Switching Realities: Welcome to The Collagist

Third week in and yes, we already changed the name. Starting a blog / newsletter has always been hard for me for one main reason: I have not been able to think of (or maybe even commit to) a name. Those who know me mainly know that I am quite "Type A" — I'm a planner with buzzing ideas and the burning need to make it all happen in the most efficient and strategic way possible. I think constantly about every tiny detail because (a) I want to do everything with purpose, and (b) I want everything to be perfect.

In my iPhone notes app, I have had a running list of blog names that I have been brainstorming for over a year and a half now. I was also recently reminded that I indeed started another blog a couple years ago called "Seedlings." I literally forgot about that name and now, I miss it. I love the sound of that. Why did I hate it at the time? Why didn't I write constantly? Why did I delete it?

The name wasn't exactly "it," I guess. But what is "it?" How do we know when something is good enough or even sustainable for what's to come?

As we near the end of January and begin our journey into the abyss of 2026, I have decided that I don't need to write down exact goals and resolutions. Instead, this year is about shifting mindset.

Every year for the past couple years, I have had the same goals. I want to lose weight, write more, get out of the hospitality industry so I can dive into my creative work full-time, and develop more wealth so I can establish a better future. Every year, I have become more detailed with those goals like, "This year, I want to lose five pounds every month" or "This year, I want to leave my restaurant job by the fall season." I used to make these specific deadlines and checkpoints because I thought that this tactic would finally push me to become successful.

I eventually called bullsh*t on myself.

I am unsure if it's the shift in my brain after finally fully developing, but I think I understand what I actually need to do to move forward. For me, it's not about specific goals and tasks and to-do lists...

My brain needs to be slightly rewired.

A month ago, I saw a video on Instagram that talked about how the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once (EEAO) was very realistic in terms of universe-jumping and quantum mechanics. If you don't know the movie, let me briefly explain. In order for a character to access another universe, the character has to do some sort of random act. An article from Smithsonian Magazine confirms that this strategy of trying to access an alternate universe is called the "many worlds interpretation." Writer Will Sullivan explains that "for every action you take, a different version of you might be experiencing the option that you did not choose." Therefore, doing a random act pivots your timeline because it changes the choice you would have made otherwise. Simply, a different world or universe is created from a single choice you do (or don't make).

I have been trying to change my life, and although I have tried to do different plans of action, my mind has always stayed the same. I keep losing confidence in myself. I keep letting my mental health affect my day-to-day. I keep vying for perfection. In EEAO, the characters need to commit entirely to whatever they are randomly doing in order to successfully jump universes. They literally need to focus and full send it with their bodies AND minds.

I'm trying to stop overthinking. I trying to let go of being Type A and maybe I can be Type (lowercase) a (because yes, there is a difference). I need to just do — even if it feels uncomfortable or unplanned or random. Who cares if I don't like the blog name? That can be changed! Does it matter if I'm posting every week at the exact same time? Not now! I'm posting when I can! I'm slowly reconfiguring the inner workings of my mind, so I can finally change the timeline I've been previously creating for myself. I am fighting against the current until I find a spot in the river where the water will eventually flow with me in the way that I need. There, I'm hoping that I will see an abundance of life, growth, and promises fulfilled.

Introducing The Collagist

My previous blog / newsletter name was never "the one." It was a name I had to accept as a placeholder, so I can start doing the work I want to do. I didn't care to force a new name immediately, but this one came pretty naturally to me.

I love collages. I love making collages, hosting collage nights, seeing other people's collages, and collecting art supplies to add to collage art later. My writing has no strict form. This blog does not have a specific theme. If you saw last week's post, I published a small poem as an ode to my late grandmother who passed now almost two weeks ago.

Collages allow different art forms to unify into one piece without changing the integrity of each form. There is a such a beauty in mixing textures, prints, colors, and shapes and making them blend into a general idea or even a slew of ideas. There are no rules, just constant inspiration.

Collages are also also inherently created collectively. Even if one person makes a collage, the materials all come from something else. Although I have been mainly writing a lot of self-reflection, most writing (in my humble opinion) is inspired by experiences beyond ourselves. Writers have perspectives influenced by society, their lives, other stories, and more.

The Collagist captures the essence of what I hope to cultivate here. A melange of mediums, a canvas for writers to let go and play, and a space for discussing the hope of new universes, within ourselves and the world we live in today.

If you got to this point, I invite you to come to my humble abode in February for a collage / art night. Please reach out to me personally, and I will coordinate a time and day.