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I’m happy people are finding (and if not, then creating) communities¹ again.

As many people smarter than I have pointed out, this is one of the many things that have disappeared with the reduction of third spaces and the loss of things like social clubs and bowling leagues. The advent of the Internet is a whole different story, which, thanks to the help of key players Facebook and YouTube, has simultaneously driven people online, but siloed them off into echo chambers. It gives people the false sense of being connected while actually growing lonelier.

With that said, what I’m seeing now is people creating the spaces they need and using them to facilitate connection in more meaningful ways. I’ve mentioned the WhatsApp Photo Community I started here in Philly before. It now has about 30 people on it. We just had our second phó(to) lunch² — 13 people showed up! A few of us met up at a Bruce Davidson exhibit over the winter break. Others are talking about going bike riding, grabbing coffee, sharing studio space, etc… We’re also brainstorming group shows and guerrilla-style art projects.

This is all very exciting.

But the community I want to talk about today is, actually, another one. I won’t name the group or the other members, because it feels like a bit of a sacred space. And I respect that.

It’s a much smaller group I’m in. I think there are currently 10 members. We’re all female photographers. Most are between 40 and 50 years old. I joined after seeing a post on Instagram from someone wanting to start a group where they could be held accountable, but also where they could sometimes just voice their intentions and goals and fears, and a place to get out of their own head.

There’s an active WhatsApp group chat. And there have been monthly or bi-monthly Google Meet-ups since we’re scattered all over the Western hemisphere. In this week’s call, we were asked to share a goal or two for the coming year and also to come up with a one-word theme for 2026³. Both are great practices.

My big takeaways were:

• Set goals for things you can control, instead of trying to control the things you can’t. (So, instead of saying you want to work with 10 new clients by the end of the year, you could say, I want to email 10 new clients a month… This not only seems more manageable, but also something that you can do.

• Think smaller. (Have you read Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott? The title comes from a story she retells about her then-10-year-old brother getting overwhelmed by a school report on birds. Their father told him, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird,” meaning to focus on describing one bird at a time.) If you want to have a weekly newsletter, you don’t have to write a 5,000-word essay on Substack. A newsletter can be anything. You can post a few photos. Or a few thoughts. Or a few links. And when something bigger comes up, you’ve got a space for it, too.

• Unless you only want to be an assignment photographer, stop waiting for people to assign you work. Be your own assignment editor. Create the work you’ve always wanted to create. Work on projects you care about. Rather than being driven solely by what others want you to do, let your ideas and passions fuel your work and see what comes of that. I need to get back to this practice.

• It’s ok to have ebbs and flows with our work. It’s the natural cycle of things. However, we all, myself included, need to be better about making the most of downtime — even if that productivity is solely for our mental health, such as learning a new hobby (kudos to the member who’s now learning to play the piano!). If you think of this like seasons, winter may appear cold and dormant, but it’s actually a vital time before renewal and new growth.

I’m inspired, and also not feeling as alone… as freelancers sometimes do.

And lastly, if you’re looking to make resolutions and set goals for yourself, I’ve really been inspired by Julia Rothman’s More/Less lists, so that’s been my M.O. the last few years. My own 2026 list is below.

More of my regularly scheduled bullshit soon. See you next week.⁴ :)

The internet has Julia Rothman to thank for the More/Less list; the New York Times columnist first began posting shots of her own not-quite-resolutions for the year ahead a few years ago, and inadvertently started a trend. The simple premise: that, instead of deciding to “improve” yourself in one faintly punishing way or another, you simply focus on what you want more of in your life, and what you want less of. —Vogue Magazine

1. “Community” was my word for 2026. More on that later.

2. 13 people! Check out that photo. Also, check out Nam Phuong if you’re ever in Philly!

3. PLEASE tell me yours! What’s your word? Drop a goal into the comments. I’d love to hear them and be inspired by them!

4. For even more: I’ll be back next week with 5 things I was looking at and loving.