This New Years I was actually asleep by 10pm. But that doesn't mean that I don't wax sentimental during the New Year. I have made an unofficial "resolution" list- things I would love to see myself doing, doing differently, doing better. Many of my goals and resolutions came in the area of my artistic life. I think setting goals and thinking about the year ahead is a great way to stay inspired and motivated to keep practicing your art form, especially if you are a busy person like I am. I have a 4 year old and a brand new baby on the way any day now. I won't be putting in that many hours in my mosaic studio at this point in my life, but that is OK because I have learned that working little bits at a time still gets the job done and creations made. Here are the goals I would love to see accomplished at this point for 2012:
1. Be a part of two or three art shows
2. Set aside Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons for mosaic. I can do more days and times if I have it, but those are a priority.
3. Create a good balance of fine art, experimental art, and crafty art
4. Attend a mosaic workshop or class
5. Teach a mosaic workshop or class (something I have done the past 2 years)
6. Post a new blog post to this blog at least 2 times per month!
7. Stay flexible- life happens and new inspirations happen. To be an inspired artist, I have found that staying flexible and not putting myself in a box, is the key. The minute I begin to feel like my mosaic art is a chore, or my goals I have set a stressful homework assignment, I begin to lose inspiration and the "art" part of my craft fizzles. The new, the creative, the excitement is gone.
Just like signing up for a 5K run keeps me motivated to go to the gym, so does signing up for art shows keeps me motivated to keep creating. Why is that important? Because it is part of who I am. To suppress that part of me chains bits of my psyche, my personality and my heart. I am the best "me" when I allow creativity to flow through me, because God created me to be a creative person! So, Happy New Year! Happy goal-setting! Sign up for something so you stay motivated. Please share some of your goals in the comments on this blog! Maybe I will be inspired by your goals and add them to mine!
