Hello beautiful,

Whether you are in a romantic place in life or not, I hope you feel loved in so many ways! I've missed you and feel we have much to catch up on.

Self-love, friendship old and new, mentorship, family and chosen family love, I believe it is the most important thing, so it touched my heart to hear the resounding message in Bad Bunny's Superbowl 60 halftime show, among other powerful stories it told.

"The only thing more powerful than hate is love." - Bad Bunny

Happy Year of the Fire Horse if you celebrate (what a powerful image for the year is that?), merry Karneval, which here in Cologne is going strong, and Ramadan! Got my first flu of the year personally, so fortunate to be being nursed back to health and hopefully be fit enough to partake in a bit of the action this weekend (we have a neighborhood parade and party planned).

Looking forward to National Eating Disorders Awareness Week February 23 - March 1, you'll be seeing more from me and other collaborators soon, if the issue speaks to you I hope you will join me! International Women's Day is just ahead, then the Spring Equinox and Easter, an absolute favorite time of year, and my ballet students' first performance of "The Nutcracker," such an important part of my own dance education at WHDT and UNCSA, it's magical to get to share this show with them and their families. It's a full and exciting time of the year, what will you be getting up to?

Other creations, recommendations, and questions for you are:

Listening:

• My Koeln Karnival Karmelle playlist on YouTube is just the start of a collection of personal favorite classics and related goodies
• Adaptations of Prokofiev's score like this one, Ballet Class with Romeo and Juliet by Angela Yoffe, provide romantic accompaniment to technique classes
• Melissa Czarnik, one of my favorite conscious rappers, released "Garden of Eve"
• Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Minneapolis"
• Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, Green Day, and the other musicians who accompanied the Superbowl delivered outstanding performances, I thought

Reading:

• ​Twenty 26s in 2026: Analog Project Planning & Action Tracking, Creative Bullet Journal Style article details my projects and tracking that I've set up so far in my Annual Book (with video flip)
• ​December was a Bender of Creation, Celebration & Rest – 2025 Month 12 & Quarter 4 Reflection article summarized the last month of the year (yes, Q4 and annual review, January and more on the way...)
• In my Pluck Luck in 2026 – Word / Intention of the Year article I shared my Word of the Year and how I will be present to it to create Being and action
• ​Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher I believe I heard recommended as a cozy winter read on YouTube, and is my first book by the author, but now that I've met some of their dear and interesting characters and I am looking forward to more (and already have one or two on hold with my library!)

Viewing:

• ​December Flip & Favorites - Review, Reflect, Refresh - Creative Bullet Journal of​a Teaching Artist video on YouTube
• ​Winter Currently Inked Fountain Pens 2026 - Colorful Writing Utensils - what I'm writing with & on video on YouTube a very chatty and chaotic, writing-utensil nerdy over three-quarters of an hour of writing with and talking about my currently inked pens. Also the papers I'm writing & sketching on currently
• ​Bad Bunny's Superbowl 60 Halftime Show moved me to dance and to tears with messages of culture, community, self-love, passionate dancing and music, particularly enjoyed hearing stories of inclusivity/equity, such as ​Super Bowl field cast ​and delighted ​Gays watching the halftime show​​
• Oh yeah, and the game itself pleased my formerly-fairly-avid-Seahawks-fan self​
• The "Satiri" contemporary Italian contemporary dance concert was an incredible free concert that I'm glad a friend turned us on to, a splendid duet with live cello and a fantastic mask
• Went to the cinema with friends for the "Lesbian Space Princess" Australian animated sci-fi musical and found the film and audience both delightful
• The "Romeo & Juliet" Ballet Balcony Pas de Deux and Juliet's variation from The Royal Ballet are swoonworthy
• "The Sex Lives of College Girls" series from Mindy Kaling is comedic, but has more depth than at first appears
• The FINAL season, number 10, of the "Queer Eye" series takes place in Washington, DC and gave me so much hope at the start as well as at the teary end
• Just started the "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" series
• Ela got me into the "1883" miniseries series that takes place on the Oregon Trail, whoa just as intense as I had imagined it might be
• The NEW "The Muppet Show" episode lightened my mood in the midst of my first illness of the year, will have to adjust to Kermit's new voice but still hope they make more

Practicing:

• Moving into my new Annual Bullet Journal which I share in my 2026 Annual Book Set Up - Twenty 26s & Creative BuJo Project Collections Migration video, setting up my Collections so far, including Twenty 26s in 2026 and creative challenges, a place to record actions taken in each of these areas as well as organize longer-term planning, goals, brainstorm, and keep memories
• Beating the Winter Doldrums like Haley Post who is "going through it" How I'm getting through the winter blues and Sarah Anthony's Cozy guide to surviving winter​
• Celebrating Karneval and the gradually shifting seasons
• Healing from being ill (take care of your immune system!)

Practicing Together LIVE / Adult Movement Classes:

• Online Yogalicious Gentle Yoga. 7-8:00pm CEST Tuesdays (8-9:00am HI) provides a delicious mindful movement feast which balances strength, balance and coordination for mind, body, and spirit and is adaptable to all levels and conditions (English)
• Online Balletlicious Adaptive Ballet Barre+, 7:30-8:30am CEST Fridays (Thursday p.m. HI) is CANCELLED tomorrow 13.Feb for Karneval & wellness, RETURNS next week 20.Feb, consists of mostly supported barre exercises with a little dancey centre work, building a strong, body-friendly, and graceful foundation for dance at home or anywhere in the world (English)

Inquiring:

• What do you love?
• Do you choose a Word of the Year?
• Which media support your goals and mental health, which not?
• What are you making?
• How's your 2026 rolling so far?

Gladly share your response to the questions above or provide other updates by replying to this email.

Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and keep moving mindfully!

Love, Blythe

Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties
and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life

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