I am constantly reflecting on myself, my life, how I deal with situations. I think about how to be stronger, better, more confident. How to thrive, be sensitive, supportive—all of the things that I deem part of being a good person. I always return to the heart of who I am, to my values and beliefs, to make sure they are still in alignment with how I handle my day-to-day, personally and professionally. This year was a true testament to the processes that I have created for myself. I have constantly checked in with myself, asking, “Am I OK? How do I feel? What do I need? How can I do better?” I’ve reminded myself that no one is perfect, to take things in stride, to make changes where need be. I try to accept others as they are and really see them for who they are, as everyone is working through their own challenges.

This year began with a lot of questions, as we were still deep within the unknown of COVID. We were unsure of what was going to happen and how the world was going to feel in the foreseeable future. For me, staying centered was about staying true to myself and focusing on the micro—what I was creating, how I was caring for myself, the intentions I was setting about what I wanted to accomplish and the interests I was pursuing.

By March, the world was starting to shift and so was I. For me, this change in mindset was signified by a much-needed move to a new NYC home and then the addition of a Live The Process hub in California, for both work and play. It felt like company was heading into its next phase. Despite the fact that we originally founded it years before, I hadn’t been able to focus on it full-time until mid 2020. That’s when this passion project become my main event—less than two years ago. The growth we’ve experienced since has been truly humbling, despite the challenging climate. It just goes to show that when you put energy, hard work, care, passion and love into something, it can blossom, even against the odds.

LA was actually where we started Live The Process. One thing the pandemic has demonstrated is how futile it is to think too far ahead. So, this year, we’ve chosen to focus heavily on West Coast, which feels both daunting and right, as NYC continues to be our epicenter in many ways. Our collections have both evolved and grown, as has our creative vision and our concept of where we want to go, what we want do, and our spirit of evolution. It’s been about embracing the freedom of un-attachment, the notion that anything can happen and that going with the flow is positive.

Intuition has also been key in 2021, for building both our collection and editorial journal. We kept asking ourselves, “What else did we want to do and say? What ideas did we want to explore?” One result of that was our upcoming  podcast (coming in the new year!), which has been percolating in my head for a long time. Since day one, we’ve been sharing the heartfelt stories of so many inspiring and amazing people, so this seemed like a natural progression.

This is just one of the gifts this complicated and fraught year gave to us, as we’ve worked to navigate the future while staying in the present.

As the year progressed, life started to feel more normal and seeing people felt less stressful. It felt good to reconnect, however I felt like I had trouble finding places to convene in TriBeCa. So, in the summer, we began to entertain the idea of converting our studio into more of a community space—not really to define it, but just let it evolve.

First, we tested the concept in LA, curating several small gatherings at our house. It was so enjoyable and beautiful and intimate. People wanted to connect in this way more than ever, so we figured it out and have been in transition in creating what we feel is the NYC space that most represents our Live The Process ethos. It’s a work in progress where we’ll be slowly integrating conceptual experiences that feel linked to our spirit of exploration. Live The Process is really a direct reflection of where we’re at, where we’re going and what we feel is needed for us all, personally.

This coming year also arrives with questions. But it’s about learning, listening and truly living our truth of who we are and what we want to be. It’s about continuing to define and evolve our process, as it really is forever changing. Although building something like this can be grueling and stressful, I have found that something always happens to deliver that “aha” moment you need. It’s all worth it in those moments where someone falls in love with an item or a story or feels truly impacted beyond consumption. That’s when you feel you have to keep going; there is still more to do.

x Robyn