Looking forward to the NEW year!

 

Wow!  Here we are again.....celebrating the end of one year and anticipating bigger and better things in the new year!  So, as this year ends, I will tell you how grateful I am to be alive, to be extremely healthy, to have a great family, a loving husband and the time, and good fortune, to make as much art as I want and/or can!

Let me assure you that I think getting older truly is a state of mind!

There are some  great things that come with the passage of time and ageing....one is confidence, another is acceptance! 

Where that applies to art is: you eventually learn that rejection is a fleeting feeling that soon will be replaced with acceptance.  Sometimes, it doesn't seem soon enough, but if you keep trying and practicing your art.....you get better!  It takes time and determination and you may never think it is "good enough" but someone will!  You will still have doubts and wonder "what the heck am I doing".  You just have to keep doing!

I so appreciate those who make their living making art.....it is hard work but it can be done and being self employed is never as easy as it sounds.  I was fortunate enough to work for newspapers when we still designed and built all the ads for our accounts.  I learned a lot about graphic design and I loved it, still do!

About six years ago, I started keeping a garden journal that has evolved into my "everything" journal.  I still use it to keep track of garden activities but I, also, use it for an art journal and a daily diary.  I have been sharing that experience with others on Kate's The Kathryn Wheel blog.  Maybe, the best part of doing these journal/calendars is you have made a "hard copy" of your life's comings and goings,  something to look back on and being reminded of "life happenings" big and small.

Here's a look at my almost finished pages for December.......

When I say this is my everything journal, I mean everything.....I keep tickets for special events, special cards or notes from friends and family, along with receipts of major purchases and the Christmas cards we receive each year.....all inside this journal.  Those white pieces of paper are the ticket stubs for The Singing Christmas Tree performance we attended a couple weeks ago.

You notice, I still don't use boxes for my days like most of Kate's other "calendar girls".  I did, however, use circles on this page to contain my thoughts!  I seriously toyed with the idea of conforming more in 2013 but, no, it is not to be.  I love journaling everyday, even if it is only a word or two, I would rather be more random (I guess that's what it is) and so I made a conscious decision to continue with my "random" method.

I spent some time debating which journal to use and how to lay it out, then decided I like what I've been doing the past two years.....why change now.

So, I have only begun my pages for January......

so I think I'll wrap it up this afternoon.

So, back to enjoying life and continuing to learn.....NO MATTER your age!  I appreciate the feedback from my blogger buddies and the inspiration that so many are willing to share.  Doing art is a solitary endeavor and we are so lucky to have this world-wide platform where we can learn and share.

This past year has been full of learning and rewards.....I can hardly wait to see what the new year will bring.  I hope it brings you and yours the happiest, healthiest New Year ever!