45 | On creative re-entry

& why January feels so weird

Samantha Garner
January 15, 2026

Deadmedia shares monthly writing updates, folklore & history inspirations, and exclusive content from SF/F author Samantha Garner. Learn more here.

Hi everyone,

It’s mid-month but I’m still re-entering writing and researching, trying to keep the quiet spark of December. What helps: writing by hand more often than usual, thinking big even when it feels ridiculous. Also this:

Tarot & creativity

In 2026 I will finally finish a first draft of my literary fantasy novel Corrode the Song. It's been over three years now since I've started it and a lot has changed behind the scenes in that time. The shape and feeling of the story are still there, but I need to reacquaint myself with its new realities. I'm starting out by making some notes on how to tweak the current outline to fit.

One of first orders of business was doing a tarot reading to help me generate ideas, asking things like “how could [secondary character] influence Aurin’s story?” and pulling three cards to represent three ideas I can mull over.

Six of Pentacles, Eight of Wands reversed, Eight of Swords reversed

This was something I started doing while writing The Quiet is Loud. I’d thought it would be thematically appropriate then as Freya is a professional tarot card reader — but it also turned out to be a fun way to explore different pathways I may not have thought of on my own. I’ve used tarot in this way with my writing since then, and it’s always a valuable part of my practice. If you’re a creative person yourself I highly recommend it!

I look forward to returning to Corrode the Song, and to sharing the creative re-entry journey with you.

PS, the bear rolls over:

New beginnings have been on my brain lately, for obvious reasons. I feel especially positive about this year largely because I spent my Xmas holidays thinking about my goals and making a vision board for the first time ever (surprisingly fun!). I know that Jan 1 is really just a day, but my recent Finnish culture/history research made that sort of thing sink in a bit more.

I’d wanted to tell you something mythical or historical about a new year, but of course in some societies the new year used to be more about autumn harvest. The Finnish word for January, “tammikuu,” translates to “oak month/moon” — but that word for oak is apparently newer, and “tammi” used to refer to a wheel’s axis or a core of something. Fitting, since the midpoint of winter happens in January (there’s even a Finnish proverb for it: “the bear rolls over”).

So maybe this explains why January can feel a bit like a weird liminal month — it’s pretending to be something it isn’t, forced into a role. It wants to be a hibernating bear but modern society demands it change our lives instead.

I want to hear from you!

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Talk soon,
-Sg.

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