December Creative Chaos Newsletter

Welcome to the first official edition of Savi’s Creative World News. This will be your monthly backstage pass to exhibitions, book launches, and viral trends, all filtered through a lens of sass and sparkle. December may be all about peppermint lattes and cozy feels, but the creative world never sleeps and is always buzzing with confessional books, exhibitions, and chaos. Let’s unwrap it all quickly in case you missed any of it.

Creative Exhibition Spotlight

Immersive Van Gogh returns for the holidays. The “Starry Night” experience has started to pop up across the United States like the Starbucks of exhibitions. It’s endlessly replicated but still drawing crowds. This December, it’s less about reverence and more about capturing the perfect selfie or social media shot while drowning in digital brushstrokes. The funny thing about all this, Van Gogh couldn’t sell a painting in his entire lifetime but now his work is a hot take and a hot ticket. Here’s the link to see if it’s anywhere in a city near you. Van Gogh Exhibition: The Immersive Experience

Winter Lights at the Detroit Institute of Arts is another immersive experience entailing chaos. Forget reverence, this show is basically the Olympics for whoever gets the craziest selfies. It has neon tunnels, mirrored snowflakes, and people dressed like walking ornaments. It’s bright, fun, and an experience to remember. The real art isn’t on the walls for this exhibition, it’s about experiencing them. Although there’s no date for it yet, year after year it aligns with the other events going on downtown. Last year it was a part of Meadow Brooke and was magical.

Globally TeamLab’s Tokyo “Resonating Trees” is having a huge resurgence on TikTok after its big expansion at the beginning of the year. Some say it is the most popular spot to visit when in Tokyo for creatives and content creators alike. TeamLab Planets Tokyo is an immersive digital museum in Toyosu that recently expanded to new interactive zones like “Athletic Forest” and “Future Park”. “Resonating trees” however remains arguably its most iconic experience. Imagine a forest of illuminated trees that responds to human movement, pulsing with colors as people walk by. It’s perfect in December because it’s very much a show of a futuristic holiday season. It’s not a performance of tech, but more a choreography of visitors wandering around the exhibit turning the forest into a stage. Here’s the link to see what I’m talking about and to buy tickets. Resonating Trees | teamLab

Book Buzz

December Memoirs and fictional madness are set to be released all throughout December. Here are just a few to highlight and maybe think about trying.

The Day I Lost You by Ruth Mancini. Release date December 2, 2025. It’s a twisty thriller about a missing child and buried secrets. It’s perfect for your hot mess memoir commentary. Although not technically a memoir the way it’s written in a raw confessional tone, it mirrors the chaos trend.

Friends And Liars by Kit Frick. Release date December 2, 2025. This one is about four estranged friends who are trapped in a deadly game at a luxe Italian estate. It’s very much suspense dressed up like a diary of dysfunction.

The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea. Release date December 2, 2025. A romance between a secret writer and the Prime Minister’s bodyguard. Its glossy, dramatic, and tailor made for your “I need a hot romance” needs.

Everyone in the Group Chat Dies by L.M. Chilton. Release date December 9, 2025. A TikTok true-crime investigator stumbles into a serial killer mystery. This feels like it was born from viral chaos so if you love those true-crime channels, this one’s for you.

Washing My Mother’s Body by Joy Harjo. Release date April 2025. Although this was released earlier this year, I thought it needed a mention. It’s a deeply personal, illustrated poem honoring Harjo’s late mother. It’s extremely raw and very intimate. It’s heartbreaking and devotion all wrapped into one. 

This one is likely to be a touchy subject but with the crazy arguments over AI poetry and singers going on, on all social media platforms I wanted to dive into that realm just a little bit and see what I thought. The debate doesn’t seem to be about quality so much as it’s about ownership. Is creativity a human only club or can tech AI join too?

The Bot and I by Jan N. Alleman. Release Date June 2024. It’s a collaboration between a poet and AI. It explores what happens when tech writes a verse vs human. Honestly, it’s not very easy to tell the difference, which might be the scariest thing of all. I just know a poet is side eyeing me right now.

TikTok Trend Tracker

My favorite TikTokers lately are all over the place. My current obsession is letsjazzitup. Jazz creates the most magical journals I’ve ever seen. She crafts them out of her own handmade paper and leather-bound covers. They have a medieval mystical vibe that makes me want twenty of them. Her page is so engaging because she vlogs her weekends selling at craft and renaissance fairs. Most recently she built a permanent booth for the big downtown D.C. Christmas market where people from all over the country go for Christmas shopping. It’s fun to watch her set up her booths, but she’s extremely engaging. Each fair she sets up these goals that she wants to accomplish. She has a realistic goal and then what she calls a delulu aka delusional goal and you end up rooting for her the whole time. For the D.C. Christmas Fair she announced her goal is to make $88,000 in 33 days. She also breaks down the cost of travel to the fairs, booth costs, booth set up, overnight accommodation, etc. It’s worth a watch.

My favorite trend this December is 1000% the angel tree shopping vlogs. Although there’s a big debate about it being performative, I couldn’t care less. They’re using their platform and money for good and if they’re going to be performative about something, doing good like this is what’s important and should be taken advantage of. Go check out my absolute favorite, Serena Neel, who goes above and behind with emotional support animals and prosthetic shoes. James Charles, who although controversial, is fun to watch help so many families with so much excitement. Also, JustKass, Becca Bloom, Bella Woodard, and others are even finding senior angel trees around the country.

Creative culture right now is about creating memories, indulging in cozy, and the time to give. Exhibitions are stages to create memories, books are getting lost in a world of chaos, and TikTok is like the world’s loudest gallery. December reminds us that chaos can be couture, sequins are options, boundaries are mandatory, and commentary is guaranteed. See you in January for more glitter in the gossip of the creative world.