Hello friends,

I hope 2023 has been wondrous for you and 2024 even better! 

Each year has been one of tremendous growth, as well as heartbreak and frustration, ever since I decided to focus on my writing and art. But the time has also brought me profound joy. Joy in learning so much every day. Joy in creating the stories that I’ve always wanted to exist. Joy in connecting with people. All despite the pain and vulnerability intrinsic to making art, art that I truly believe in.

But these past two years, I haven’t been able to connect with people as often as I would have liked. I finished writing my first novel in 2021, after nearly seven years of hard work, many revisions and drafts. (Yay!) Then I spent the next two years polishing my manuscript and querying agents, which took up more time, mental space and emotional work than I ever could have anticipated. And now as I’m coming to the end of that journey, I’m thrilled to be able to reach out once again and make more art! 

I know some of you have been with me from the early years of my blog and I’m so grateful for that. Thank you for sticking around! My old blog (www.alightcircle.com) no longer exists, but you can now find me here, www.paulinebaecker.com. As you’ve probably already noticed, I no longer use my initials (M.P.) but “Pauline”, a choice that feels right as I’ve grown more confident in my voice and storytelling.

However, this isn’t the end of alightcircle. @alightcircle is now my channel on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. There you can find videos of me making art (homemade, imperfect and eco-friendly) and sharing more of my writing. In my series “Book Tastings”, I shine a light on my favorite books with a unique book review that aims to appreciate not rate, giving a “tasting” of a particular book’s themes and aesthetics, rather than a critique or analysis. I also love to explore different places in the world and how they change over time, so in “Place Tastings” I share the feel of a certain place at different times in my life. And of course, I plan to tell you all about my debut novel and the journey to getting published!

Going forward into 2024, I want to explore paths that nurture resilience and abundance—often lesser known, untrodden. I want to celebrate the many truths that can coexist, regardless of their seeming contradiction. And I want to keep an open mind and a soft heart. Even as the world gets colder and harsher, no, because of it, I want to do the fun stuff now and cherish the beauty of life. I hope you will join me! 

Let’s party!
Pauline