It’s my yearly recap of my artistic practice for 2022. Plus a concrete list of what my art goals are for 2023.
I pledge allegiance to me
What’s bangin’ in 2023
It’s my yearly recap of the year that’s probably still happening when I write this…aaaand a look ahead at what my art goals are for 2023. I’m always happily astonished when I look at the year and see what I did. The year always seems to go so fast even if my day to day feels very, VERY slooooow.
My favorite things I made in 2022
I also made some things with yarn this year but I was terrible about both recording projects in Ravelry and taking pics of them. So I think I made at least 2 more hats than are in this image. I’ve crocheted a tremendous amount for art projects this year and those things aren’t recorded in my Ravelry projects. I also am racing the end of the year to finish a shawl so it doesn’t show up in this image. I’m hoping that by the time this posts, it will be done as well.
Some of the crochet that doesn’t show up in my Ravelry finished projects list:
2022 goal recap
I’ll be taking most of January and February off.- I guess I sorta took off the end of January and the first part of February. I posted to IG 15 times in January and 14 times in February. So I was sorta taking it easy. I was also knee deep in my mentorship program so I needed to share ALL THE THINGS! I talked about the mentorship here.
I’ll be teaching in Wanderlust 2022.- I filmed all of my things for the class in April and did my editing over the summer because I didn’t want to feel pressured in the fall. I am so glad I did because my youngest and I ended up with Covid in August so my oldest headed off to college without me there to launch him. He’s doing great but I was sad to miss that milestone moment. The Wanderlust class went live in early November. It was well received and I had a blast interacting with the students about their projects.
I plan on finishing the book this next year.Sorta?- This project has morphed over the course of this year into just writing posts weekly for this blog. Since July I’ve posted a new weekly essay here. I’ve really had to kick myself into gear over it. I love making art but I also love talking about the art making process. Will it ever be a book? I don’t know but I’m having a good time writing these posts for you all. Tell your friends!
In March I will reassess my goals and see what I need to adjust or add or subtract.Didn’t really happen.- Let’s be honest, there was no assessment in March. I have struggled this year on several fronts. And setting goals have gone by the wayside for sure. But on the other hand, I’ve done a tremendous amount of work this year.
Things that happened in 2022 that wasn’t on the list
- In November I started a practice at the end of my workday of journaling about my studio time. I recap what I did, what was successful, and where I’d like to go during the next work session. I’ve found it to be an fantastic experience. I’ve felt more grounded in what I’m doing. I’ve felt like each session was more meaningful. And writing it down allows me to remember that.
- I read 19 non-fiction books. I talk about a handful of them in my 2022 Art Practice Reading List post.
- I did a lot of weaving. The show I’m getting ready for in February will contain some of these pieces. I ordered a bigger loom today if that’s any indication of how that is going. When I learned to weave, I was skeptical of it being a tool for my art making and here I am.
- I kept a list of what I cooked for dinner over the course of this year. It just sorta happened in my bullet journal. I liked it so much that I kept doing it and then compalated into one big list.
My word for 2023: Wu Wei
I chose the word Tend for 2022 and it kicked my behind. There was a great deal of tending in 2022. So much so I had to write a post about it. It’s been a good word for the year but also a hard word. I’ve written it at the top of my bullet journal pages many, many days. Come back to it over and over to remind myself that even good things are sometimes hard. Tend has been a constant companion in 2022 so I wanted to be sure to go in a much different direction for 2023.
Wu Wei is a Chinese concept from Taoism and the translation of it means “non-action” but conceptually it means something more like “effortless action”. Think of it as more like going with the flow or being in the zone. I like these ideas. Maybe it can help me not hold onto things so tightly. You can read more about Wu Wei here.
What I’m aiming for in 2023
As always, I start with my guiding principles: Make art and have people see my art.
- I’ll be showing some works at Lowe Mill running from February 8-April 1, 2023 on the ALWCA wall on the second floor south by the Huntsville Theater League Theater. So I’ll be working feverishly to finish a few things between now and then!
- I think I’m going to do the 100 day project this year. I’ve had a couple of really successful years (2018 and 2019) and a couple of duds. But even the dud years where still interesting and I learned a lot from them. I think I might try something a bit smaller this year. In previous years I’ve done 5×7″ finished pieces but I might keep it smaller than that so I have a better chance of completing it.
- Look into MFA graduate programs. I’m guessing what will happen when I do this is decide yet again that I don’t really need an MFA but that I’m enamored with the cachet of having an MFA. I would need to do an online program and those are limited. Also, I’m not sure if there’s an distance MFA that really fits what I am doing currently and the direction I am headed in. I decide to look into this every few years so I can remind myself of why I’m not doing this.
- I’m thinking about some dedicated studio hours. I can’t decide if I want to make it a daily goal or a weekly goal. A daily goal would ensure many more hours. A weekly goal might be more achievable because it’s a bit more flexible. I’m curious to see what making a daily/weekly time commitment would do for my practice and my finished work. I’m still fleshing this out so I’m quite sure you’ll be hearing about it in the days and weeks ahead.
- Continue my end of studio day journaling. I want to be able to examine what a whole year looks like through the lens of this practice.
Let me hear about what you have planned for 2023. Leave a comment or tag me on socials. For me, speaking things into the universe is the first step to making things happen. May it be so for you in 2023 as well.
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You’ve had a productive year! I would definitely buy a book if you write it, but I really love these weekly essays showing up in my inbox. I appreciate you sharing your thought processes and they are always thought provoking for me. Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing what you create in 2023!
Thank you, Lou!