Happy New Year, three readers! Happy days, happy days.
2013 went by really quickly, eh? It was good too. Well, it was alright for me anyway.
Let’s get to it.
In January of last year, there was a post on Tumblr going around about a jar. And you would keep the jar over the New Year and anytime something good happened, you’d write it down and put in the jar. Then at the end of the year, you’d open it up and read back on the positive things/events to remind yourself that they happened.
I thought what a load of shit.
To be fair, my 2012 wasn’t the best – even though I graduated and finally started to take a direction with my art practice, and got a full-time job without even trying, I got shitty as fuck acid reflux that made my life Hell, I couldn’t utter a single word because my voice was literally gone, and then my Grandpa died. So I was generally pessimistic at the time. I am usually pessimistic but it was especially…strong…back then. I was just in this mind set that mostly shit things happen and the few good things get taken for granted or aren’t as massive as the bad things. But thinking back on 2013, a lot of amazing things went down, including:
• Participating in a group exhibition,
MONOMANIA II: Vancouver Emerging, at Trench contemporary art gallery
• Going on a fantastic trip to Chicago – my first visit ever to the city
• I saw
The Book of Mormon in Chicago! It lived up to the hype, I’m just saying.
• Learning how to screen print at Blim
• Attended two Type Camp workshops, where I learned how to do proper hand lettering!
• Cutting my hair short! I’ve had long hair for most of my life, and I just decided to do something different
• Taking control of my shitty health situation, which included trying to keep positive, and finding a wonderful voice therapist to help me get back on track in the voice department
• Starting this blog (awwww)
• And plenty more that I can’t think of off the top of my head
So, as you’ve probably guessed, I will start a jar in 2014 and try to keep it up so I can look back in December. Hopefully a lot of good things happen!
That brings me to New Years resolutions. I was on the phone with my friend a few weeks ago, and I realized during our conversation that I actually kept up with my New Year’s resolution for 2013! Shocking, I know.
My resolution was to not be so complaisant. Without going into detail, it turns out I kept my resolution without making a conscious effort! Yay! Personal growth!
This year, my resolution is to
use time wisely.
For the past few months, I’ve been letting myself slack off before and after work. I used to get up early and do some painting, go off to work, and then continue after dinner later in the evening. Back in late September/October I’d have these bouts of nausea that would leave me in bed until 9:30 am (I leave the house at 10) and when I got back home I’d just sit still and watch TV, trying not to vomit. Since then, I’ve been so lazy and giving myself excuses like I shouldn’t be disappointed in myself, or I shouldn’t punish myself ‘cause time had already been wasted. I mean, I still believe that it is important to forgive myself or to let myself relax, but I should not use it as an excuse to be lazy. Ever.
The inspiration for my resolution was this video by the brilliant
Carrie Hope Fletcher. Please watch if you’d like – it’s less than two minutes long:
This video impacted me instantly. Because it’s true! It’s so OBVIOUSLY true! I think I just needed it to hear it from someone who a) isn’t my mom, and b) someone who has proof of what one can do when they value the time they have and use it wisely.
I have a Tumblr. I love watching TV (which I really need to catch up on but I spend my time on Tumblr and lip synching to show tunes and listening to records and refreshing Facebook), and I love spending my entire Sunday afternoons and money in the light of my life, Topshop. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy doing all these things, but it’s not ART WORK. If I were doing all these things but also painting, drawing, or book making, then fine by me,
but I’m not producing anything. And it’s terribly disappointing. I have no one to blame but myself. I sometimes wonder why the fuck I am sitting in one place for hours on end scrolling through Tumblr (Oh Avengers, why can’t I quit you) or refreshing Facebook, which by the way I don’t even really like, when I am
actually motivated to make art! Like, I actually WANT to do something, yet I am bound to a fucking computer because I can’t be disciplined. And, honestly, why can’t I paint for a few hours, then check my email (there are no fucking emails) for 20 minutes, then look at pictures of intensely attractive middle-aged British actors for an hour, before going back to art?
I can do it all, to be honest. I just have to GET UP AND DO IT.
And get rid of the fear that I can’t.
This resolution is going to be difficult to execute and keep up with, I can already tell. I will work incredibly hard to continue and to motivate and remind myself of this to the point where I don’t have to make a conscious effort anymore, just like last year! I AM GOING TO DO IT. Fuck. I will.
I have a few things that I hope will get me on track for the New Year. A lovely calendar from my friend Shawna (she knows how much I like cats), a notebook I got for Christmas from my cousin Nikki, and this awesome book made specifically for lists from
Wendy Oakman that I bought at TOQUE in December.
Good luck to everyone who has set resolutions and goals for this year!
P.S. I realize another resolution of mine could be to stop worrying so much but…one thing at a time. That would be too stressful.
