How’s 2026 going?
…I feel a little guilty.
I wrote a post here and here about how excited I was for 2026, and how optimistic I am for it…and then right from the get-go 2026 has been insane.
I try really hard not to be overtly political when I teach or when I am online, although if you look at my social media behavior in terms of what I like or share, you could probably figure it out. But I never come outright and say anything specifically because I’m scared to. I’m scared of repercussions. I’d like to be able to continue to teach and write for the rest of my life, and in our current climate, saying the wrong thing can potentially wreck at the very least your career.
So…I’ll just say this… WTF, 2026? Here’s a video recapping the first week of 2026 alone.
Now, I admit, due to time constraints I did not watch this video in its entirety. I tried to clip it through YouTube but it kept only keeping 30 seconds of it. So, if you want to see the part that I find relevant, please watch from the beginning to 3:07. The video is over 15 minutes long otherwise. Feel free to keep watching, but the part that I personally identify with is at the beginning until 3:07.
I haven’t personally investigated everything in Alex Wei’s video (I’ve heard mixed things about the Somali childcare thing in Minnesota, so I need to look into that more), but he seems like a pretty calm and even-handed host and much of what he said in that 3-minute excerpt is how I am feeling right now.
So…how can I maintain this bouncy bunny optimism when the world (and my country) is falling apart around us, and how do I keep creating art?
Because…based on things with the trilogy, and with NetGalley and reviewing, and the fact that my adjunct professor job restarts next week…I feel really good, and really grateful. But I want to put my foot in my mouth for believing with my full chest that 2026 is going to be awesome when some ginormous, history-making events (and potentially more) are happening.
Here’s some articles I looked up to help fellow optimists and artists in trying times:
NPR consulted its readers and asked them, “What’s your secret to staying optimistic in gloomy times?” And there are a lot of answers.
In this article by Mental Health America, the main question is, “How can I be ok when the world is terrible?”
I typed in Google’s search, “I feel guilty for being happy when the world is terrible” and one of the top hits was this Guardian article that argues that it’s important to feel sympathy, but not limited to moments of pain.
“How to Cope with Happiness Guilt” is an article dating from the height of the COVID pandemic, which was horrible all on its own, but there were other equally awful things going on at the time that made someone feel guilty for announcing the good news of a pregnancy. If you’ve ever felt guilt for being happy (I’m raising my hand high), check this article out.
“On Making Art in the Bad Times” is a short examination of suffering and art. It’s written by DongWon Song, a prolific literary agent who represents authors like Chuck Tingle.
This is a ten-year-old article from author Chuck Wendig (who, if you read his stuff, has a memorable and distinctive author’s voice). Even though it’s old, it was still written during a tumultuous time in the US, and the suggestions as to what to do to endure as an artist in the bad times is still sound.
…And if you’re interested in more long-form writing that talks about making art (specifically writing) in awful times, prolific speculative author Charlie Jane Anders wrote an entire book called Never Say You Can’t Survive: How to Get Through Hard Times by Making Up Stories. (Read details on it here).
Readers, did you/do you feel optimistic about 2026 despite the madness of the first few weeks?
Kristina Elyse Butke 
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