My word for 2016 is "beyond." It seemed good in several ways. I hope to keep moving forward artistically—beyond my comfort zone, beyond my safe expectations, beyond "good enough." This year I am faced with a significant birthday. I need to mentally move beyond fears about aging, beyond physical limitations and, most importantly, beyond stereotypes about age. When that birthday arrives I plan to have moved beyond dismay and be ready to embrace a sense of celebration!
"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I have finished my month of experimenting and I'm ready to get back to my work. I did not manage to do something every day, but then I didn't anticipate a lovely little trip to Seattle or three great days at the beach or all the friends I would get to spend time with in December. Still, I enjoyed what I did do, and even used one of my little experiments to make my little "beyond" talisman, above. Here are all the experiments.
The last thing I did in my studio, in 2015, was to make myself a new studio apron.
I'm ready to get to work!
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Can't wait to see what that apron gets covered with as you work through the coming year! Happy new year and wishing you fun and creativity throughout. OH--age is just a number, not a state of mind! Enjoy every year that you have earned!
ReplyDeleteGreat word choice! I wish you a happy and healthy new year. And best wishes on the milestone birthday. Who knew this aging thing was so tricky?!
ReplyDeleteI love work aprons. Your blog is always fun to read. Happy Creative 2016 to you!
ReplyDeleteI love your word choice, and your banner! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeletei can see/hear why you picked that word as RWE was a" wealth of distilled wisdom into quotes that hold my attention!" in my own words. I love the idea of a new apron and what wisdom and color it will collect in a year!
ReplyDeleteGreat word choice! Hope 2016 is a fantastic year for you.
ReplyDeleteMilestone Birthday. 40 used to be the big stepping stone, everyone around me was dreading it. I realised I'd passed it a couple of years later - didn't even notice it. This year I am 66, so now PS Pushing Seventy. My Mum thought 70 was The Big O, as her parents were decidedly elderly and doddery by that age. ME ? I'm fit and healthy - so why worry about it. My DH is 91 and starting to be restricted by what he can't bend to do... so for him it is real and not 'all in the mind.'
ReplyDeleteI like your word and the philosophy behind it. I'm finding more and more that the blogs I like best to follow (like yours) are written by those who continue to stretch their abilities.
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