New Year’s Resolutions and Other Fears
Starting off 2023 … behind
New Year’s resolutions have always been hard for me. I have a problem of fully committing to things in an obsessive way, somehow losing steam, and then getting really disappointed that I failed because like I mentioned- I start off most things REALLY intense. But after quitting my 9-to-5 corporate job at the end of 2022, I knew part of sustaining my new “follow your passions” job would require some serious goals for 2023. I won’t bore you with every goal I made, but one of my bigger goals was to complete one art piece a month. Just one. I thought one a month was doable, reasonable, and (between you and me) EASY…… Then in January I failed. I still count the Calico-Maine-Coon of my friend’s beautiful cat Sansa as my “January Art Piece”, but if we are honest, it wasn’t finished until the first week of February. At this time no one was asking me to do this art. The only deadlines were the ones I was setting for myself, and waiting to be “in the mood” to do art is often like waiting for an eclipse. One thing I’ve learned about myself is that getting started is the scariest and hardest part, but we can delve into that in another post.
Finding some traction
Although I did cut it VERY close a few times, I can proudly say I pulled myself together and finished at least one art piece a month for the rest of the year.
February: the Tulips
March: the Mustang
April: the Bee and the Grasshopper
May: the Cactus, the Sleeping Dog, and Miss Mississippi
June: the topographical Great Horned Owl
July: Sarah, the Beetle, and the Outlaw
August: the Camel (NOTE: Although I had done other maps for people in the past, this is what I consider my first TRUE commission. Map and subject matter were fully chosen by someone else.)
September: the Scotland and Ireland Cats, the Colorado portrait, and the Elk Head
October: the Medusa, the Landscape, the Camera
November: the Texas Blue Bonnets, and the Roadrunner
Ending the year strong
And now…..…. De-Cem-Ber. Following the pattern from past months, I truly thought my max was about three map-art pieces a month. But then the requests started rolling in and leaning into a “yes, and?” attitude I completed the following between Dec 1st and Dec 30th.
The Alaska Bears times 2, the Scales, the Mockingbird, the California Dog, the West Coast Owl, the Cabin, the Arizona Dog, the Salt Lake City Boxers, the DC Cat, the Crows, the Northern California Dog, the Phoenix Dog, the Donkey, the Rooster, and the Cards.
Many of these were under VERY tight deadlines, and there was not a SINGLE day (or late night) this month that I was not at the map shop, mailing something, or drawing. (Did I mention I also unwisely committed to drawing a Christmas character a day for TikTok?)….. But this is not a complaint. Far from it. I have been thrilled! I actually think the only way I had the strength to pull this off was because I was in a constant state of feeling SO grateful, fortunate and lucky. Many of these requests came from people who truly had never met me before, but just loved my art and wanted an original. How could I not pull through for them? Not to mention, I think I had the energy of the Sagittarius season on my side.
Thank You All
So, I want to end the year by saying thank you to EVERYONE who asked for a commission (even those that never worked out, or those I am still waiting on completing or finding the perfect map, --I am looking at you Salem, Alberta, Merida and South Carolina). I want to thank everyone who purchased a print of my art this past year, and everyone who even liked a video of me posting anything. It’s been a journey of a year, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit it's been one of my favorites.
So here is to the next year--- and this blog, which is part of my 2024 goals. I learned from my corporate life to underpromise and over deliver, so let’s just say, look for a post a month. But in advance, thank you for reading/coming on the journey. Also- I want to give a shout out to Sol and to her art blog mailing list which in many ways has inspired me to do my own. To read her hilarious posts on her art journey email her at theepocha@gmail.com.
References
https://www.instagram.com/theepocha
