You’ve already fallen off your New Year’s resolution — and that doesn’t mean you failed.

In this episode of Suffering for Art, we explore why New Year’s resolutions fail and how to actually build goals that stick in 2026 — without burnout, shame, or relying on willpower.

Most people don’t struggle with discipline. They struggle because their goals are fighting human biology, nervous system regulation, and real life. In this episode, we break down the neuroscience behind habit formation and explain how to create sustainable change that works with your brain instead of against it.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why willpower is a limited resource (and why it runs out)

• What’s happening in your brain when you procrastinate or “fall off”

• How your nervous system impacts motivation and consistency

• Why falling off a goal isn’t failure — it’s feedback

• Identity-based habits that create long-term change

• Simple systems that survive stress, low energy, and chaotic schedules

This episode is especially for artists and creatives navigating unpredictable routines, emotional labor, and high cognitive load — but anyone who feels stuck in the resolution cycle will benefit.

This isn’t about pushing harder or becoming more disciplined.
It’s about building habits that feel safe, repeatable, and realistic — so change becomes your new normal.

At the end of the episode, you’ll get a simple reflection prompt to help you restart without guilt and begin again in a way your brain can actually support.

If this episode resonates, please follow the podcast, leave a review, or share it with someone who needs a healthier way to set goals.

🔗 Artist Recharge Retreat application

In this episode of the Suffering for Art, I’m joined by relationship coaches and longtime leaders Sean Reed and Lanette Reed for a powerful conversation every creative needs to hear.

We unpack the hierarchy of relationships — your relationship to self, others, and your craft — and why getting this order wrong quietly erodes your mental health, creativity, and longevity.

We talk about:

• Why putting your craft first eventually costs you everything else

• The difference between a friend and an acquaintance (and why most creatives confuse the two)

• How isolation sneaks in during both success and failure

• The importance of having people who stay with you through the highs and the lows

• Why healthy relationships don’t compete with your art — they sustain it

If you’ve ever felt lonely at the top, burned out by hustle culture, or unsure who’s really in your corner, this episode will challenge and ground you.

🎧 Connect with Sean & Lanette Reed:
Website: https://ourcouplegoals.com
Podcast: Our Couple Goals Podcast

If this episode resonates, don’t forget to subscribe, share it with a fellow creative, and leave a review — it helps the show reach artists who need these conversations most.

In a world engineered for distraction, what does it actually take to create meaningful work?

In this episode of Suffering for Art, we dive into flow state and deep work—exploring how creativity thrives not through hustle or constant visibility, but through sustained focus. Drawing from the principles of deep work and modern research on attention, we unpack why it’s become harder than ever for artists to access flow—and what’s quietly stealing our creative energy.

We break down the addictive design of social media, looking at real statistics that reveal how often we’re interrupted, how fragmented our attention has become, and why that environment makes deep focus nearly impossible. If you’ve ever felt creatively blocked, scattered, or exhausted before you even start making work, this episode will help you understand why.

In the final part of the episode, we shift from problem to practice. Using the 9 characteristics of a flow state, we walk through how to intentionally set up a creative session that supports immersion, presence, and momentum—so you’re not waiting for inspiration to strike, but creating the conditions for it to emerge.

This episode is an invitation to protect your attention, reclaim your focus, and reimagine what sustainable creativity can look like in a noisy world.

If you have thoughts, questions, or want to continue the conversation, email me at sufferingforartpodcast@gmail.com.

To step fully out of distraction and into deep creative restoration, learn more about the Artist Recharge Retreat here:
👉 link