We all do it: think about resolutions. And every year, most of us forget about them within the week.
This year I have been reading about the idea of adopting a word or phrase as inspiration rather than listing specific tasks.
I like that. I like the idea of adopting a mindset or an attitude rather than setting myself up for failure with a list of resolutions.
I created this journal page to gather some of my thoughts and see where it might take me.
The most obvious words are those like Create or Dream. And while I like those concepts, over the years, for me, they have become overworked and trite. As artists we all create; we all dream.
So what is it that I want my art to convey in this year of 2012? The catch words that continued to fill my head were those like dance, rhythm, praise, rejoice, glorify, and it occurred to me that what I really want to do this year is be intentional in recognizing God's working in and through me.
I want my quiet faith and joy to shine through and inform my work this year. That does not mean that every piece will be obviously exuberant and colorful, but rather that I want to be intentional in remembering that my gifts and talents are indeed gifts from God. As I work, I want to always bear in mind that I would not be able to do what I do without the grace of creativity, and somehow, through God's grace, my work will become a source of inspiration and pleasure for those who see it. Even if the viewer does not identify God's hand in the work, I want it to inspire and please; cajole and nudge.
I got this notion to just add color and design. I had no pre-conceived ideas; I just wanted to play and then use the page for jotting down my word explorations.
My husband thinks I created a weird frog! I guess I did, but not by design. And if I had wanted to draw this weird frog, I wouldn't have been able to do it! How funny is that?
Zora is 5 and Linden is 3. For some time, I have wanted to write letters to them both that just tell of my everyday life....nothing profound, just the mundane.
I considered many different ideas including just writing letters and sending them to the kids, but I wanted something that they could keep and perhaps cherish someday.
I finally purchased these engagement calendars. I applied gesso to the first page. There is a little Titan Buff added as well.
I didn't fully obscure the print, but knocked it back enough that I could write on it. I came back in with watercolor pencils after I did the journal entry.
I don't plan on writing every day, or even every week for that matter, but just as the notion takes me. I want to share things that might be of interest to them-----anything that has a motor or motion for master Linden, and all things girlie for Princess Zora.
I am not sure when I will give the journals to them. Perhaps at the end of the year, or perhaps when they are older. Time will tell. I know that Zora would read the entire journal, but I don't think it would have much meaning to young Linden yet. On the other hand, their mother is a treasure, and I know that she will preserve the journals for the kids whenever I finally decide. The trick right now is to just be disciplined enough to write in them on a regular basis.
So what will you do with resolutions this year? Are you going to make a list? Adopt a word or phrase? I must say that I still don't have a single word that I want to use as my inspiration. For now I will just refer back to my journal from time to time to remind myself that I want to Praise and Glorify God and Rejoice in this blessed Gift of art.
Ta Ta for now, and Happy New Year