every hour, every breath - and I’m good at it. But I’m starting to actively challenge that paradigm. I’m letting go of the need to over-plan, over-schedule, over-control. I’m sitting in the discomfort of stillness, allowing the unexpected to find me, trusting that I don’t have to force everything into place or do it all myself.

For years, I’ve thrived in a masculine energy, CEO-mode, hustler mentality. There’s another way: I can still be relentless, still work at the highest level, and also flow. Lean into the divine feminine energy of receiving instead of constantly chasing.

I’ve also started taking care of myself differently. Being even more specific about what I’m putting in my body for support and longevity, immune, detox from everything swirling around in LA’s air climate right now. Regular acupuncture sessions have been a godsend. Daily movement is a continued non-negotiable. I’m reconnecting with my morning routine - and not reaching for my phone the moment I open my eyes. Sinking deeper into everything that feels good and nourishing, and cutting out the rest. No more obligation energy. No more external pressures indicating what my day should look like.

This isn’t about hustling less - let’s be clear. This is about moving through your days in a way that doesn’t use stress as a baseline. No operating on cortisol or fight-or-flight; no panic as a productivity tool. If you grip it all too tight, the sand will slip through your fingers. You have to gently cup what you want, cradle it in your hands.

I think identifying what feels good to you, what fills your cup, what allows you the space to receive and process and move through whatever you're feeling, is the most important work you can do. Especially right now.

It’s okay to let things be easy. It’s okay to feel good. It’s okay to let yourself receive. You are safe. You are protected.

That’s my wish for you this month: Ease, baby. Ease.

Take a breath. Honor everything January threw at you. And then, find your balance again. Get centered. Put your head down and do the work that matters. Also - be careful about who you share your goals with. Not everyone deserves a front-row seat to your becoming. Your dreams, especially in their early stages, are precious. Guard them accordingly.

We’re building something here. We’re stepping into something bigger.

*Fellow Angelenos: please take two minutes to sign the Stay in LA petition here. We need a flood of new work to help our beloved city rebuild itself and ensure LA's future viability as a place where craftspeople, film workers, and businesses thrive.*