New Action Words

If you’ve followed my blog for a while you probably know I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions. I try my best not to set myself up to fail if I can avoid it, and that’s just what I’d be doing with a resolution! BUT, I do choose a word or two to focus on during the new year. Although they might sound a bit counter-productive they related to different aspects of my work & life and both rang true with me very quickly for a change.

Firstly, in regards to my art, my word is “Experiment”. Of course I had to create an image to keep my word in mind:

I’ve spent several years trying to define myself as an artist, with a style or medium or something easily identifiable but for the life of me once I’ve found something I enjoy I work it for a while and then I’m ready for a new challenge. What once excited me and I was happy creating now brings less joy. I’m very glad that I followed the path but I’m ready to choose a new one! So instead of listening to the “shoulds” of the art world I’m going to embrace what comes naturally to me and experiment with what inspires me without placing any restrictions on it. It’ll be a surprise to both of us what I end up doing!

My second word is aimed more at my art BUSINESS (and to a certain extent, my personal life as well), and it is “Focus”. I am so easily distracted (see above) and always seem to be looking five items down the line instead of completing what needs to be done at the moment. Creatively, that’s probably okay. As far as marketing, promoting, applications, paperwork, blogging, website updates and running a business, well…not so much! Often it seems I’ve lost hours (if not an entire day) without accomplishing the items that I set out to do. Add that to my tendency to procrastinate and I feel like I spend a lot of time putting out fires of my own creation. I distract myself AWAY from creating art on many occasions! So, in order to really fulfill the creative part of my life I’m going to do my best to focus when I’m working on the non-creative so I can get it out of the way and get back to what I was put here to do! 

Do you have any goal, focus words or resolutions for 2015? I’d love to hear about them!

Lynne

Words and Intent

I know many people make their resolutions this time of year but I’ve never been a fan of them. Why set myself up in a situation than often ends in failure?! I had read a year or two ago that some people choose a word to focus on for the upcoming year and I really like that idea instead. This year I ended up with two words and, since I don’t think there are any hard & fast rules to these sort of thing, I’m using them both. My mind has been whirling at an even faster pace the last few days (something I don’t really appreciate as I lay awake at night listening to it) and for some reason I am really excited about the possibilities for the upcoming year. I’m also in one of those moods where I want to move all the furniture around the house, re-do my studio (I’ve actually started that process already) and the BIG thing I really want to create this year is a HAVEN. Not to say that I don’t have a comfortable home I just have times that I want to escape. As I’m not independently wealthy at this time I can’t just up and travel at the drop of a hat. But I still have that yearning to go somewhere and be alone. So, HAVEN was one of the words I chose. I had fun thinking of words that describe what I am seeking, then I used the “Wordle” program and created this image:

At the bare minimum the spot I’m thinking of creating my haven in could stand a fresh coat of paint. There are lots of other ideas dancing in my head but that will be the first step. I’ll keep you posted through out the year as I begin the process of bringing this desire into reality! Curious about the other word I’ve selected for 2013? I’m saving that for the next post. 🙂

What word (or words) would you choose to focus on during the new year?