Your invitation to tell us about 2022
And how some writers are already reflecting on the year
Somehow, we’ve (almost) reached the end of the year. Whether you’ve just posted on Medium for the first time or have been around these parts for a while, thank you. Your stories, perspectives, ideas, questions, and suggestions continue to shape what we’re building for readers and writers.
“Years” are constructs we collectively agree to believe in, but they’re useful for encouraging us to reflect (and celebrate). Here are some of the ways authors are using Medium to make sense of the year that was:
- Wikimedia is sharing some of the year’s best nature photography.
- The Towards Data Science editors are gathering their most insightful stories from throughout the year.
- Tom Whitwell is listing 2022’s best (and weirdest) trivia. (Did you know that fondue was popularized by the Swiss cheese cartel?)
- Writer and comic book creator Jude Ellison S. Doyle is chronicling the year in woke censorship.
- Writer and musician Hannah Jocelyn is explaining exactly what your favorite album of 2022 says about you.
- GIPHY is celebrating 2022’s most popular GIFs.
- Author Douglas Rushkoff will remember 2022 as the year tech bro lunacy took center stage, while essayist Savala Nolan is learning to appreciate silence.
Taking those stories as inspiration, we’d love to know: How was your year? What will you remember from this trip around the sun? What did you learn, how did you grow? If you weren’t already planning on it, here’s your invitation to publish a year-end retrospective on Medium. Think of it like your personal year in review, or a very public holiday card.
If you’re an expert in your field, tell us how it’s changing — like the Towards Data Science editors have done in here. If you’re using Medium to share your personal experiences, tell us about what it was like to be you this year — and be honest about it. How was your year, for real?
Here are a few optional prompts:
- 2022 in X, Y, or Z: Tell the story of 2022 through the lens of what matters to you, whether that’s “2022 in AI-Generated Art,” “2022 in Poetry,” or anything you care deeply about. Reflect on your industry or an aspect of your life. 2022 in bad dates? 2022 in getting covid (again)? 2022 in vibe shifts?
- The Best X, Y, or Z of 2022: Share the best books (or shows, podcasts, films, albums, etc.) of the year in your expert opinion, with commentary. Focus on a genre you know well, and help us discover a few new favorites.
- 2022 in One Word: Give the year a word, and use it as a lens through which to unpack this moment in time. What do you understand now (about the world, others, or yourself) that you didn’t understand 12 months ago? For instance, here’s Robert Roy Britt on why “permastressed” is his word of the year.
Share your post with friends, family, and fans. Tag it “2022,” and browse the tag page to read each other’s roundups. We’re featuring a selection of your stories in this list, on Medium’s homepage, and in our Daily Digest email.
From the entire team here at Medium, thank you for reading, writing, and sharing. Here’s to a holiday season filled with fascinating stories and ideas, and we’ll see you back here in 2023.
