2025 YEAR iN REViEW

Before I share my nerdy statistics with you, I want to sincerely wish everyone a very joyous holiday season filled with good health and peace of mind. I’m grateful to each and every one of you for continuing to follow me on this crazy journey called life!

For those who might be new here and for others who don’t remember, I had spine surgery on Christmas Eve 2024. It took months to return to some kind of a baseline post-laminectomy, which essentially forced me into taking an early retirement from outdoor shows.

At the same time, I was being treated for Bartonella, Babesia, Anaplasmosis & Borelia, and I’m happy to report that it appears I am in remission from all four tick-borne infections. (NOTE: If you’ve ever had a tick-bite with the tell-tale bullseye rash, you will save yourself a lot of time and energy if you seek help from Integrative Nurse Practitioner, Mary Beth Charno on Long Island. Trust me on this!)

In January, I picked my intention word for 2025 — THRiVE, and this year I did just that! It’s been a solid 12 months of rest & recovery, reconnection, renewal & reclamation.

And now, without further ado, it’s time to report my 2025 statistics.

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MY YEAR IN NUMBERS

3 – Shows/Festivals • In 2023, I participated in 24 shows. Last year, I still managed to eke out 13 shows, before being sidelined with that stinkin’ spine injury. And this year, I participated in three.

Just. Three.

The truth is I kinda saw this coming. Over the last few years, setting up my tent had become an increasingly difficult task, even with help — and in the end, I had to accept that fact that I simply cannot lift those 50-pound weights anymore. As a result, I participated in only a few events this year. I showed at The Purple Painted Lady Festival (my fave outdoor venue), the Annual Holiday Bazaar at the Rochester Museum & Science Center (my fave indoor venue), and I just did a little local pop-up event in Henrietta. I also hosted my 6th Annual End-of-Year Liquidation Sale virtually via ZOOM, joined by my friend Regina Barnello Wright who sold organic products from Lemongrass Spa.

As of right now, it is my intention to continue to show at RMSC. We’ll see how that goes.

5000+ – My memoir has sold more than 5,000 copies since its publication in 2021. If you still haven’t read my book, you can buy it here!

112 – Amazon reviews. I stopped nagging people about writing reviews the moment we reached 100! (But seriously, if you’ve read/listened to my book & have not yet left a review, it would be a gift to me if you’d write one and send it to me!)

18,111 – Combined followers on all social media outlets. Most follow me on my Rasjacobson Art Facebook Page.

2,087 – People on my mailing list. If you are seeing this, you are one of those people. (I’m actually surprised to see my list of subscribers increased by 94 this year because I typically obtain most of my new contacts from shows, and I hardly did any this year!)

105 – Unique pieces of artwork created this year. This is ½ of what I did last year. Part of this is because I had to slow down to take care of myself due to Lyme Disease & my back injury, but it is also because I leaned into my role as a Holistic Brain Health & Psych Medication Recovery Coach.

108 – Unique sales. Sales were down 30% due to missing so many shows — but every single thing I made this year sold, and I even managed to sell a few items that had been sitting around gathering dust.

49 – Best-selling item in 2024. Hands down, it was the anti-Trump ornaments I made in the 11th hour this year, right before the RMSC show. I made 50 of them, and I’m glad I kept one for myself.

0 – Private commissions. I said ‘no’ a lot this year. Hopefully, I will pick up a few in 2026.

681 – Number of  ZOOM Conversations I’ve had with Individuals Experiencing Psychiatric Medication Issues • Over the last 7 years, I’ve had many hundreds of conversations with people who have been injured by psych drugs. Tens of thousands identify as being harmed by SSRIs, benzodiazepines & antipsychotic medications, and I will continue to pull back the curtain to reveal what’s actually happening on this front. It’s my mission to spread awareness & to help grow a radical movement of holistic health consciousness. To the individuals who  shared their stories with me in 2025, I am honored and grateful.

79 – In-person art classes. This year, in addition to offering private classes to adults and children of all ages, as well as workshops to support ROCO’s 6×6 exhibit, I teamed up with my Naples Artist, Stephanie Sheedy to create a full year of assorted art workshops for women. Our monthly Creativity Circles met from 7-9pm in my Pittsford studio, and we had a great time meeting & getting to know so many interesting and multi-talented women.

We loved the experience so much that we are doing it again in 2026! If you’d like to join us, you can read more about our offerings & register for the year-long, monthly course HERE. Thru Friday, 12/12/2025, we’re offering Early Bird pricing.

40 – Online art classes. This year, I once again teamed up with my friend, psychiatric survivor & holistic health coach, Emilie Jordao, for CONARE: Expressive Art & Wellness, our online course which combines creativity with biohacking wellness modalities. Art classes are wrapping up for the year soon, but if you’d like to try a class, you can read more about it HERE & join us on 12/18 for just $25!

1– Interview • I did just one this year for The Protracted Withdrawal Podcast. You can find it HERE.

3 – Blog posts. I only posted 3 times this year. Part of this is because I started using Mail Chimp which creates prettier posts in a more user-friendly interface, which is probably why I used it to send out 30 short email campaigns. The other reason I didn’t post much on the blog is because I leaned into Tiktok & started posting informational videos HERE.

0 – Trips – Besides my usual trips to visit my parents in the 315 & a bunch of overnights with my bestie in Naples, NY, I went nowhere & saw no one. But I’m happy to say that after a two year hiatus, I’m looking forward to heading to Florida later this winter to reconnect with ‘The Wisconsins’ (Gary & Mary) and a few of my other friends down that way.

OTHER COOL NEWS in 2025

• My son proposed to his longtime girlfriend, and she said yes! The couple is now engaged and living happily in North Carolina.

• I added a 1/2 bath to my studio space, so people no longer have to traipse upstairs to use the lav. Thanks to Lesniak Remodeling for making the whole process smooth & easy from beginning to end.

• I’m back to Square Dancing twice a week, which is great for the brain & the body. If you’re local and have an interest in joining in on the fun, let me know. Instruction starts in September (just like the school year), and I’m happy to send you a reminder.

• I have a bunch of coals in the fire for 2026, and I can’t wait to tell you all about these exciting new developments! Stay tuned!

What were your great successes this year? What were your greatest challenges? I honestly want to hear about YOU!