Nicole: How are you? No, really—how are you? If your year is already off to a chaotic start, you’re not alone. Not even two weeks in, and my socials are buzzing at me to do 75 Hard, lower my cortisol…I’ve already panic-bought every brand of probiotic yogurt on the shelf (wellness starts in the gut, right?)

zz:  I feel this. The start of the year always comes with so much noise—algorithms shouting at us to optimize everything, influencers telling us to meditate at 5 a.m (which apparently half of them are lying about?). "And we’re experiencing unprecedented weather like the frost moving through the south and unimaginable natural disasters like the devastating fires in LA. Not to mention the transition period following the presidential election adding extra layers of tension. It’s…a lot. 

Nicole: Exactly. There is a lot going on and conversations around “wellness” have gotten so complicated. Between algorithms and endless advice, it’s easy to forget that feeling good doesn’t need to follow a template.

zz: As we enter this new year, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to feel good these days. Not in a girlboss-green-juice way, but in the real, messy, sometimes-my-best-ideas-come-while-doom-scrolling-at-2 a.m. kind of way. I’m talking about those small, real moments that make up a creative life. You know the ones—when you lose track of time in your work, when an idea finally clicks, or when you find your rhythm after a scattered week.

Nicole: That’s why our next editorial theme, “The Art of Feeling Good,” isn’t about perfect routines or lofty self-care goals. It’s about finding what helps you feel okay in our fast-paced, fragmented world. Whether that’s feeling open to new ideas, alive with inspiration, refreshed after a hectic few days, balanced in your creative flow, or just fine in your daily grind.

zz: Over the next few weeks, we’ll be celebrating the many shades of “good” with a MAS-curated toolkit for anyone searching for wellness that feels as nuanced and flexible as they are. We hope you’ll join us.