2009 Wrap Up and Accomplishments

My word for 2009 was “Path”: the goal was to define my path and engage in activities that keep me on my path. Don’t wander too far from my path, and limit activities that take me off path. The question I at the front of my mind was always, “Is this keeping me on my path?”

I’m glad I chose that word for the year. It’s kept me focused and led to me participating in a lot more art-related activities that I would have otherwise.

Even odd things kept me on my path. Breaking my leg in May put me in a cast and rehab for several months. Although it limited my physical activities and kept me at home much of the spring and summer, I used that time to paint more often and read some books. That helped me improve my skills, build up my inventory, and gain confidence.

Here’s what I accomplished this year. I firmly believe that I wouldn’t have accomplished even half of this if I hadn’t chosen “Path” as my word for the year, and used it to keep my focus daily:

Art-wise:

• Applied to the Art-o-Mat project and was accepted.
• Sent my first shipment of 50 pieces to Art-o-Mat; they’ve asked for a second shipment.
• Revamped my Etsy and Cafepress shops.
• Placed my artwork in Artefino Gallery.
• Was featured in a “Hudson Life” magazine article about artists who use Etsy.
• Introduced a new line of 25 different greeting cards.
• Introduced a new line of original handpainted bookmarks.
• Participated in Art House Co-Op’s Sketchbook Library Project.

Business-wise:

• Took Alyson Stanfield’s “Blast Off” class. Wow, I’d recommend that class to anyone! I came out of it with better studio habits, concrete goals, and a clarified direction.
• Set regular studio hours. I’ve always fit my art into whatever free time I could scrape together. Now, I have defined studio hours, and schedule other activities around my art time.
• Exhibited at 4 art fairs in the 2 weeks around Thanksgiving, in addition to my regular shows. Made me crazy busy, but it was good for making sales and contacts. It also taught me how to do fairs – how to pack, what inventory to take, how to handle sales, and the logistics of packing and setting up. The whole process has always intimidated me, but I now feel like I have a handle on it.
• Cleaned and reorganized my studio. I’m more comfortable in it now, and use it more often now that I can find things.
• Reached my blogging goals: on this blog, I posted more than 2x as often as in 2008 -- almost twice per week. On my ACEO blog, I posted 3x as often as in 2008!
  

Personal:

• Getting regular sleep. I struggle with insomnia, so getting enough sleep is a major deal for me.
• Did a 30-day Thing-A-Day decluttering project. Every day for 30 days, I got rid of something, whether it went in the trash, to Goodwill, was recycled, or returned to its rightful owner. It was freeing to see all that stuff go.
• Fun. I tend to work all the time and sacrifice having fun, even though recharging is crucial. This year, I took a wonderful vacation with friends to Napa, and also spent my sister’s 40th birthday with her.

Yes, granted, I had my moments when I wandered off my Path, stalled out, or dawdled too long at some scenic overlook. But my Path kept calling and I kept getting back to it.