Refining Focus, Expanding Impact, and Creating Space for What Matters
A 6-minute read. If you prefer to listen, click below for the audio version.
How I’m Mapping Out 2025
This past year has been a virtual cyclone of change, reflection and creativity. As I prepare to close out 2024, I’ve been thinking about how to wrap up the year in a way that celebrates everything accomplished while setting the stage for even greater growth. With gift cards for The Creative Cloth eMagazine, an exciting Black Friday bundle in the works, and a 2025 prep workshop designed to help fellow creatives start the new year strong, there’s so much to look forward to in these final weeks.
But when I consider what lies ahead in 2025, one theme has been driving my decisions: alignment. The work I’m doing, the offerings I’m creating, and the ways I’m connecting with my audience all need to reflect where my heart truly lies—and that’s with textiles, fibers, color and design.
Through this process, I’ve been honing my focus and making some significant shifts, and today, I want to share what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and what I’m most excited about as I plan the next steps of my creative journey.
Refining My Creative Focus
Over the past few months, I’ve been thrilled to see the response to my newest resource, SEW Successful. It’s a simple name, but it represents so much: the creativity, passion, and drive that fuels the fabric-focused community. This success has inspired me to reimagine how my courses and offerings come together.
Moving forward, I’m considering consolidating The Creative Studio and The Pattern Studio courses into one cohesive SEW Successful umbrella. By doing this, I can create a seamless pathway for my audience, offering guidance for sewists, designers, fiber artists, and craftspeople of all kinds—whether they’re creating garments, handbags, toys, home décor, or art.
In narrowing my focus to textiles and fibers, I’m also embracing the deep, rich roots of my own creative passion. I’m saying “yes” to what resonates most with me and “no” to distractions. This is about serving the community that aligns with my experience and my joy.
Rethinking My Offerings
Another big shift has been in how I deliver content. In the past, I favored cohort-based launches and broad signature courses. While there’s value in that model, I’ve found myself drawn to smaller, more immediate offerings that provide specific solutions.
Here’s how this shift is taking shape:
- Breaking Down Larger Courses: Both Creatively-U and The Art of Patternmaking will be redesigned as smaller, standalone courses. These will be available year-round, allowing learners to access exactly what they need when they need it.
- Expanding The Creative Cloth: My monthly eMagazine has been so well received and such a joy to create! It’s a space where I can share insights, tips, and inspiration for the fabric-focused community, and I’m excited to see it grow.
- Slower, More Intentional Course Creation: I’ve realized that building smaller, specific offerings based on audience feedback not only aligns with my goals but also serves my audience better. I’m focusing on quality over quantity.
Building Deeper Connections
One of my biggest priorities in 2025 is fostering meaningful relationships with my community. It’s about truly engaging with those who are here to grow, create, and thrive alongside me.
Here’s what this looks like:
- More Live Engagement: I’ll be appearing live more often on my Facebook page and in my groups, using these moments to connect directly with my audience. I’ll gauge the value based on engagement and adjust as needed.
- A Curated Email List: I plan to touch base with my email list more frequently while also being intentional about keeping it fresh. My goal is to focus on those who actively engage, ensuring I’m putting my energy where it’s most effective.
- Adding Audio Options: Recognizing that not everyone has time to sit and read, I’ve started offering audio versions of my articles. This is a small step toward creating a podcast-like space, giving my audience more ways to access inspiration on the go.
Staying Inspired While Embracing Change
Planning for the future is always a mix of excitement and uncertainty, but one thing that has remained constant for me is the importance of staying inspired. Over the past year, I’ve made some intentional changes to my own creative practice that have reinvigorated my work:
- A New Resource Page: I got back into my own studios, and have added a curated list of my favorite sewing and creative supplies, along with books on creativity and business, to my website. It’s a one-stop shop for anyone looking to expand their toolbox.
- Monthly Workshops Over Long Classes: I’m shifting toward smaller, workshop-style offerings that allow for more intimate, interactive learning. These are spaces where I can help creatives tackle specific challenges in real time.
Through all these changes, my goal remains the same: to provide resources, inspiration, and guidance that help fabric and fiber creatives succeed.
What About You?
As I map out 2025, I’m curious—what does your creative future look like? Are there areas where you feel the need to realign or refocus?
Remember, progress isn’t about doing everything at once. It’s about doing what matters most, both to you and to the people you serve. It’s also about the willingness to change direction when something doesn’t feel right.
If you’re ready to explore what’s next in your own creative journey, I’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment below and let me know what you’re planning—or what you’re dreaming about but haven’t started yet.
Here’s to planning with purpose and creating with heart.
To learn more about what’s happening at VLS or to have “The Weekly Creative Buzz” delivered right to your inbox, go HERE or click the “LEARN” tab at my website.
And don’t forget to join my private Facebook Group, Virginia’s Studio Cats, for inspiration, encouragement, and support.