A 2022 Recap (or Something Like That)
Yup, it’s one of those recap posts. It wasn’t until mid-December that I realized maybe I should do some reflecting or something. So here it is.
My third year in business has been a pretty dang good one. Not perfect, of course, but I have a lot to celebrate, and that’s what I’m focusing on.
Highlights
I got to work on some amazing projects this year, including three where I legitimately fangirled. Two of these were books written by Asian American authors I admire, and the third was an official project for one of my all-time favorite things ever. I honestly still can’t believe my luck, and I want to share what they are, but I can’t do that yet. I also edited a book called My Social Justice Dictionary: 150+ Words for Young Changemakers, which was incredibly meaningful to me.
I launched my self-paced course, “Editing for Conscious and Inclusive Language,” for the Editorial Freelancers Association. More than 100 people have enrolled in the course, and I’ve gotten to talk to some of the students in the virtual Q&A sessions.
I attended my first ACES conference, which was held in San Antonio, Texas. Words can’t describe how exciting it was to get to meet so many edibuddies in person. I presented two sessions, one on conscious language and one on authenticity reading. I’ll be attending ACES Evolve in Columbus, Ohio, next spring, where I’ll be part of a panel on aligning your career with your values.
I got to work with returning clients, along with new ones. It means the world when clients come back to me or refer people they know, and it’s exciting when new people find me through my blog, social media, or internet searches.
I said no to a lot of projects. To some, this might not seem like a highlight, but I often take on too much. Admittedly, I still do, but giving myself space to breathe and being able to choose my projects are big deals for me.
A bittersweet change
The biggest and hardest change for me this year, on both a personal level and a professional level, was that I lost my canine editorial assistant and loyal companion, Roxy, in February. Coping with her death has been one of the most difficult challenges I’ve ever had to face, and it inspired me to write a blog post on giving myself permission to grieve. (I also wrote a tribute to her in relation to my business.)
In July, a new editorial assistant came into my life. Kona is full of energy—definitely more than I’m used to—and needs a lot of play and attention. She is not shy about telling me when I’ve spent too much time working and not enough time on her. Though I will never stop missing Roxy, I’m glad to have a new reminder that there’s more to life than work.
Being a ball of wild
All spiffed up for Halloween
Sleepy face
And now, some stats and pie charts
I’m not a numbers person, but I do like putting together some year-end stats to sum up how things looked. Without further ado, here they are:
Full-length projects worked on: 25
Short articles and blog posts edited: 112
Total words worked on: 2,242,830
Writers worked with: 52
Speaking events completed: 14
Also, for the heck of it, I thought it’d be fun to create some pie charts. (When I shared this idea with my spouse, I said, “I know fun is relative.” He agreed.)
Final thoughts
I’m all tapped out of insights and wisdom for the year. Instead, I’ll just wish you and yours a happy 2023!
