::singing:: “It’s been awhile…” Yup, and frankly, I’m super lucky to be here. And grateful, and thankful. And I’ve learned a LOT of lessons from my experiences in the past year and a half. So grab your tea (or coffee, or wine, or daiquiri), and nestle on in.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

00:00 – Allow Me to Re-introduce Myself! What Happened in 2023? 01:16 – The last time I saw you, this is what I said my goals were. (aka, What happened to being a Dean?) (Apr-Jun 2023) 03:06 – 2023 Summer Fun! Travel. Cruises. Suntans. Horseback Riding. KAYAKING, which I now love! (Jun-Aug 2023) 06:20 – Then, I got sick. REALLY sick… then I got better… BECAUSE I LEFT MY JOB. (Oct 2023 – May 2024) And Now That We’re In 2024… 12:35 – Lesson Learned: Stress kills. It almost killed me, and never will again. Do NOT let it kill YOU.  15:55 – Gentle & Joyous Creation: My New Life Mantra, lol 21:20 – I stopped “doing”, and started “being” 22:14 – …but art is still very important to me. So is leisure and pleasure! 23:02 – My New Era! 26:16 – Colby’s “Ultimate Leisure & Pleasure Wish List”. Creating with no end goals, no end game. 33:25 – Being Creative Shouldn’t Be Painful. 38:04 – Saying Goodbye to Goals (mostly), and Hello to… Dumps (LOL! It’s not what you think!) 44:55 – “It’s a Beautiful Morniiiiiinn’….” – Controlling how chaotic the chaos makes you feel. 46:35 – Things I’m working on this week + I GOT A SCHOLARSHIP TO THE ROCABERTI WRITERS’ RETREAT IN EUROPE! I’ll be going to Spain in 2026! 49:14 – My Unsolicited Advice for All Artists 51:00 – I’m headed to Alaska next week!! WOOT! 52:10 – Colby, OUT!

MY 2024 “GOALS” SHORTLIST:

I DON’T HAVE ANY! Lol. I’m slowly stepping away from traditional goals (at an 90% level). But if you really need “a list”, here it is:
  • Leisure and pleasure.
  • Reading books.
  • Horseback riding.
  • Painting. Drawing.
  • Creative Writing. Gently. Joyously.
  • Writing books. Gently. Joyously.
  • Writing/developing TV shows. Gently. Joyously.
  • Fashion Design.
  • Filmmaking.
  • Working on my businesses. Gently. Joyously.
  • Playing more video games. WAY more. (Shout out to upcoming titles Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws!)
  • Journaling. Prayer. Reflection.
  • Sleeping and naps.
  • Tea time and coffee time.
  • Baking. Cookies. Brownies.
  • More kayaking!
  • Planning a farmhouse cottage. Spring colors. Flowers. Garden. Orchard. Greenhouse. Horses. Chickens.
  • Listening to Sade and summer cottage ASMR.
  • This wasn’t in the podcast, but maybe collecting more vinyls, too!

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

xo, Colby The Podcast: http://www.colbyrrice.com/the-epic-fantastical-journey-of-a-black-female-sci-fi-writer/ My Author Website: http://www.colbyrrice.com My Novels: http://bit.ly/ColbyRRiceAmazonAuthorPage Support the F’empire on Patreon: http://patreon.com/colbyrrice My FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/ColbyRRicePage/ My Twitter: https://twitter.com/ColbyRRice My Instagram: https://instagram.com/colbyrrice