A bit of the old - 2018
The past year included: six Taproot magazine covers, the releases of Mama’s Belly and Anne Arrives and my new fabric line, “Eloise’s Garden.” I worked on illustrations for Anne’s Kindred Spirits and started sketches for a 2020 picture book. And I finally finished my Queens of England project (a year late, but who’s counting). I also worked on several embroidery pieces and kept experimenting with textiles. And I filled up many, many sketchbook pages.
More generally speaking, I did some traveling, both near (midcoast Maine) and far (Ireland) and slightly in between (Texas). I kept a garden, ran my first 5K and read a bunch of books. I spent time with cousins I hadn’t seen in decades at my grandmother’s funeral in October, that weekend being one of the dearest 2018 memories I have. And in general, kept keeping on.
And the new / 2019
As 2018 came to a close, I was badly burnt out. Talking about burnt out is difficult. There’s a desire to be transparent about what a creative career looks like, but the fear of appearing anything less than 100% eager and capable is intimidating. So what to do? I took time off over the holidays and looked long and hard at things. I’d like to say I’ve made some earth-shattering discoveries, but I haven’t. I’m still figuring things out, trying to understand that balance between earning a living and making work I love. It’s an ongoing process, but I’m hoping to dig deeper into that this new year, and to allow things to evolve.
More specifically? I’ve decided to read 24 books, take more professional development days, run another 5K (or two), get back into garment sewing and to limit screen time. I’m trying to let 2019 shape up organically, to let things shift as need be. I’d love to paint a mural. Maybe go camping. There’s an artist residency I want to apply for. And I definitely want to go swimming in the ocean, when the weather finally permits.
So on to 2019!