2024 in Review

Oh 2024, you were something else.

I was originally going to combine my 2024 year in review with my 2025 goals in one blog post, but as I started reflecting on the past 12 months, I realized that wasn’t possible—too much has happened, and there’s even more I’m working on for the year ahead. So here’s my 2024 in review!

YouTube Growth

I released my second most viral video to date (pictured above). It was such an exciting milestone—it supercharged my channel and career. You can read more about how to create these acrylic paintings on paper in this blog post. The confidence I gained from this video gave me the courage to take a huge step:

A Full Commitment to Art

I decided not to return to my part-time teaching contract and focus entirely on my art. This was a tough decision that lingered with me for months afterward. For five years, I had a winter-term teaching contract at my local university. I loved the work and cared deeply for my students, but it forced me to put everything else—paintings, YouTube, and more—on hold.

When the offer came in April to teach again in 2025, I turned it down to go all-in on my art. What I didn’t expect was the emotional aftermath. That job had tethered me to a world of predictable paychecks, structured hours, and stability. Instead of feeling liberated, I felt adrift.

I’m deeply grateful to pursue my dream full-time, but I hadn’t anticipated the mourning period that came with leaving behind good for the possibility of great. It felt like a small part of me had to die in the process.

Studio Makeover (Again!)

I revamped my studio for the third time in four years. While analyzing my YouTube thumbnails, I noticed a clear pattern: my top-performing videos had crisp, white backdrops, while the ones with my charcoal accent wall underperformed. I had chosen the dark wall to make my paintings pop, but it was sabotaging my channel.

So, I redesigned my studio with a Light Academia aesthetic and upgraded the lighting. It took a few months (and a lot of fussing), but the result was worth it.

Course Success

My acrylic flower painting course continued to grow, with hundreds of students from around the world currently enrolled. Their feedback and final projects have been incredible. I’m so proud of the course and thrilled to be working on 2–3 new courses for 2025. I have ambitious plans for my educational offerings over the next 3–5 years—more on that soon!

If you'd like to join us in the course, you can enrol at any time for lifetime access. You can also take $30 off by using the code BLOG30 at checkout. 

A Viral Painting

My final painting of the year went viral across four platforms: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. The TikTok showing me spinning my canvas has over 2.1 million views (and counting!). The full tutorial on YouTube is also performing well and tipping into viral territory.

This painting taught me the magic of having full control over my subject. As a result, I’ve decided to pause commissions for now to focus on paintings I choose for their compositional strength—pieces my audience will love to learn from.

Final Reflections

2024 was a year of highs and lows. The successes were exhilarating, and the challenges were humbling. Looking back, I know I can do better, but I also learned that taking care of my emotional well-being is foundational to productivity.

What’s not included here is how much time I’ve dedicated to self-care in recent months: hitting the gym, eating healthy, drinking water, waking up early, and building better life and work habits.

This year felt like a transitional phase, and the person I am now isn’t who I was at the start of 2024. I’m so excited for what’s ahead in 2025.