The daily quote from Blissfully Art Journaling (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Blissfully_Art_Journaling/) today is "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." - Lewis Carroll. Appropriate I think for my pondering and goal-setting for 2010. I did the journal page below yesterday. The artwork is Mary Engelbreit (from last year's page-a-day calendar that my sister saved for me). Mary Engelbreit's artwork inspires and makes me happy.
As you can see below, my calendar is blank. It just occurred to me how good that feels - a blank calendar - yet unfilled - possibilities, hope, promise... exciting, yet peaceful, uncluttered. I've been pondering goals for several days - growth being the main one -- what does that mean for me? Artistically? Spiritually? In Relationships? At Work?
Truthfully I don't know yet. I'm asking myself questions -- like: What do I want to look back and say that I've accomplished at the end of 2010?; Do I want to make a plan for my art - such as a drawing a day or a theme, as I've seen other artists do?; Do I want to make rules for myself or just go with the flow and enjoy the process?; Do I want to take a lot of different roads and wind up somewhere I didn't expect?
I've been learning to relax and enjoy life instead of striving and stressing to BE and to DO more and better. Not that we shouldn't have goals and want to do and be better, but there must be a balance, which I am trying to reach. So maybe my goal is balanced growth. I want a quiet spirit, peaceful - not stressed or frantic. A slower pace...I want to be okay with a slower pace.
During Christmas I had so many creative ideas and things I wanted to make and accomplish. I was stressed and tired in the end. Pleased with what I had accomplished, but knowing that next year I need to buy more gifts and make less, because December is my busiest month at work with the Christmas social for 500 employees to plan and pull off. Once that is over I am tired, drained even. And I need rest. Three months of planning the social, one day of hard work to pull it off, and then ... it's over and instead of diving into making Christmas presents, I need REST. Next year I want to plan ahead, maybe start in September or October and slowly buy my gifts carefully, thoughtfully. I ended up spending much more than I planned even though I did make a lot of the gifts. I just have this urge to spend money at Christmas. The media does that to us.
Anyway... what about you? What are your goals for 2010? Artistically and otherwise. Will you come up with a plan for your blog/art, or will you "go with the flow"? I want to know... so please leave me a comment... I'll let you know more about MY goals as the new year draws closer. In the meantime I will continue to ponder...
11 comments:
I know one of the things I plan to do in 2010 is to be involved in "A picture a day" also known as "Project Life" http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/
I have a "bucket list" of sorts of things I'd like to do/places I'd like to visit this year.
Hi Deborah,
Before I retired, I was a very busy counselor at a community college and it was really difficult to find time for anything but work. As Americans, we are raised on that "good old American work ethic" to our detriment--I like this Spanish Proverb "How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward". It is so tempting to take on too many projects--even if they are fun and ones we want to do--new art techniques etc--maybe make a list of all the ones you would like to do and then choose only a couple to start with, instead of trying to do all of them. Now that I am retired, I still have to prioritize or I suddenly find my self not having any fun, doing the things I love most!
I've been setting goals the past couple of years and set a new goal for this year. Having a plan helps me stay motivated. Maybe you just want an idea to run with for the year, like "balance" or "play" to help inspire?
I saw a blog you may have seen. Krista is trying to do 100 paintings this year. Not great ones, just trying to reach 100 figuring if she concentrates on the many rather than perfecting each one she'll get more done and learn more in the process. Her blog is here.
My plans are to do more art as usual but to try to get the number of classes I keep signing up for under control.
I want to watch my diet more to lower the fat and meat so my bones stop aching and I want to do more stretching exercise like yoga. Sitting in front of the computer is hard on me which makes me think I should try to limit my time on it too. I think that's enough to try for!
I just love your journal pages. Is that a composition book? I like journaling in mine, it's pretty tough.
As for my goals? I have lots of projects (as you'll see in my blog post for tomorrow) so I guess I goal is to try to stick with them and not quit. I do have another very short term goal and that is to get my craft area organized and set up with a good system that works. LOL
Hope you have a happy new year.
for the better part of 32 years (all of my adult life) i have just lived with no plan and no thought for the future. suddenly, today, i am really close to losing everything and having to beg for help and i hate it. i can't imagine what 2010 will bring, but it just has to be better than 2009 for me.
very thoughtful post and journal/calendar pages.
I'm going with the flow. I don't think I achieved one of my goals from last year. I'm not setting myself up for failure again!
I like your pages. I never seem to take the time to think about goals and write anything down. But your pages have given me some encouragement to do that this year.
It's a long time since I evaluated and set goals for myself but I am in the process of doing that at the moment - I'll post about it either tomorrow or Friday when I've finished! Last year, though I had no goals I learned a lot artistically and finished a year long spell of drawing without looking at the paper every day. I never intended to do it for a year - it just happened. So I think your approach may well bear a lot of fruit. After all, who knows what's in store?
I will be baby stepping my way to a better Pamela. Always one step at a time, but I have been on the road to "better" for years and still have aways to go. :) I think for me the first thing was digging out of depression and anger and now its just dealing with bad habits and trying to be more of a better wife and mother, it is calling from God. :)
I am tired too, but see the new year as possibility.. In art I am trying to push myself - to see some improvement is important to me. To do more than I have done before. I don't know where to go yet - I figure you take the steps and you will get there. I'd like to do more complete paintings, improve what I know, try new techniques like dry brush, new mediums, and see what looks good and what sticks. So I guess my plan is to go with the flow, but let the flow, flow! :) All in all, I see it as an adventure! Happy new year, Deborah. I hope you achieve your balance.
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