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2026: Following the Glimmers
If 2025 was a roller coaster, now I understand why the seats initially were wet. Sometimes, having a rag to clean your spot is better than bringing no towel at all.
Tim Nwachukwu & Nwachukwu Works
January 08, 2026
Table of Contents
2025 Reflections
Thank you for visiting in 2025 and hello in 2026! As the year wound down, I felt a mixture of gratitude and hope in the midst of so much that begs to differ. If change is the only constant in life, then its penumbra — the light/energy surrounding an object — must be made of uncertainty, discomfort, frustration, excitement, confidence and humility swirling at once. Those feelings are already being tested in the early days of 2026, but the last year showed something important: we have more control of our time and energy than at face value.
Nwachukwu Works had the opportunity to cover over 120 sports, news or feature assignments in 2025, the majority being available on the image wire. Groups including ESPN, NCAA Photos, the NBA, the US Tennis Association (via Drawbridge Digital), and The Trust (Powered by the NFLPA) commissioned NW for custom coverage. I had more time to reconnect with colleagues and also made great new acquaintances! Underneath those “wins” are stumbling blocks, countless cold calls and denials, reevaluations, working with strained or no finances, and other doubts. Osondi, owendi. |
At Nwachukwu Works, the coverage is intentional: to inform and intrigue viewers using considerate and factual journalism ethics. This is doubly important as an upstart independent outlet because, truthfully, the work or intentions may be scrutinized more harshly than larger-known entities. One needs to come prepared to defend the work and themselves with professional, civil standards. Sometimes that includes asking questions, listening to understand, or walking away. |
Going into 2026, I’m excited to move Nwachukwu Works a step further as a company and resource. 2025 was NW’s first calendar year in business, lending countless exposure and experiences. I look forward to increasing news — community and policy — coverage, deepening sports coverage, and amplifying the coverage NW and others are doing. I hope to partner with more newsrooms and media teams needing visual coverage, and to connect them with other colleagues.
Some of this was said in the Thanksgiving 2025 post and is important to remember (for myself, at least):
Independent work in any field converts an individual or group into custodians maintaining ownership, project management, and production. It exposes a lot about a person and the “why” propelling the work. It forces people to fully take inventory, reframe some things, shed others, and rebuild systems, all while in motion. This work shows the importance of building supportive communities, and rekindles the joy of supporting others doing helpful, important work. Without community, we’re merely loose connections fighting to protect our (perceived) fiefdoms.
I hope 2026 provides you some light and levity while wading in the muck, and sturdy ground once you’re out. It’d be great to help pull up someone else, too.
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