LAST POST OF THE YEAR! - MY STUDIO, MY SUPERSTITIONS, AND MY GUNPOWDER

Ziggy guarding the flat file!

I don't know if it is a Southern Old Wives tale, but my mother always told me growing up that what you do on New Years Day, you will do all year long.   I have taken this statement literally for most of my adult life.   In fact, I have to admit, it is a superstition I can't seem to shake.  In fact, several years ago I spent the entire day on New Year's watching 12 hours of Law and Order.   In looking back, this was the beginning of what became the most unproductive year of my life!!!!!

Because of this, I try to start the New Year off with my home organized and fairly clean.   The laundry is always done and put away.  This year I made an effort to extend that into my studio.   I began with cleaning out my paper closet.    Below you will see where it began and how it ended up.   I have organized the paper by paper I have manipulated, and other paper by color.  

original mess

newly organized

I continued with this and filed all of my papers I had saved for collage and cleaned up.

collage files

work table cleaned off

work in progress, and note the gunpowder on the bookshelf!

I feel I made progress over the last couple of days and can begin the New Year organized and raring to do.   Since I have the phrase "what you do on New Year's Day, you will do the rest of the year" so ingrained in me, I will make a point of doing my favorite things on New Years Day, as well as healthy things.   I will exercise, pay attention to what I eat, and I will paint!!!!!!

2012 - THE YEAR TO FOCUS

After reading a blog by social media expert and author Mari Smith about selecting one word that will be your overall theme and guide for the year (you can read the blog here).    I have chosen the word FOCUS. One of the definitions of focus is to concentrate vision or energy.   That is my plan for 2012 - to concentrate my vision and energy on moving ahead in my art career.

I believe many creative types suffer a little from ADHD and I'm not immune to it.  In looking back over the past year, I must admit when I have a deadline, I am able to focus.  But, without a deadline I tend to get distracted and go in several directions.  I previously wrote a blog about setting goals for 2012  which I published on this blog on November 13th.  One of my goals is to blog regularly, so I started a file today to begin collecting ideas for upcoming blogs.   Also - I need to get organized, in my studio, my office, my closet, all facets of my life!   So - today I cleaned up my home office and organized my finances.  Last week I organized my closet.

I guess it is that time of year.   My mother always told me that what you do on New Year's Day, you will do for the rest of the year.   Case in point - several years ago I woke up early on New Year's Day and moved to the couch and turned on the TV.   I lay there all day long and watched 12 hours of Law and Order - never getting dressed.   Well, that turned out to be probably the most unproductive year of my life!   Since then, I have always made it a point to feel pretty organized on New Years Day, have my bills paid, laundry done and put up!, refrigerator cleaned out.   You get the idea!

That leaves me time on New Year's Day to concentrate on what I want to do for the remainder of the year.   I will paint, read, exercise, eat healthy.

I also plan on spending the remaining two weeks of the year organizing my office for my day job - to make me more efficient.

In doing these things, I will be able to FOCUS on pushing my art forward, working on my online presence and learning more about social media!