Reading. Writing. Lots of tea. It’s so easy to say, that’s it! That was my 2020! Besides, it was the year of staying in, so, how else would I wrap the year up other than closing it off with those five words, anyway? Well, to start off, in no particular order: there’s also been lots and lots and lots of studying. Caffeine made a surprising comeback, too. Then there’s the cult of bookstagram, welcome to the club. Launched my own accessories brand. Picked up my long-lost hobby of painting. And finally, sing it with me: our whole universe was in a hot dense state…
Reading, reading, and more reading
My books were the ones that kept me company for the most part of 2020 (and tea)—I read 53 of them last year. Some were outstanding, some were just okay, and there were some I didn’t like at all. But what really took me away and completely swept me off my feet (however that means in a literary sense) were these two: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara and The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Quite overwhelmingly, I read TSH right after I finished A Little Life and I couldn’t be sure if it had been a bad idea or a good one, since I think that both books are, generally speaking, extremely demanding of the reader. However, in the context of this blog post, I think I’m going to go ahead and say… that I’m glad I read them both after one another anyway. Two of the best books I’ve ever read.
A Little Life truly stuck with me throughout the entire year and up until today, it continues to live rent-free in my mind (I tweeted this and I’m very happy to be recycling the joke, ha-ha). These were the kind of characters I had never encountered before, nor expected to ever encounter at all, honestly. In my opinion, A Little Life is a book that you read with the heart and not the mind, and for its story and not its form. The flesh of the book stems right from the three-dimensionality of the characters and the stories embedded within each of them. Yanagihara did a great job with the writing and structure, but the character-building in this one was just unbelievably good. I’m looking forward to rereading it this year when I get the chance to.
This experience was immediately followed by The Secret History, which I read in March and it was a shockingly disturbing literary encounter, frankly speaking—but in a good way. For this, I applaud the dark academic world Tartt created and was able to sustain for the entirety of the novel. None of the characters were morally likable, nor morally right in the head if I’m being honest, but I found myself intrigued and hooked from the very beginning. Cool story: I’m currently rereading it!
On art and creativity
Art took up a huge portion of my 2020, too. By that I mean both the art of writing and painting. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write. Simply put, I’ve been writing since I was a kid, so whenever I feel sad, happy, overwhelmed, confused, or scared—I’d simply write as a way of processing these emotions. Sometimes, the emotions even feel foreign, but writing helps me figure things out and that’s exactly how it got me through 2020. I also picked up a long-lost hobby of mine which is painting. It is watercolor I’m most familiar with but I recently tried out gouache and so far, I’m really liking it. Might have to practice more in order to figure out which medium I like better…



Books on the gram
Possibly the coolest online space I’ve ever discovered: bookstagram. Two-sides-of-the-coin analogy applies here, of course: while it’s a good place to share your reading experiences, at the same time, for most people, it’s not about reading but simply about the engagement. So, there’s definitely that pressure to keep posting even when you barely have the time to read… and that’s not easy. Personally, I’m simply there to share and talk about the books that I read, but sometimes the audience disagrees when the posting schedule isn’t particularly regular and they unfollow (again, what a surprise—the wonders of social media). Which is honestly sad, but is usually something I don’t mind at all because simply having an outlet to occasionally share what I’m currently reading is more than enough.
BRB, studying
Online classes naturally felt strange to me at first because I’ve obviously never done remote learning before. But here’s the thing… I think I actually like it better than regular face-to-face classes simply because I have complete control over my schedule. Last year, I was able to balance studying and the things that spark my creativity (again, reading… writing, the stuff you already know) properly. I found online classes to be greatly beneficial to my mental health and wellbeing. But of course, there still are advantages that come with face-to-face classes such as actual interaction with people and the physical experience of attending classes, which I both equally miss.
Bonus fact: caffeine (what a shock, it’s honestly been a while) and Rory Gilmore got me through the semester.



Hello, mija
One of the things I’m most proud of is @mijaph, an accessories brand that I launched in September 2020. I’ve always wanted to start my own business but never knew how to back then. In 2018, I remember wanting to launch an online clothing brand, but it didn’t feel right at the time. With mija, the idea just came to me, and it felt absolutely just right. Combined with the concept of gifting, my love for accessories naturally found its purpose. I still got a long way to go and so much more to learn, but I’m liking the journey so far with 4 months of experience on hand and new plans to come in 2021.
Finishing TBBT
It all started with the big bang, or so the theme of the show says, but I’d say my 2020 ended with the Big Bang—quite literally. The Big Bang Theory wrapped my 2020 up perfectly with characters and places that felt like home to me. I’m certainly no science person, but this show resonated with me for reasons I honestly do not understand. TBBT was the show I looked forward to watching every night after long days of studying, it brought me the comfort of a fictional world I know I could go to whenever I’m mentally exhausted—as cheesy as that sounds. I’d say, right now it’s up there with the likes of FRIENDS and The Office—top tier, definitely. For me, at least.



Well, I guess that’s it. While 2020 definitely wasn’t the best year and least of the kind we expected (or wanted, so to speak), 2021 has arrived and here’s to hoping it’s going to be a better one.
Beautiful paintings, thank you for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Alicia x
I miss reading books. Now, I have less interest in it (I don’t know why). It used to be my favorite hobby, now I can’t even finish one book. Oh, you paint? That’s incredible. It’s one of the talents I wish I had haha. Anyway, I think when you get used to online classes you can find the advantages to it. At first, I was so sleepy and so bored. But now, I am in my element where I can take notes better, check google for help, etc. I still have a problem with concentration during the online class, but yeah I think for that face-to-face classes are at advantage.
Wait, you are Mija? I literally just sent that Instagram page to my sister. Amazing!
Hello, Kandice! Yes, I recently just started painting again, been trying to explore abstract/minimalist painting these days ♥️ And yes, I am mija! Haha, what a coincidence! x
You did read a good number of books last year. Your paintings are beautiful! Congrats and good luck on your brand!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Aw thank you so much, Lovely! ♥️
Loved reading through your 2020, Chia! I wish I could read more books.. but I don’t normally buy lots of books : – ( Most of the books I’ve read were from my student days, when I had access to the library. You would find me in the library during dismissal time, reading books (almost always the classic genre.. Murakami is an exception haha). But I admire your passion for novels and it’s super great whenever you share about a book that I’ve read before :”) though I may not remember the full story, I do remember bits of my favorite things about it.
Well done on going through online classes. It truly is difficult to have everything shift online, but we all made it through! I like your perspective on online classes, how you made it work for you. I often see people complain about it, but really, there’s nothing we can do but adapt and make the most out of the experience.. we can only hope and pray for things to get better (and it will! I’d like to believe so).
I love your paintings, and I would love to see more of them! Gouache is also a fun medium, but tbh I’m also trying to find the balance between too much water and too much paint.. I guess that is part of the learning process haha! Let’s make more art this year 2021 <3
Anna Jo | http://www.helloannajo.com
thank you so much for this lovely comment, Anna 🥺 ah yes, I also miss going to the library, you can often find me there as well! it truly is one of the best places to be in and I can’t wait to be back once this is all over. here’s to hoping for a better 2021 (and more art for us! hehe) ❤️ thanks again for the very thoughtful comment, made my day! xx
your blog is absolutely stunning! also, your paintings are beautiful – you are very talented! xx
mia // https://beautiful-inspiring-creative-life.com/
thank you so much, Mia! made my day ❤️
Your 2020 actually sounds delightful! Being able to write and paint is such a gift!
I hope 2021 will be even better, full of joy and creative time 🙂
Indeed 🥰 Thank you so much Natalia! Hope you have a great and joyful 2021 too ❤️
Incredible that you launched your brand!
Thanks for sharing this! Also such an avid reader and journaler. Would love to also check out bookstagram.
XXAngelica
https://eraenvogue.com
Thanks Angelica! Enjoy bookstagram if you ever decide to check it out ❤️