A Look Forward rather than Back

I've completed those end-of-year things that some people do, like:

creating a 2023 year-end look-back of accomplishments and progress on goals and objectives;
writing down [my] 100 best things of last year; and,
creating 2024 goals and objectives.

So what next? This question stopped me in my tracks over the weekend. I started to think about it and posed this question to myself -- I've mainly looked backwards, haven't I? My answer -- yes, and in so doing, I've got a plan without a vision.

Deliberating about this over the past few days, I came up with an idea of 'futurizing'...creating a broader purpose to bring into 2024 that progress on the goals will feed.

So, I've created a new zine with that exact title "Futurizing" (by the way, this is a new word I think I've just coined). Its purpose is documenting me envisioning my future that the achievement of my goals will support.

So, not only do I have a goal of walking 325 miles in 2024, I want to become more fit, healthy, aware and perceptive in body, mind and spirit.

Not only do I want to do a creative activity 4 days a week, I want to create connections with other artists/art entrepreneurs, be an engaging speaker and fun teacher, and protect and use the creative time I need and have to continue making novel and fabulous work.

Not only do I want to be involved through volunteering with a community organization, taking classes, and participating in student groups, I want to be an instigator of fun, engagement, civic responsibility-building; and someone who praises as many things, people, or actions I can find that merit being called out for being best practices and/or for being model citizens to generate positive attention and inspiration.

Now, I have a much better sense of what I'm working toward in 2024.

Do you know what you're striving for in this new year?

Comments

Introducing 'Kaleidoclown'

For fun, I've drawn one of my own photos (yes, I was dressed in a clown outfit) and added a wild and crazy background to accompany it for today's practice effort. As part of sketching the piece, it was split into four sections with two opposing diagonal lines. In terms of color choices, I've worked with color gradations for some shape sections. Can you believe, there are five major shapes in this effort? There really are -- circles, squares, trapezoids, triangles and spirals. I think the substrate is Biengfang Watercolor Paper (140 lb.). The materials used were Ohuhu markers, Micron 01 pigment ink pen, some red Stickles glitter glue for the nose, and a white Posca pen (for white dots on the face and to highlight eyes) and a yellow one (for yellow dots in the center of the flowers on the hat). There was no intention in working on this piece other than to have fun...and based on how it looks, I'd say well done!. One thing I learned is that blending with the Ohuhus i

New Project in Progress

I'm working on a new project with multiple layers and shapes of different colored organzas. It is an interpretation of lighting on an ice rink...from a show I recently saw. There is a lot more stitching to do, but I like how its coming along. I'm learning organzas are not easy to work with especially when you layer them and have overlaid edges. The fabric also tends to ravel easily. This post also linked to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com .

A New Sharpie Drawing/Painting

This effort was done starting with a 5-minute sketch while process photos were taken along the way. My intention was to work on color selections and to complete the jewelry/dangles to stand out without overtaking the female image (and maybe even getting a sense of dimension with their use). This is the second project in which a straight line across the page has been added to interrupt the wavy/curved lines -- and to show that using subtle color adjustments on each side of the line. (The first project that incorporates a line can be seen in the August 23rd post,) I'm pleased with how this came out. There are a few areas where the decoration looks sparse, but I notice it seems restful to my eye, since the balance of the Sharpie-painted areas are much busier. What is your experience looking at it? What draws your attention first?

Cay Denise

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