# My practice in 2025 & Beyond December 31, 2025 · creative-practice, personal-update, bookmaking, printmaking Canonical: https://www.romellogoodman.com/writing/my-practice-in-2025-beyond Originally published: https://mellogood.substack.com/p/my-practice-in-2025-and-beyond --- Painting saved me, but I can’t say I loved painting. I painted because I needed to. What I really loved, what I love, is having-painted. That was the high. Making something that would never have existed in the entirety of humanity had I not been there at that specific moment to make it. -[Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/139400713-martyr) This has been the biggest shift in my practice this year: I fell in love with the after-making. I’ve spent a large amount of time examining my work, explaining it to others, and reflecting on what it means to me. Giving the Scrimshaw lecture at the beginning of the year put me into this mindset, and it’s been lovely to sit in it. This year my practice expanded to include artist books and zines, paper reliefs, a new art stack, and so much more. I feel more confident than ever in my ability to make art and express my ideas. Reading back on past year-end reflections, it’s fun to realize that each year I spill words to write about the same thing: wanting to make more work, and figuring out the artistic systems I need to put in place to achieve that desire. For the next year my intention remains the same. I hope to make more work. I hope to make bigger work. And I hope to find people who connect with my work. No need for a musical reference this year about being a conductor and orchestrating a practice. Just a wish said plainly and released into the world. Past years: [2021](https://mellogood.substack.com/p/my-practice-in-2021-and-beyond), [2022](https://mellogood.substack.com/p/my-practice-in-2022-and-beyond), [2023](https://mellogood.substack.com/p/my-practice-in-2023-and-beyond), [2024](https://mellogood.substack.com/p/my-practice-in-2024-and-beyond) ### Graphic of the year ![](https://imagedelivery.net/BtaYDmQqPcGi8C3w4F2NuA/7a8266c1-3c9d-4394-a7f9-b1aa934b0e00/public) Untitled, 2025. 11x14 inches. Ink on translucent overlayed on-top of Risograph Ink ### Book Superlatives Most likely to live up to the hype: [Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/139400713-martyr) Most likely to please the book club: [The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65678550-the-heaven-earth-grocery-store) Most likely to make you think: [Fantasy by Bruno Munari](https://www.inventorypress.com/product/fantasy) Most likely to make you cry - [Clementine, Book 3 by Tillie Walden](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207297161-clementine?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=PgPi8afHVT&rank=1) Most likely to expand your practice - [Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.: Citizen Printer by Letterform Archive](https://letterformarchive.org/shop/amos-paul-kennedy-jr-citizen-printer/) Most Visually Stunning (Tie) - [Absolute Man Hunter by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230528318-absolute-martian-manhunter-vol-1) and [The Power Fantasy by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard](https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/the-power-fantasy) Best New Series (Tie) - [Absolute Man Hunter by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230528318-absolute-martian-manhunter-vol-1) and [The Power Fantasy by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard](https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/the-power-fantasy) Best Reread - [Finna by Nate Marshall](https://www.google.com/search?q=finna+by+nate+marshall&oq=Finna+by+Nate+Marshall&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyBwgBEC4YgAQyCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMg0IBhAAGIYDGIAEGIoFMg0IBxAAGIYDGIAEGIoF0gEHMjMxajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) Best Marathon Read - [Tsubasa by CLAMP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsubasa:_Reservoir_Chronicle) ### Best of Non-Books Music Video - [THAT GUY - Tyler the Creator](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0qiZHV4E3U) Song - [Dr. Britt Baker - Westside Gunn ft DJ Drama](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDyTYkui8i4) Album - [Let God Sort Em Out - The Clipse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veSg0RjgbX4) Artist of the year - Westside Gunn Newsletter - [Garbage Day](https://www.garbageday.email/) Podcast - [Articles of interest](https://articlesofinterest.substack.com/) Movie - Weapons Game - Hollow Knight: Silksong TV Show - The Studio -Mello P.S. ![](https://imagedelivery.net/BtaYDmQqPcGi8C3w4F2NuA/e821299a-3f32-48f6-7323-05654097d400/public)