Well hey there lovely Reader!
OK, so I'm just going to get straight into it and acknowledge the elephant in the room: it's been a while. A long while. Three months since I last landed in your inbox which, by newsletter standards, is basically FOREVER. (Celebrity marriages WISH they lasted that long! ๐)
I've been deep in the complete revamp of my Canva course, which took considerably longer than I hoped (But is finally now live!๐ ). But if I'm being honest with you, that's only part of the story. The other part is that somewhere in the middle of all that, I had a bit of a crisis of confidence. About the course, about the content I was putting out, about whether I was actually bringing anything new or useful to the table, about how I keep up with how fast everything changes...and about how I keep creating as the world burns.
And here's what nobody really tells you about silences like that - the longer they go on, the harder it is to break them. Every week that passed, the thought of showing back up in your inbox started to feel more and more loaded. Like I didn't have enough to offer you, or like bumping into someone you haven't spoken to in ages and not knowing quite what to say, so you just... don't. (Solid life strategy, Wayne. ๐คจ) So I'd put it off. And then put it off a bit more. And then it had been three months and I genuinely didn't know where to start.
What eventually got me out of my own head about it was pretty simple, really - I just missed writing to you.
I know that sounds a bit soppy, but it's genuinely true. And in those months away, a handful of you sent me some of the most wonderfully kind, encouraging messages. People checking in, sharing kind words, telling me they missed my emails. It honestly caught me off guard, cos you don't always realise what kind of connection you're quietly building through something like a newsletter until you step away from it for a bit.
We really shouldn't take that for granted - the fact that you CAN still connect with people who genuinely care about the same things you do, just through words in an inbox, is a pretty remarkable thing and not something to be casual about.
So, I'm back. And I've got a lot of good stuff planned for the rest of this year that I'm genuinely excited to share with you. We'll get into all of that properly over the coming weeks, but just know that there's plenty on the horizon.
Some interesting news & views
I was recently invited to become an Adobe ambassador - which in all honesty I was a little nervous about. But I've actually been blown away by how Adobe really looks after their ambassadors - even newbies like me. (Oh - and don't worry, they know my main focus is Canva! ๐)
I was invited to the Ambassador summit and Adobe Creator Live in London, and it was actually a great experience (despite my social anxiety making me want to cancel going right up till the last second ๐คฃ!) Not only did I meet some amazing people, but I got to learn a lot about not just what Adobe is focussing on - but also about what other creators and business owners are going through. And I have to tell you - it was kinda comforting.
Even people who I would look at online and assume they have everything figured out - don't. EVERYONE was eager to grow, sharing what was working, and talking about how they struggle to keep up with everything.
So I thought I'd share a few brief learnings and notes from the experience:
- Most people are still very torn about the use of AI. A few people were 'all in', but weren't always keen to discuss the downsides. Everyone else I spoke to were excited by the possibilities, but also genuinely unsure about where it fits with real creativity - especially when it comes to trusting what people are sharing. I don't think we've figured that one out yet. We need more honest conversations, not sales pitches.
- Good news - One thing that was encouraging was that we saw research that shows that the energy demand of AI centres has already improved by 30% in the last couple of years. Which is great! (But 30% of a huge amount is still a lot. ๐)
- Without a strategy, you panic create. Having clear content pillars - a few themes your content lives around - means you always have a starting point for what you're going to say, even when inspiration is nowhere to be found. Even a simple strategy is better than no strategy.
- Repurposing good content isn't lazy, it's sensible. Change a few words, adapt it for a different format, share it again six months later. Good content doesn't have an expiry date.
- Share your passion projects - the stuff you'd make even if nobody watched. That energy and joy is noticeable, and people respond to it.
- Everybody finds social media unpredictable - even the pros. There were people in that room who have hundreds of thousands of followers - and they're also constantly trying to figure out what works too. Which is honestly a little bit comforting.
- At the end of the day, it's about connecting with actual humans. Algorithms change, platforms change, formats change - but the thing that actually matters is the person on the other side of the screen.
So, I sadly did not come away with the answers to everything creative, but I DID come away feeling really hopeful - which let's be honest, is a rare feeling these days!
OK folks - it is genuinely really good to be back. Coming in the next three months I have:
- Brand new Canva tutorials on YouTube
- Updated YouTube tutorials for all my most popular content
- New YouTube tutorials for other tools like Adobe Express
- Weekly newsletters with new creator profiles and tips
- A new website with a whole new range of templates in the store
And if I can get my sh*t together:
- more quick tips, insights and creative ideas on Instagram.
So...thank you for still being here, and a special thank you to everyone who reached out whilst I was away. You made coming back a lot easier than I deserved.๐ I think 3 months was a good trial period for 2026. I'm gonna start for real in Q2.
Take care of yourself - now go make something that makes you happy. ๐ค
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