1-1-11 (First Post of New Year)

A sketch with my Design Ebony Pencil - the way the light was hitting the couch with the cushions scattered on it kept whispering "sketch" to me until it got so loud I had no choice but to obey. It felt so good to just DRAW - no pressure, simplicity... I call this "waiting". This is my husband's spot on the couch and I sat in my usual spot across the room on the loveseat waiting for him to come home from a week of working out of town. The couch seemed to be waiting with me.

A Christmas gift from my husband - a gift card to Cheap Joe's - here are my purchases! They got here just two days after I placed the order. Amazing! These are the new American Journey watercolor sticks. I can't wait to give them a whirl today! Also a ten sheet pack of 22 x 30 Kilimanjaro watercolor paper. This was such a hard decision for me - what to get with my gift card. But in the end I think I decided well.

As a member of the yahoo group Blissfully Art Journaling, I have been thinking long and hard about my Word of Intent for 2011.  It's a word that sort of sets the tone of what you want to accomplish or focus on in 2011.  I thought of many words, like "purpose", "consistency", "growth", "focus", etc.  Words that evoked a sense of needing to do something.  Words that to me sort of put the pressure on to be more, do more, achieve more...Words like this, goals, resolutions tend to put too much pressure on me, especially this year it seems.  When I put too much pressure on myself (which I tend to do on a regular basis) I feel overwhelmed, tired, and a bit rebellious.  So this year, my word of intent came to me right after I woke up from a long, much-needed nap after over-thinking the subject for a couple of days... my word... Celebration!

Doesn't that sound liberating, refreshing, and fun!

This year I will celebrate...
...life itself.
...all my achievements and all the bad habits and unhealthy patterns I'm overcoming.
...the fact that I have so many beautiful journals and sketchbooks to fill, a seemingly endless amount of art supplies, pens, etc., with which to fill them.
...my marriage - though not perfect, I will celebrate how far it's come and where it's headed by the Grace of God.
...all God is doing in me, in my life - all the blessings he has in store for me as I trust and obey Him.
...my family. I'll celebrate my mama and daddy and all they mean to me by visiting them as often as I can, and by accepting them just as they are.  I'll celebrate my immediate family, my extended family, everyone who is so important to me.
...my friends. God has blessed me with several very close, precious friends. My church friends, work friends, artsy online friends, facebook friends...  Girlfriends are just so precious in our lives as women.  I want to celebrate and cherish those friendships this year by spending time with these wonderful ladies!
...my work. God has blessed me with a job that I absolutely love.  And even with the changes that are taking place, I will celebrate the fact that God is in control, and I am blessed at work! I will trust God to place the person in the position of Director that He will use in the lives of all those at the training center to further His purposes.  Separation of church and state?  I don't think so...God is working in all and through all to accomplish something great!

So there you have it - my only New Year's Resolution is Celebration!  Life is a celebration.  I will celebrate through art and music and reading and relationships and work and play!  Let us all celebrate this art-filled, wonderful life we've been blessed with!

Happy New Year!