Non Traditional Holidays: Your Way

 Non Traditional Holidays: Your Way

Polaris is waiting for her Christmas Stocking

The holidays don’t have to follow a script. Embracing non traditional holidays your way is a powerful way to find serenity during what can often be a stressful season. When you step away from expected routines and create celebrations that truly resonate with you, it opens the door to peaceful, heartfelt moments. Whether it’s quiet evenings, small gatherings, or unique personal rituals, your holiday can become a sanctuary of calm and connection — a season redefined on your terms.

Sometimes, holidays can feel overwhelming or not quite right. That’s why it’s important to give yourself permission to celebrate in a way that brings peace, not pressure. Sometimes that means spending a holiday evening with a good book and a warm drink. Other times it means inviting a couple of close friends over for a simple dinner — nothing fancy, just real connection. On other days, comfort comes from quiet moments and taking a long walk in the fresh air. And you know what? That’s enough. That is peace.

What’s most important is realizing that holidays don’t have to look like anyone else’s. You can create your own traditions. You can protect your heart. And if you need to, you can spend them quietly — with your favorite music, a movie, maybe a pet curled up nearby — and no expectations from anyone else.

Many people share the holidays with family, friends, or beloved pets. It’s not always loud or flashy, but it can be full of creativity, gentleness, and time to reflect together.

Now, my wife and I share the holidays with our son, our beloved cats. It’s not always loud or flashy, but it’s ours. We’ve built our own kind of celebration — full of creativity, gentleness, and time to reflect together. And yes, plenty of purring too.

That’s why the Holidays Bring Serenity series was created — peaceful, comforting videos for anyone who needs a softer kind of holiday season.

If the holidays have ever been hard for you, please know: You’re not alone. And you’re allowed to celebrate them your way.

We’d love to hear from you! Please let us know how you make your own holidays special. Your story might inspire others to find peace and joy on their own terms.

🎄 Watch one of our calming holiday videos, and let serenity find you this season.

A Very Merry Christmas (Christmas Music)

National Day of Prayer

The Shy Artist: Learning Art to Help a YouTube Channel

The Shy Artist: Learning Art to Help a YouTube Channel

I don’t want my identity known. I make art because I want to—not to be famous or well known. I create art for Serenity of the Mind because I enjoy helping the content creator.

I started with colored pencils but found they didn’t translate well once digitized. It took a lot of time to build concentrated color, and the colors often behaved strangely on YouTube. Here is the first piece I did for the Serenity of the Mind YouTube channel:

Sleep: Serenity of the Mind – Restful Abstract Art and Music for Fast Sleep

The First Drawing: Neurographic Art for Serenity

The very first artwork I created for Serenity of the Mind was in the style of neurographic art. This technique involves drawing flowing, intersecting lines and gently rounding all sharp corners. It’s knowfor being calming and meditative—helping both the artist and viewer feel more at peace.

Creative Paula introduced me to this method. She explained that the process of softening hard edges is symbolic—turning mental tension into connection and harmony. I found it a perfect way to reflect the idea behind Serenity of the Mind—easing stress, embracing flow, and encouraging emotional healing through gentle, organic art.

Here is the YouTube channel for Creative Paula: Creative Paula on YouTube

Unlike Creative Paula, who is a great artist with galleries, I animated the neurographic art and set it tomusic so it “danced.” I felt this would help people relax and fall asleep.

Circle Art

Sleep: Serenity of the Mind: Otherworldly Dreams was inspired by circle art. Because it was difficult to get saturated colors with colored pencils, I decided to make the backgrounds with watercolor. That’s when I learned that not all watercolor paints are created equal—I needed to invest in better-quality paints.

In this watercolor animation, I used colored pencil for the circles. Making the circles saturated enough to appear well on the platform was challenging—it took a week to complete the circles. I also had to learn how to use Kdenlive to animate them. 

However, because I missed a detail while drawing, some of the circles showed parts of the background unintentionally. Partial circles moved around along with the whole circles. You can see what I mean here: 

Sleep: Serenity of the Mind: Otherworldly Dreams

Why Cheap Watercolors Don’t Work

Here is another video that illustrates why cheaper watercolors don’t deliver professional results. The green beans and greens were supposed to be green but came out muddy brown. These were labeled “professional” but were an off-brand.

Thanksgiving Music Video: Music to Relax to

We also learned something important about titling videos on YouTube. This video was primarily a watercolor painting with music, so it should have been titled “Thanksgiving animated watercolor with music” and placed under YouTube’s Film and Animation category. Proper titles and categories help prevent content claims.

Improving with a Watercolor Class

Unsatisfied with my watercolor results, I took a Craftsy class: Startup Library: Painting With Watercolors.

Instructor: Kateri Ewing

I learned a lot about watercolor papers, brushes, and most importantly, which paint brands yield professional results. I purchased Daniel Smith watercolor tubes, and here is the result. Even Paul Clark on YouTube said he liked it—I had been learning from him as well. I appreciate his loose, calm painting style.

You can purchase Daniel Smith watercolors in tubes or pans here (not an affiliate link, no commission—just to help readers):

Daniel Smith Watercolors

Final Watercolor Animation

Sleep: Serenity of the Mind: Tranquil Twilight for Deep Sleep

The colors came out beautifully, and I managed to animate it fairly well.

Next time, I will discuss the difficulties of animating art.

Thank you very much for reading. Please subscribe to the channel @serenityofthemind and follow this

blog for more.

The Problem with YouTube

 The Problem with YouTube

Newest Cat Compilation – Funny Cat Compilations: Crazy Cats #shorts

Our latest short is up! 🐱🎉

This video showcases just how YouTube’s algorithm change has impacted small creators like us.

Watch below:

It only received 562 views (formerly called reach) and 305 engaged views (formerly just views). Since

YouTube’s major policy change in July 2025 and the algorithm change starting March 31, 2025, we’ve

seen steep drops in visibility and engagement.

How YouTube’s Algorithm Change Hurt Our Channel 

Before the March 31 update, we were doing much better. One of our most successful Shorts was

📺 Funny Cat Compilation: Cats in Trouble #shorts

d

This video received:

6,300 views

51 new subscribers

803 likes

But after YouTube’s policy change in July 2025 and the algorithm change reclassifying metrics, we lost

visibility and couldn’t see what used to be called reach. Now only one number is shown, and our numbers took a hit.

Other Problems We Faced   

We also endured issues unrelated to algorithm or policy changes:

We received a content strike because YouTube’s automated Content ID system mistakenly

flagged the Koran being read in Oromo as piano music.

Someone stole our avatar, causing our channel to become hidden in searches. YouTube

eventually fixed it after we complained, but by then we had changed our avatar—and stabilized

our channel visibility.

During that period, this Short: 📺 Funny Cats: Cat Compilation #shorts

Received:

607 engaged views

613 total views

Every disruption can reduce reach and engagement, making it harder to grow.

The July 15 Disaster: YouTube Content ID Claims 

On July 15, 2025, YouTube enforced one of its most devastating updates: it began issuing claims on

Audio Library music. They had previously told creators that YouTube Audio was safe. Three years ago,

we trusted it.

Suddenly:

We got 50 content claims.

One video had 5 minutes of ambient wind claimed, even though it was self-recorded.

The fallout:

📺 Funny Cat Compilation: Cats Being Cats #shorts

This video dropped to:

62 views

28 engaged views

If you want to know how to protect a YouTube channel, this is a key lesson: without proper licensing,

there’s no recourse.

What We Learned – Advice for Small Creators

Because of all this, here’s how to protect your channel going forward:

Use licensed music vendors like TunePocket or Artlist—they give you formal licenses you can

use if YouTube issues a Content ID claim.

Use licensed sound effect vendors too. Without a license, even original recordings (wind, street

noise, birds) can get flagged under Content ID.

Remember: Without a formal license, you have no legal standing with YouTube.

If you want to learn more about how to protect a YouTube channel in 2025—especially after the

algorithm shift and policy changes—we can help walk you through it.

What’s Next?

We’ll start publishing our Shorts here on the blog too, so even if YouTube hides our avatar or limits our

account visibility, you can still enjoy our videos.

Meta Description (for Blogger sidebar or SEO settings):

Discover how the 2025 YouTube algorithm and Content ID changes have affected small

creators. Learn how to protect your channel, deal with claims, and understand recent policy

changes including those from July 2025.

Emily’s Favorite Food: What to Feed a Picky Cat That Won’t Eat

Emily is a very picky eater—she's been that way since she was a kitten. It's always a challenge to find something she'll actually enjoy, and if she doesn't like it, she'll refuse to eat. If you're dealing with the same struggle, you might be wondering what to feed a picky cat that won't eat. 

We were lucky to discover a solution: wet cat food that picky cats love. Emily absolutely adores Weruva Cats in the Kitchen wet cat food. Below is a video of her enjoying Kitty Gone Wild, a salmon-based canned food that she eats with enthusiasm.

Emily’s Top Picks 

These are the wet cat foods that won Emily over.

Weruva “Cats in the Kitchen” Lamb Burgini 

Weruva “Cats in the Kitchen” Kitty Gone Wild – Wild Salmon

 Mideast Feast – Grilled Tilapia in Gravy

 If you have a picky kitty, these might work for you too. They're Emily Cat approved and definitely fall into the category of wet cat food that picky cats love. Sometimes, since she’s such a queen, Emily gets tired of her favorites. We rotate her options now and then, and she always comes back to these top picks—but that’s a story for another post.

Full Disclosure: We don't have an affiliate account with Amazon, so we don't make any money from these links.  We're just sharing Emily's favorites to help other picky cat owners!

Cats in the Kitchen Lamb Burgini

link to Amazon Lamb Burgini

Kitty Gone Wild - Salmon

link to Amazon Kitty Gone Wild- Salmon

MidEast Feast

link to Amazon MidEast Feast

MidEast Feast

Meet Emily – Our Beloved Family Cat

 Meet Emily – Our Beloved Family Cat

Emily is more than just a pet — she’s the heart of our home. As an old cat now, she’s been with us

through so many changes. Though we’ve had to say goodbye to several of our furry companions, Emily

stayed right by our side, always steady and full of love.

She’s truly a beloved cat, especially to our son, who’s now 24 years old. When Emily was born, he was

just three, gently carrying her around in his little hands. That sweet bond never faded.

Emily is a tiny thing — just about 8 pounds — and always needs an extra-small coat to keep warm. But

don’t let her size fool you. She’s a fearless jumper, once leaping to the highest spots in the house, and she

remains the queen of our clowder. Even when younger cats joined our home, she made it clear she was the

alpha.

Emily loves to wear costumes! Here she is in her many costumes, showing off her playful and charming

personality

But Emily isn’t just bold — she’s also nurturing. She helped raise every kitten who came into our family,

showing motherly care and calm authority.

True to her royal nature, Emily is incredibly picky. If she doesn’t like the food, she simply won’t eat — no

matter how hungry she is.

Still, her favorite spot is right beside our son. Emily is his cat — devoted, loyal, and full of affection. The

rest of us? Well... she politely tolerates us.

Watch Emily in her adorable costumes and see why she’s our family’s tiny queen in this special video!

We’re grateful every day for Emily — our tiny queen, our family cat, our forever friend.

 

We’re Considering an Amazon Affiliate Store — And We’d Love Your Input!

At Serenity of the Mind, we’re always looking for ways to support our channel, our blog, and, of course, our cats.  That’s why we’re thinking about opening an Amazon Affiliate Store linked to our blog and channel.

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 What Is an Amazon Affiliate Store?

An Amazon Affiliate Store is a place where we can share links to products we personally recommend — things we’ve used ourselves or that fit with our videos and blog topics.

When you click one of our links and make a purchase, Amazon gives us a small commission. It costs you nothing extra, but it helps us:

• Support our cats’ vet care 

• Buy art supplies for backgrounds and videos 

• Keep creating relaxing, fun, and helpful content for you

We’ll only ever link to items we trust, use, or truly like. 

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 What Would Be in the Store?

Our store would match the themes of our channel and blog:

 Cat Owners’ Items:
Cat collars, bowls, plates, clothes, treats, beds, toys, food, combs, brushes, plaque removers, over-the-counter meds, hairball remedies, mat shavers, claw clippers, raised feeders, slow feeders, no-tip water bowls, calming sprays — and more!

 Books About Cats:

• How-to guides (cat care, training)

• Stories of famous cats (Grumpy Cat, The Library Cat)

• Fiction series (The Cat Who, Warrior Cats for kids)

• Cat-themed cookbooks (How to Bake a Cat — don’t worry, just cat-shaped cookies and cakes!)

 Calming & Sleep Products:

• Yoga mats, meditation guides

• Calming teas, aromatherapy

• Books on relaxation and peaceful living

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 We’d Love Your Input!

We’re planning a poll and want to hear from you:

• Are you a cat owner looking for products for your cat?

• Do you love cats and want fun cat-themed items, mugs, t-shirts, or statues?

Your feedback will help shape the store!

Thank You!

Thanks so much for supporting our blog, our channel, and our cats. Every kind word, comment, and view means the world to us. We’ll keep you updated as we plan this new step!

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 Disclosure:

If we do open an Amazon Affiliate Store, we may earn a small commission from purchases made through our links. This helps us support our cats’ care, buy art supplies, and keep creating videos and blog posts you can enjoy — all at no extra cost to you.

Links to follow later.

 Our Channel and Blog Are Now on the Same Page!

Hello blog visitor,

Last month, we told you about the changes YouTube had us make to our channel banner and avatar. Well, we finally got around to updating the blog to match the channel!

Let us know in the comments if you like the new look.

We’re also getting closer to the 500 subscriber mark on our channel — and we couldn’t have done it without all of you. Thank you to everyone who has viewed, commented, and subscribed. Your support means the world to us.

Stay tuned — more to come!

– The Serenity of the Mind team

visit our channel at Serenity of the Mind or @serenityofthemind