How was your New Years? This was the first time in years I was up at midnight! Normally I am passed out because of kids, life, and getting old, but this year we actually went to a really fun party and while we didn't see the ball drop there, I did watch it on an iPhone after we got home. Thrilling I know! Leading up to the new year I was starting to feel kind of blah. I hadn’t been painting bc we were traveling and of course, doing all the family things and then everyone is posting their top 9 and their great accomplishments from the past decade which was overwhelming. Did I help orphans in a third world country? Sadly no. Did I save an endangered species? I cannot check that box. Don't get me wrong, I am completely psyched for everyone and the amazing things they are doing! I will always be cheering my friends and community on. It's just that I started to do that thing where you are like, well what did I spend the last ten years doing? You know what I mean? We are all doing so many things but there is this crazy pressure for everyone to raise $20,000 to give three-legged shelter animals prosthetics and not only that but to share ALL THE THINGS! Again, I am so proud of everyone rocking their goals but it can be overwhelming so I thought I would share the things I was really bad at this past year and will probably continue to be bad at in 2020.
Number one, washing my brushes. I completely suck at washing my brushes. I wish I was one of those people that loving washed their brushes after each studio session and I have even TRIED to be that person but I'm not. I plunk my brushes in gamsol or oil and turn the lights out. I'm sorry.
Number two, keeping my desk clean. I know every self-help article tells you a clean desk is a clean mind. To all those people, I'm sure you have a point but mine is not clean and to the unknown writers of how to be a better person, I'm tired of trying to please you. That doesn't mean it's not organized bc it is BUT I do have 4 mugs with remnants from yesterday's coffee in it sitting beside me right now.
Number three, attempting to learn a new skill or find a hobby. Ok, this isn't totally accurate. I learn new skills all the time, this blog is one of them, ha! But hobbies, yeah it hasn't happened yet. Do you have one? Hobbies are supposed to help us enjoy life, learn about ourselves, or so I'm told, but as artists, don't we have enough going on? I'm sure improv would teach me something about being vulnerable and rock climbing that I don't have enough upper body strength, but for now, I'll just read about your new hobbies in your top nine and live vicariously.
I’m sharing this to say, you aren’t one year in your life. You aren’t your best accomplishments or your defeats, you are a story in progress and there are some highlights and some parts we might want to skim over but regardless it’s ok. So if you had a kick-ass year, GO YOU! Way to rock those shows, sell work, be in books and all of those amazing things you have worked hard for! If you had a year with fewer shows, less press and less whatever, GO YOU! We all have those years and it’s ok. We are all in this for the long haul and if we were going 100 mph the whole way we would crash and burn before we made it too far. So cheers to keeping a decent pace and knowing when you walk and when to run.