It’s a bit late, but what the heck! I like to keep my New Years resolutions simple so I can reapply them every time I fall off the resolution wagon. This year’s is no different and follows the extremely successful resolution of 2015, which was CREATE! In 2016 my resolution is KEEP CREATING! 

I know it sounds like I’m cheating, just rehashing last year’s resolution, but it’s truely not. One of the challenges of being a creative person is that you can’t stop. I mean obviously you can, but if you do, it’s so hard to get going again. So while 2015 was a great year, with my paintings being exhibited in Rome, having a successful exhibition at the Gauge Gallery, winning second place in an art prize and having my work shown in another 8 or more group shows, I really need to keep building on that momentum.

  
Wild  Mixed media on paper

Keeping on track can be hard. It can often feel like the world is conspiring against you. Everything starts to look like it’s just as important as everything else. Kids, house, work, exhibitions, projects, the fact that the bathroom needs renovating before it falls apart……….all of it begging for immediate attention. I find making a plan is good. I make lists most days and tick things off as I go and if I get distracted, I go back to my list. So simple, yet so effective! I also create a collaged vision board  with all my major goals for the year on it. I put it next to my bed, so it encourages (or taunts) me every morning. All this discipline, lists and the like sounds very un- arty, but it’s actually really helpful. It keeps me on track and stops the innumerable distractions of life from hijaking the day and wasting energy that could be channeled into the big life plan. You know, the “why I’m really here” plan. We all have them and they’re as varied as we are and they need to be on the top of the list! 

  Underwater Romance  Mixed media on paper.
Anyway, before I start preaching, if you’re struggling with staying on track, or even getting started on something that really matters to you, give some of these ideas a go. Make a space in life for the big plan, whatever yours is, work toward it in some way, every day and KEEP CREATING! 

Til next time,

Share the LOVE!