I'm going to break from the regularly scheduled program as it were, for some reflective posting on the year. There are downsides to hating on an entire year, even when a lot of it may not be great. Everyone hated on 2020 so hard for obvious reasons, but I don't think it's a healthy trend to subscribe to for myself. Instead, I want to focus on some of the lessons learned and/or outlooks that I want to carry into the new year. I don't think this experience is unique to me or anything, so I would invite you to think of some of the things you want to carry with you into 2024.
Don't take health for granted. It's been a lesson that's been loud the last few years, one I want to continue carrying over .
Making art is something good for everyone to do regardless of how much it sells or appeals to anyone else. It's something I want to do, need to do, and will do. In this day and age, people are ready and willing to teach folks how to do anything for free.
Setting some goals and timelines for the year can help keep things focused. I did several 30-day challenges with Strada and one of them with friends! It was a lot of fun and a reminder that setting weekly, monthly, or annual goals can be useful but so is having a way to be held accountable for those goals.
Being creative is something best done with friends. I'm glad to have shared in creative endeavors with many people over the years and it's always something I will be motivated to keep doing. Collaborating is a joy.
The type of paper/surface can really make a difference! Do tests with different materials to see how things work. I have not done enough of this in my life, I hope to carry this habit into the future.
Get outside. Forget productivity, just get outside. Forget "bad" weather, just get outside.
Don't be afraid of the world and the people in it. Meeting strangers is the first step to making friends and the world needs more friends.
It's never too late to re-visit an idea or piece from the past. Reinventing something over time is fun and can become a different kind of investment in one's space. Form and function was the thing that Robin Jackson was big on. He's an artist who has specialized in ceramics, specifically because he is all about form and function. Recently, I had gotten some of his bowls but in the shipment, one of them broke, I treasure Robin's work so I didn't want to throw it away. Looking for an excuse to not throw it away, I revisited this thing I made for my living room. My apartment is sometimes has this weird sound issue. Things echo, some sounds are amplified. I repurposed some old cabinet doors with old corks in 2022 and put them in my living room to help absorb noise.
I have lots of paintings that don't amount to anything, but when transformed into different materials can be useful again. Put them together and I have a new and improved living room piece.
Just like that, a new piece is born! Thanks to all of you who have been following the blog and my work the last few years! You're appreciated and I wish you all a happy new year!
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