Wow, finally some time to just be and reflect and plan for the upcoming year. What an odd feeling not to have deadlines approaching! One thing I do look forward to doing in January is reorganizing my art space--this will be the third year in a row I've done that. I enjoy the process--it reminds of what I've got, which is always useful, and stimulates new ideas and combinations in my mind. It's always a continual refining here in my space.
I do have some things on tap that should be invigorating. For one, I aim to finish the pieces from Julie Prichard's and Chris Cozen's online class Complex Collage, which has been amazingly fun and useful. I have also signed up for Julie's Super Nova Journaling classes, including the bookmaking intro, and I think those should be very helpful too. Also along the journaling line, I am enrolled in the three Strathmore free online journaling classes, the first of which begins on Saturday with Pam Carriker.
As you can see, I am aiming right now at further exploration of myself and what I have to say as an artist. That's something I find very difficult to slow down and figure out when there is always so much going on, so many wonderful projects and ideas out there in magazines and on blogs, that it's hard for me to find my way to knowing what is truly my expression, my view, my truth. I hope that these various journaling approaches and classes will help nudge me a bit further along that path.
One thing that I am hugely excited about (my mother is appalled, frankly) is that for Christmas this year I got a sewing machine. Never before in my life have I operated one before, but I'm learning now. (Tip: ALWAYS put that damn presser foot back down before starting up the machine again!) I don't have any books to follow or project instructions next to me--and I am trying to avoid the temptation to get any. This I would like to see if I can follow where it leads.
