Resolution

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions....if something needs changing, why wait?  My mom does it right. Instead of quitting a habit or promising to be 'better' at implementing a good habit - like dusting off that yoga mat - my mom began engaging in nourishing (and sometimes silly) activities...like learning how to juggle or running a marathon.

There are plenty of quirks I could certainly let go of, but instead of trying to rid myself of something, I'm going to take my mom's lead and add something nourishing.  SO, my resolution for 2014 is to create something every day...and not as an afterthought.  It doesn't have to be big and I don't have to finish it in a day.  Many of these activities will be created outside of the studio...but will end up in the studio on a shelf with a price tag attached :)

I love how wide open this is.  I love the possibility it brings.  The freedom to explore new creative mediums. Here are a few of the arenas I will be playing in:

SOAP:  Last year I learned how to make soap.  When 2013 came to a close, I realized that I have only scratched the surface of this hobby.  All of the beautiful looking and smelling soaps waiting to be made is VERY exciting to me.  SO this is one endeavor I will be committed to getting better at - AND turning into a business.

CERAMICS:  In college, I was a certified pottery studio rat.  More time was spent there than anywhere else on campus.  When I stopped having easy access to things like a kiln and a pottery wheel, that craft slowly faded from my life.  Over the last year and a half, my husband and mom have given me: a pottery wheel, small high fire kiln, wedging board and clay tools. The kiln is finally ready and the wheel is about to have a stand built.

STORY:  Friends that have known me for a long time know about THE STORY.  The seed of this story was born in my high school creative writing class 25 years ago.  In my 20's, it began to grow.  As I had experiences, my heroine had experiences.  A few years ago, it had a huge growth spurt and again a couple of months ago.  That's how it goes.  At this rate, it will be finished by the time I retire.  SO, even if it's only a page at a time, this story will not be tucked into a drawer for the next 2 years until I get inspired again. Waiting for inspiration kills the creative process.

BABY:  My baby boy, Orion, is 6 months old....and he's craving sensory stimulation.  Making things for his engagement will be a consistent activity as well.

Hopefully these future posts will challenge or inspire you to incorporate creative activities into your daily life.  How can you express your creativity?  What do you love to do?  I have a friend who committed to learning how to prepare one new vegetable a week...starting with things she's never tried before.  The asian market became her friend that year.  Another friend LOVES coffee.  He committed to learning how to roast coffee beans (he went on to open a successful coffeehouse and eventually sold it for a very healthy sum). Whatever it is, know that you don't need to buy one art supply in order to express your creativity.  Just look around at what surrounds you and pick something to explore!