According to one calendar, the year 2022 is already close to fading into the past and 2023 is quickly becoming reality. This reality, however, is prone to a large amount of baggage carried over from the previous year. New crises arose and older ones continue. It seems there is not much respite. To reflect this larger picture, IJCS issue 7.2 is closing out the year with a mix of cultural studies interventions. Several of them point out areas of longed-for and arguably necessary improvement while others demonstrate how individuals reflect on their own creative work in order to make it more relevant to social changes and their own journeys.