The Wish Fulfilled
New Year 2026
I want softer days: lying in crisp bedsheets, drinking teas and coffee, lounging and reading books in hotel rooms. Instead, my mind keeps circling two conflicting phrases for 2026: “Living in the Wish Fulfilled” and “Futurism.” I’m drawn to the first. The second, while aesthetically interesting art wise, unsettles me. Futurism and fascism have historically been interconnected.
As we slip into the final week of 2025, we’re closing out a difficult but also fulfilling (creatively for me), unruly year. In Chicago, we’re warned this may be the harshest winter in years. I already feel it in my body—the weight of cold, the way anxiety quietly tries to take hold. I don’t want to sit in that feeling, so I redirect my energy toward something else. Something creative. Something soothing. Something that carries the calm, neutral feeling of a dream already realized.
I’ve started revisiting my sources of inspiration, only to realize that my reference points have grown stagnant. While those original, foundational influences will always matter to me, I’ve begun looking outward—toward what they inspired. That’s when I thought of my dear friend Taylor Mead, who once called me “a female Jack Kerouac.” The warmth in his voice made it clear it was a compliment. I had the charisma of Jack and the stream of consciousness vision. Still, I remembered how Kerouac’s stream-of-consciousness style has often been blamed for inspiring a lot of bad writing.
Taylor and Jack ran in the same circles. He once told me that Jack was the most charismatic person he had ever met, joking that if Taylor were a woman, they’d be married. Taylor’s writing and poetry had that same stream-of-consciousness quality. I would visit him at the Bowery Poetry Club, listening to the weekly showcase of stories and poems every week.
It was during one of those nights that Taylor told me I reminded him of Jack. We spent hours talking about his days as one of Andy Warhol’s art stars, his time with the Beat writers, and how those experiences shaped punk and other musical, literary, and artistic genres across generations.
That conversation led me to think about retrofuturism—an aesthetic inspired by Art Deco, science fiction, and the space and atomic ages. It brought together many of my own interests and tied back to our earlier discussion about inspiration and the forces that shape culture.
This is a conversation that has been coming up regularly so I decided to look into the energy of 2026 and if it coincided.
Numerology: 2 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 10 ( 1 + 0 =1) - Zero, One, Ten
Tarot: Fool, Magician, Wheel of Fortune - Tarot from the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness 30th anniversary boxset. Underlying energies: High priestess (2), Emperor (4), and Lovers (6) Strength (8)
Song: Tonight, Tonight - The Smashing Pumpkins
0 Fool:
“Everything is nothing and nothing is everything.”
“See a cliff, jump off.” - Lady Jaye Breyer P’Orridge
Zero is pure potential—the beginning before form, the step taken without certainty but full of trust. The Fool represents new beginnings, innocence, curiosity, and the willingness to leap into the unknown. Unburdened by the past, The Fool moves forward with an open heart and a free spirit, guided by intuition rather than fear. 0 is the void, the vast openness of space. It is the cosmic egg, symbolizing creation, potential, and rebirth.
This card speaks to faith in life itself. The Fool does not need all the answers; the journey unfolds by walking it. It is the soul at the start of its path, reminding us that growth requires risk, openness, and a willingness to learn through experience.
The Fool encourages you to release expectations, embrace spontaneity, and see the world with fresh eyes. Where others see uncertainty, The Fool sees possibility. This is an invitation to trust the process, follow your inner calling, and allow yourself to begin again—knowing that every great journey starts with a single, courageous step into the unknown.
01 Magician:
One represents possibility emerging from the void. The Magician is the manifestor—the one who already possesses all the tools needed to succeed. Through leadership, focus, decisive action, and willpower, potential becomes reality. The Sword, Pentacle (Coin), Wand, and Cup symbolize the four suits and elements of the Minor Arcana: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water—balanced resources ready for use.
This card speaks to absolute faith in oneself. It is the first cell of creation, the initial idea, the spark that ignites the flame. The Magician embodies potential in motion, reminding us of the principle “as above, so below”—the macrocosm (the universe) reflected in the microcosm (the individual).
The Magician also teaches that the subconscious sets the conditions for physical reality. Limited thinking limits results. This is a time to break old mental patterns, rewire your mindset, and step fully into your power to create success.
10 Wheel of Fortune:
Ten represents cycles, turning points, and the ever-moving rhythm of life. 10 consists of 0 and 1, it is the end and the beginning. The Wheel of Fortune reminds us that change is constant—what rises will fall, and what falls will rise again. This card speaks to fate, timing, and the unseen forces that guide events beyond personal control.
The Wheel turns whether we resist or surrender. It marks moments of sudden opportunity, shifts in direction, or karmic lessons returning to be understood. While we cannot stop the Wheel, we can choose how we respond to it. Awareness, adaptability, and trust allow us to move with change rather than be thrown by it.
This card teaches that luck is not random, but aligned with readiness. When you act with integrity and clarity, the Wheel opens doors at the right moment. The Wheel of Fortune asks you to recognize patterns, honor divine timing, and understand that every turn—up or down—serves growth. Nothing is permanent, but everything has purpose.
2026 is a time to go big or go home. It’s time to take what inspires you and expand it in ways you never thought possible. It’s a Fire Horse year in Chinese astrology. This indicates a year of bold actions, high energy, transformation and focusing on ambitious goals.
Link to Stationery Free Download
Stream of Consciousness: The Leap, the Spark, the Shift
You will Need: Pen and Paper or a Journal
Preparation (1–2 minutes)
Sit comfortably. Put your feet on the floor. Place one hand on your chest, one on your stomach.
Take three slow breaths.
Try not to feel like you have to do it “right”
Do not edit.
Do not reread until the end.
When you begin writing, do not stop for at least 10-15 minutes. If you get stuck, write “I don’t know” “Skip” or a random word that enters your thought process until something else appears.
The Fool — The Leap
Close your eyes.
Imagine you are standing at the edge of something vast.
There is no label for it. No explanation. No plan. Visualize being completely supported in everything you do and knowing it will work out. When ready open your eyes.
Write:
I’m stepping toward…
Let the sentence finish itself.
Keep writing.
What are you secretly hoping for?
What are you pretending you don’t want because it feels too big, too unlikely, too much?
Write without protecting yourself.
Write about:
The life you imagine with no judgement or outside noise
The risk you want to take but haven’t named
The version of you that already knows where to go
If fear interrupts, write it down too.
Fear is a doorway and often shows you what needs to be addressed.
The Magician — The Spark
Now imagine something ignites in your hands.
You are not waiting anymore.
You already have what you need.
Write:
I am creating…
Let the words move faster than your thoughts.
What do you know how to do that you downplay?
What comes naturally to you that others struggle with?
What have people always asked you for, even when you didn’t feel ready?
Write about:
What you want to build, lead, speak, or shape
What you feel called to bring into the world
The message, work, or impact that wants to move through you
Do not ask how.
Write only what wants to exist.
The Wheel of Fortune — The Shift
Now imagine time folding in on itself. This is a point of no return in the most positive way.
Past. Present. Future.
All in the same room. Everything aligning in your favor.
Write:
My life looks like…
Be specific. Be bold. Be unreasonable.
Where are you waking up?
Who are you becoming?
What feels finished, and what feels just beginning?
Write about:
What cycles you are ready to end
What patterns you are done repeating
What you want this next chapter to be remembered for
Luck, timing, and destiny has your back—what do you choose now?
Closing (do not skip)
Finish with this sentence, written once, without thinking:
The truth I am finally ready to admit is…
Put the pen down.
Do not judge what came out.
You do not have to rush into action. You can let it sit for a day or so and start creating a plan of action. Then take small steps either daily or weekly to make the ideas reality.
*If you’d like you can light a candle afterward as a reminder of your own light.
Image Bank
Create an image bank of things that inspire you. Take a few images and think of ways they can be merged or expanded. You can even make copies of the images and cut them into 4 parts. Pull parts at random and create a new image. Note if there’s anything that stands out in them. This may be your next guide in how to processed forward. Take a photo of yourself or something to symbolize what your goals are to set the tone for 2026. I love these images of retro futurism art by Charles Schriddle for Motorola. I also love this Gucci Seville and shot from Bad Bunny’s video NUEVAYol. They feel similar linear wise, style wise, tone and color wise. Where these things will take me in my art is yet to be clear but I am enjoying the journey.
Schriddle's ads Motorola 1960s
This Gucci Cadillac - 1978-79 Seville aimed to merge American luxury with high fashion.
I absolutely loved this image for Bad bunny’s NUEVAYol video by Eric Rojas. He’s also responsible for the iconic DeBí TiRAR MáS FOTos cover, Apagón etc. Side note the paneling in this room takes me back to East New York circa 2008-15 and weekends with my Godfamily.
One of the things I appreciate most about artists like Bad Bunny is how they continue to evolve and reinvent themselves over the years. I loved how his “Baticano” video referenced German films from the 1920s—Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and Metropolis—while also echoing elements of American horror such as Frankenstein, Night of the Living Dead, Psycho, Dead of Night, and The Wolf Man.
Watching artists explore new territories and influences is something I truly enjoy. It creates a doorway for growth, experimentation, and expansion.
2026 is about taking risks, trusting yourself, making the impossible possible, and moving forward with passion. It’s time to shine.
beautiful portrait of you love all the orange. thank you for the gorgeous stationary download. I just printed out a sheet to write my mom a letter. happy new year!