2025 Year in Review

As the calendar turns, the traditional thing to do is post a highlight reel—a polished summary of "wins" and "growth." But to do that today would feel like a lie.

This has been an extremely tough year.

On a global scale, the weight of the world feels heavier than ever. Personally, professionally, and spiritually, I’ve been pushed to edges I didn’t know existed. If I’m being completely honest, I’ve found my optimism depleted. I am not very optimistic anymore about much of anything. The world feels fractured, and the path forward often feels obscured by a fog of cynicism and exhaustion.

But in that space where optimism died, something else—something more honest—has started to grow. It’s a realization that while I cannot fix the world, I can change the way I inhabit it.

Changes at BRACE Design

For a long time, BRACE Design followed the path of "more." More production, larger runs, bigger reach. But I’ve found that the "more" has come at the cost of the creative spark that started this journey in the first place. I’ve spent more time managing processes I dislike than actually creating.

In 2026, things are changing.

We are moving away from large-scale production. Instead, I am refocusing on extremely limited scope projects. These will be smaller, more intimate, and deeply intentional. This isn't about "scaling up"; it’s about scaling in. It’s about returning to the craft and the joy of making something excellent without the crushing weight of mass-market demands. Of course, this unfortunately means I can't keep prices where they're at. Everything is getting more expensive, and custom design is also very expensive in itself.

The Internal Audit

This shift isn't just about business; it’s about an internal audit. I’ve been looking closely at what I actually enjoy doing versus what I do out of habit or perceived necessity.

• Process vs. Passion: I’m identifying the workflows that drain me and stripping them away.

  
  

• Faith and Integration: I’m looking at how to better my Christian faith and, more importantly, how to integrate it authentically into BRACE. It shouldn’t be a separate compartment of my life; it should be the foundation of how I create and how I treat the people I interact with.

  
  

• A Focus on Others: In a year where I’ve felt little hope, I’ve realized that the only way to find purpose is to look outward. I’m asking myself: How can I better help others? How can my work serve a community rather than just a market?

Moving Forward

I don’t have a catchy slogan for the new year. I don’t have a "five-year plan." I just have a commitment to being more present, more honest, and more selective.

I want to spend my time on things that matter, with people who care, in a way that honors my Creator. If that means BRACE Design stays small, then let it be small. I’d rather have a spark in a small room than a hollow fire in a cathedral.

Thank you for sticking with me through the dark. Let's see what the light looks like in the morning.

— Jeremy