Hello 2026! Like 2025 and 2024, I have chosen the color and the word for the new year.
The Color
For 2026, I have chosen gold to be my color of the year.
From six difficult years to the present moment, I am seeking the light and learning to be more flexible. Gold, as element, mineral, and what it evokes, is the right color for me right now.
Gold, as a mineral, needs no introduction. But being a science gal, I’ll get into its details a bit. Its period table abbreviation is Au (from the Latin word for it, aurum), and its atomic number is 79. Learn more about the element gold from the Royal Society of Chemistry here. Gold is a precious metal, yellow, malleable, and of course prized by many throughout human history. It also evokes the sun and warmth. I think of it in terms of recognition and of an era: a Golden Age, Gilded Age, “golden years,” etc. And I think of it as something that never tarnish, but which can be polished until it gleams.
I knew 2026 would mark a new era for me in my various careers, particularly in writing fiction. This is one reason I wanted a subtle redesign of my website and socials, trading out the copper and purple for gold and dark blue accents. (And of course, I returned to being blonde after many years experimenting with various shades of red hair dye.)
The last six years shattered me: I lost several loved ones, my science writing career job faded away due to various restructurings and mergers in biotech, my fiction writing career met various odd roadblocks as I made the jump from self-published to traditional publishing, and there were several other difficult challenges. I tried many things and had many failures, or projects that just could not get off the ground. Much of this was related bad timing and having to deal with multiple crises all at once. I learned in real time how to compartmentalize better, and so I’ve come out of this with some strength. As it relates to gold, I bent, but did not quite break. Now begins the reshaping so that I can face things from a more malleable perspective.
Gold, as my chosen color for 2026, makes me look at what I’ve accomplished and helps me pivot to my own Golden Age, which I feel I am finally entering.
The Word
Artist Sam Marshall on Instagram began a tradition in which you pick a word for the new year. We’re all doing this again for 2026. I’ve chosen the word that represents how I want 2026 to go.
BUILD.
Build is my word for 2026.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary lists some of these definitions for the intransitive verb, BUILD:
- to engage in building
- to progress toward a peak (as of intensity)
- to develop in extent
I chose “build” for my word of the year because it represents expanding what I’ve already established, and growing from there in all aspects. This relates to my writing, my art, and my personal life. I’ll also build from an educational and social standpoint, learning new things, exploring new places, and meeting new people, both within and outside of my work. And of course, trying new foods! I’m looking forward to all of these.
The Color and the Word as Determination
Choosing the color and the word marks my own determination for guiding my year ahead. Gold and build represent this new phase of polishing this malleable life and career I have, and growing within and beyond what I imagine for myself.
Wishing you all growth and strength in the new year.
Write on!
Jendia
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