Curiosity did not kill the cat.

Photo credit: Pinterest

As we enter a new year I am reminded that growth is not always linear. It’s not necessarily that next promotion or celebrating your second or third kid on the way. Sometimes, growth isn’t about speeding up and crossing the next threshold or opening the next door. Sometimes, growth is about slowing down or changing lane. Taking a step back through the door you opened last year, because it might just not be quite right. It can be about trying new things. Growth is the reason I absolutely despise the phrase “stick in your lane”. That only comes from people who fear growth. Those who fear change.

My new favourite saying is ‘Curiosity did not kill the cat’. I think I made it up. I probably didn’t. But it’s because I believe deep down in my core that it is curiosity that fuels life.

Oscar Wilde once famously said “If you know exactly what you want to be in life, you will become it and that is your punishment.” Read that again. He continued, “Actually not knowing what you want to be, reinventing yourself every morning, not being a noun but a verb, being moving in life, not being fixed is a privilege.”

I am sure you have all heard that quote before. Reinventing myself is my bread and butter. I may have taken him too literally. But there is a beauty in that. I have learnt that life is all about experiences, contrast, moments, joy, contentment and a great cup of coffee outside on a sunny day - no matter the season.

Photo credit: Pinterest

The only consistency in my life; my desire to be a mother. Last year I became that. And oh those sleepless nights and endless bouts of sickness will be my punishment - thanks, Oscar Wilde. However, becoming a mother will also be my biggest joy in life because I will never let my curiosity wane. Motherhood for me is a journey. I am constantly learning, growing and changing. If not through my own eyes, then through my sons.

I always think about how no one wants a good book to end. That’s the funny thing about life isn’t it? We always want to get to the end destination. But that end destination never tastes as good as the journey. When you finish that book, you always wish you could start it again. Find out where else the story could have taken you.

For me, 2026 is about doubling down on the things I love but doing it through the lens of experimentation. I love to take photos. I love to write. I love to mother. I have always thrived in my life when I have let myself write and capture what I see. I love to write and capture human existence. I love to write about my thoughts on modern parenthood, art, and the human experience. I love to capture human moments on camera through both film and digital.

This is why, my challenge for 2026 is to write a weekly substack some of which will have original photography - others will be photos I have seen and love. It will hit your inbox at 9am every Sunday - right in time for your morning coffee. It’s my way of creating more and consuming less. However, I am not committing to a singular topic, structure or theme. Think of it as my commitment to reinventing myself and staying curious this year.

Photo credit: Pinterest

So in return, I ask you as your commitment to yourself, to be curious this year. Curious about yourself, your interests, what makes you calm, what brings you joy. Curious about your friends and family. How can you support them, how can you check in and give them love in the way they need. And most importantly, be more curious about strangers. There is so much going on in this world that we forget about the people on our doorstep. The people who just need a simple smile. A quick hello. A chat at the bus stop.

Be more like a river this year. It’s okay to find your flow but don’t be afraid. Rivers part. Some become streams. Others join waterfalls. But they all flow back to the sea. And life changes again. Be like the river. Ever flowing. Every changing.

In typical end-of-year fashion, I, as an unashamed Pinterest girly have created my 2026 vision board, which includes a lot of quotes - some of which I have added below. I hope they bring you something. Be it joy, motivation or curiosity. And I hope this Substack has brought you something today. As we close out 2025, I wish you all the love in the world.