Ep. 19 Why I'm Weirdly Optimistic About 2026 + What I Read in 2025

In this episode, I talk about why I’m feeling unexpectedly—almost stubbornly—optimistic about 2026, and why optimism is often misunderstood as naïveté instead of quiet power.

I explore how cynicism has become the default posture of our time, and why choosing optimism now feels less like denial and more like rebellion. This episode is about building an inner world that can sustain you regardless of what’s happening outside—because the external world cannot be the authority over your joy, your creativity, or your sense of possibility.

I share why I keep returning to the idea of do whatever you want in 2026—not as escapism, but as a reminder that we are living inside a strange, beautiful, cosmic soup where meaning is something we get to make. I talk about why I’m excited to keep creating on Substack, Threads, TikTok, and beyond, and why continuing to enjoy your life is an act of resistance.

I also reflect on my reading year: the 35 books I read in 2025 (down from 75 the year before), and what that shift taught me about consumption versus creation. I unpack how this year felt less about ingesting endlessly and more about letting what I’ve already absorbed finally do something. I reference Ray Bradbury’s idea of feeding yourself with beauty until it explodes into creation—and how that’s shaped the way I think about art, work, and attention.

I share my favorite and least favorite reads of the year, the themes that dominated my reading (self-help, financial wisdom, and fantasy), and why this mix feels telling. And I invite you to reflect too: what you read, what fed you, and what you’re excited to create next.

We explore:

✔ Why optimism is often mistaken for ignorance—and why that’s wrong

✔ How to create an inner world that doesn’t collapse under external chaos

✔ The difference between consumption years and creation years

✔ What my 2025 reading habits revealed about where my energy was going

✔ Ray Bradbury, beauty, and letting what you love finally speak through you

✔ Why 2026 feels wide open—and how to claim it as yours

This episode is for anyone who feels quietly hopeful but hesitant to admit it. For those who are tired of letting the world dictate their inner weather. For the ones who want to keep creating, keep enjoying, and keep going—even when cynicism feels louder.

If you’re feeling the pull toward a life that actually belongs to you, this one’s for you.

Thank you for being here. And thank you for listening. 🕯️

The best way to support the podcast is to become a patron of The Folklore Library Substack.

And if you have topics or questions you’d like me to cover, email me at insertwisdom@gmail.com.

The Art of After Workbook: How to Turn Grief into Art

Under the Same Sky by Kate Hill 📖

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Email: insertwisdom@gmail.com

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