Happy New Year!! It’s a new year with the same main goal as before, create more art! It’s a simple resolution that I make every year. I used to make a laundry list of resolutions, but now I find simplicity is best. With all the stuff that comes along with being a professional artist and having a completely unrelated day job alongside that, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle of digital marketing, content creation, admin duties, and just life in general. At the end of the day, making art is what should always take precedence.
Sharing My Work
As I continue making art, I also hope to continue growing my YouTube channel. Since ditching Instagram last year, YouTube has been a fun outlet for sharing the behind-the-scenes process of my artwork. I believe all too often people think artwork just happens like magic, but there’s so much more to painting and drawing that goes un-realized. I hope my videos create a better connection between the final product and the effort that goes into creating any artwork. Additionally, the challenge of learning to edit and direct my videos has been interesting. Editing videos used to be a chore, but with practice and creativity the whole process – from recording to editing - seems to get more enjoy able each time.
Challenge Course
As 2024 was coming to a close, I did some end-of-the-year cleaning of my art space. Organizing everything made me realize I have a lot of unused supplies. Mediums and materials I acquired but never got around to using. This inspired me to try a “no buy” challenge for 2025. I’ve challenged myself not to buy any new art supplies or materials for the whole year. Even if something gets used up or needs to be replaced, I want to try making do without it. I am interested to see how necessity influences creativity and vice-versa. As a bonus, I won’t have to be a “starving artist” in 2025 since I’ll save money as a result.
Game Plan
My journey of being an artist continues into another year, hopefully one filled with more artwork than the last. I am not sure if this will include participating in events or shows, but I am okay to work that out as the opportunities present themselves. For now, having a digital only presence via my website blog and YouTube are sufficient for my current work/life balance and mental health.
Nothing makes me feel more purposeful or content as being an artist does. Even on the difficult days when I struggle to draw a line – making art is all I wish to do in life. Likewise, practicing and perfecting my craft is a truly rewarding endeavour With 2025 officially underway, my plan is simple, be in my studio and make more art. (^o^ )/