I’ve been quiet here because work’s been insane and my back is acting up and honestly I don’t really know what else. I just haven’t been feeling like writing or able to write. I am still making plans for next year. I recently reread a few old posts and if you’re busy making plans for next year, too, maybe this one will help you out: Making Three Lists.
I’ve decided what I need next year is a lot more pre-planning. One of the reasons I struggle when sticking to plans is that I have to spend so much time coming up with ideas. When I sit down to sketch, I need to spend hours online finding something to sketch. I figured that if I had it all ready ahead of time, I wouldn’t waste as much time coming up with ideas each week. And, of course, if I have a new idea, it can supersede my list. But it’s no pressure this way.
Or maybe I am fooling myself.
Either way, that’s what’s on my mind. Since I am all excited about my projects, I figure this is a good time to do research and groundwork. I’ve also been thinking about my list answers from the thee lists post above. And what kind of thoughts-posts I might like to do. And what projects I might want to do with David and with Nathaniel.
The planning is making me happy for now so I am trying to keep at it. Here’s a dump of all that I am considering in case it’s helpful for any of you. This is just a dump of what’s on my head at this moment. It might all stay and it might all go or some combination in between:
Things I want to learn/do in relation to Art:
- doodling – been on my list three years in a row now!
- sketching/painting faces – been on my list three years in a row too!
- lettering
- collage
- using my photos with my art
- sketching people in different poses
- drawing trees/wings
- making signs/sayings
- sketching scenes
- large scale paintings/drawings
- using some of the materials I haven’t used in a while: oil pastels, pan pastels, neocolor crayons, watercolor markers, etc.
- digital design – maybe
So when I am designing my art projects, I am thinking about these things.
for health stuff I am thinking about:
- pilates
- yoga
- weights
- incrementing daily steps
- no sugar
For thoughts posts, I am thinking about posting around:
- Learning: I plan to take classes/learn more regularly next year, so I’d be sharing these.
- Coaching: Some exercises, thoughts, learnings in the coaching area
- Listen: this is my word for next year so these would be insights/intentions around my word
- Getting things done, being organized, just random thoughts from that day, etc.
Also thinking about:
- volunteering more.
- building community again (this is a struggle for me.)
- gratitude
- whether i want to sell my art
- whether i want to videotape while doing art
- what classes i might want to take to learn new things
- maybe David and I can learn together for his project with me
- what can i do with Nathaniel? Maybe something that practices reading or writing?
- how can i organize my projects so they have a monthly theme within the yearly project?
That’s what I have so far. I’m also starting/thinking about my December Daily. So happy Christmas is coming soon.
What’s on your mind? Any ideas/recommendations for me? Would love to hear your thoughts.
My goal for 2013 is to make three sketches a week. If I make more, great. If I don’t, that’s ok. Trying to keep the pressure low while still encouraging myself to draw.
my one sketch:
 .
that’s it for this week. just managed one. Still feeling a bit blah about faces still so not motivated to do any apparently.
Sketching is a weekly project for 2013. You can see a detailed post on my sketching journey here.
Here’s this week’s gratitudes and celebrations:
Before:
it says: the quiet of the sea soothes my soul.
and here’s what the page looks like with all the gratitudes and celebrations:
Just another excuse to create art and remember the present that is my life.
Gratitude Journal is a weekly project for 2013. You can see a detailed post on my goal other details here.
Here are some photos from this week:
Nathaniel played with my watercolor pencils and a waterbrush this week.
he had quite a lot of fun with it.
we also spent some time putting out our halloween decorations.
i am not a fan of halloween (or anything scary) but the kids had a ton of fun.
skeletons, spiders and more.
i like this guy for some reason.
the boys always seem to have so much fun, it makes me so happy.
they posed while doing gangnam style.
and just had more and more fun.
we also got to go to a reading by Kate DiCamillo this week. It was so super-awesome. She is so super-awesome. Her books are super-awesome, too!
people often ask me what the kids do while I work. Well here you go. Nathaniel did this while I was working. Lined up all of his cars.
then it was family photo time.
love these boys.
they were being funny of course.
and cheering for the things we love.
and laughing.
and being more silly.
and more hugging!
and tickle time!
and here we go. so grateful for my life. i hope your week was lovely, too.
Weekly Diary is a project for 2013. You can read more about it here.
Before this week’s art here’s the important reminder: Please remember, this is personal and hand-made and thus imperfect. If you want perfect art, do not buy mine. Also one more reminder that these are pretty small. 5.5inches by 5.5inches. That’s about 14×14 centimeters). You will just get the original piece of watercolor paper with my art and signature in the back. No mounting, no frame. I don’t want to misrepresent anything. I will put a paypal button under each (you can pay with credit card or paypal.) the button doesn’t update so you will have to click through to see if it’s sold out. I will try to update them as quickly as I can and remove the button if it’s gone, but just in case. Each piece will be $35. That’s US dollars. If you have questions please leave a comment and I will reply as fast as I can.
With that here’s this week’s art:
it reads: reach out and connect with someone you love today.
SixBySix is a weekly project for 2013. You can see a detailed post on my goal and other details here.
Here’s the page for this week:
this one all about the first week of school and our weekend in Tiburon!
See you next week!
The Savor Project is a weekly project for 2013. You can see a detailed post on my goal and other details here.
Here’s this week’s card :
It says: you can shed any piece of you.
This card uses a template from The Crafter’s Workshop (as well as a few others.) and acrylic paint.
Gratitude PostCards is a weekly project for 2013. You can see a detailed post on my goal and the postcards I use here.
I read about The Life Organizer in another book I was reading (and for the life of me, I can’t remember which one.) but something about it was compelling immediately and I just bought it.
This is not one of those books you read end to end. It has an intro section that explains some thoughts, the idea behind the life organizer, and how the book is structured. And the rest of it is weekly thoughts, intentions, and questions.
I picked this book up in April and started doing the weekly questions as a way to keep track of my own thoughts and to be more intentional about my life and my weeks.
It’s actually the book that got me back into journaling.
highly recommended.
I have things I’ve been meaning to write about but then the days pass, the night comes, and I am tired and don’t really feel like writing. Not sure if it means something or if it means nothing. I’m trying not to over-think it and I hope you still come visit and check on me regularly even if I’m not being so diligent.
What I have been doing is making plans for next year. I’ve been thinking about projects I might like to have and what my word might be, etc, etc. This is the time of year when I usually start getting antsy and feel the desire to already start working on new things.
I haven’t fully formalized my projects yet but I am thinking of incorporating two classes into my plans for next year. One is a project from the Soul Comfort class I am currently taking. As with all the Brave Girls’ classes, I am loving this class and it has gotten me back into daily journaling for which I am deeply thankful.
I have never taken one of Tam’s Life Book classes before but I am seriously considering signing up for the 2014 class. I’ve taken several of Tam’s classes before and she’s amazing and the lineup of the other teachers looks fantastic, too. So, if I sign up, this will be one of my weekly projects.
When trying to sort out what I wanted from next year’s projects, I made a little grid for myself. I wanted to make sure I had a varying set of things so I wouldn’t get bored and so I could stretch myself a bit. So I picked a topic, format, media, and skill to focus on for each of my projects.
We’ll see if any of them hold up but I am at least having fun thinking about them and trying them out and adjusting here and there so far.
Is there a class you’ve taken this year that you’ve loved? I haven’t taken many this year and I am planning to keep it that way for next year, too. A few core ones and that’s it. I’d rather spend my time really honing some skills I’ve been craving to learn.
And here we are. Have you begun thinking about 2014, too, or is it just me?
My goal for 2013 is to make three sketches a week. If I make more, great. If I don’t, that’s ok. Trying to keep the pressure low while still encouraging myself to draw.
my one sketch:
 .
that’s it for this week. just managed one. Still feeling a bit blah about faces still so not motivated to do any apparently.
Sketching is a weekly project for 2013. You can see a detailed post on my sketching journey here.
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projects for twenty twenty-five
projects for twenty twenty-four
projects for twenty twenty-three
projects for twenty twenty-two
projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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