Writer and educator Monna McDiarmid, a Canadian based in Yokohama, Japan, reflects on her shifting sense of belonging to the various places she’s lived in.

With humor and insight, Carol J. Pardun writes about the rare swallowing disorder she was diagnosed with — and what she’s learned from the process about herself and what she wants the next year to look like.

“We will not wake up with hangovers and crock pots full of black eyed peas and feel suddenly settled or resolved, there will be no obvious solutions to our problems. No matter how resolute we may be, the date on the calendar is not an enabler.”

“One of my resolutions is to get in the habit of writing more frequently, and part of that is learning to write shorter.”

We loved the rich texture in Dominique F. Cameron’s mixed media rendering of the fishmarket in Pittenweem, Scotland.

Peter, a Berlin-based photoblogger, shares his atmospheric shots of urban landscapes, musical performances, and odd objects on his site, .documenting.the.obvious.

Robert M. Ball is an illustrator, designer, and comic artist who creates an array of work for clients, from book covers to calendars to posters. He has a knack for producing images in popular culture, from his Beautiful Death series and Game of Thrones commissions.

Art, sketches, and images by Ali Dunnell, an artist, photographer, and teacher living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.