Less

As I move into 2026, I find myself compelled by the idea of less. From the most pedestrian of fewer meetings and less travel, to the more profound—less overthinking, less noise in my head.

Perhaps this impulse comes from a particular moment in my life—my youngest just leaving for college—or from the hard-earned wisdom of starting (and closing) a business from the inside out. Perhaps it comes from something deeper still. Whatever the source, the idea of less has captured my attention.

Letting go of a lifetime of productivity and overscheduling is no small task. I find myself questioning: how can I live with myself if my to-do list is half of what it was before? We often judge our success by the number of checkmarks we have on our to-do list. But what if less was more? Still, I find myself unsettled by the unknowns: How will the business survive if I travel less? How will I survive if I think less?

And yet, I have seen what becomes possible through the practice of less in our workshop in Fall River. As a team, we have been aggressively pursuing less to intentionally create space—space for practice, for ideas to unfold slowly, and for rigor to give way to pleasure. The discipline of less has asked us to confront vulnerability, to trust in ideas larger than ourselves, and to connect more deeply with one another and with the artists and makers who came before us. After eight years of this disciplined focus, the joy that emerges from meaningful work is palpable.

I have a long way to go in my own practice of less, but the early signs are promising. The transformation I see in our studio gives me confidence to continue.

As we move into the new year, I wish you a season of quiet clarity and joyful discovery—in the pursuit of less.