Hello 2014

The view from my living room window this morning.

I always find it useful to reflect on the previous year before setting goals for the new one. 2013 was my first full year of no commitments as an art instructor. Letting go of that career after 16 years is a decision I have not regretted as it brought clarity to my art practice and allowed me to let go of a lot of clutter, (both physical and mental.) I had a small showing at a local business, which was well received and two art events which I also felt were moderately successful despite having much less "stock" than I am used to bringing.
My most important challenges was of course adjusting to the suppose-ably temporary job that I took on in January that is now extended to at least March 2015. It was difficult and there were times that I didn't know how I was going to fit it into my life but I have accepted that the positive outweighs the negative and am looking forward to doing more art in 2014 now that Ive become accustomed to the schedule.
2013 also brought a lot of sadness and personal challenges to a few of my friends, it has made me determined to appreciate life more and devote more energy to personal happiness, both for myself and my family. After looking at a Mind Map I made last year I realized my goals this year aren't much different than those from last January, but I am taking a different approach and applying my focus in another way that better suits my personality and schedule.
Goals for 2014:

A couple of years ago I read the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and was taken by the concept of applying these principles to my own life. Like many of my project ideas it fell by the wayside but I am determined to focus on this concept this year and have mapped out some projects centering on this theme for 2014.
I am concentrating on my enjoyment of home and family primarily, and I am also striving to bring some stuff back into my life that I have let go of, (drawing, reading about art, writing my blog, selling art online.) as well as acquiring some new skills and moving my art practice in new directions. Home is definitely the key word for the new year, and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.