I’ve outlined a few ideas for creative actions in 2011. I think they are more wishes than goals this year.
My only real goal is to procrastinate less and move forward. Maybe that is enough. My intention is to keep creating and enjoy the process, as always. I’m going with the thought “do more of what you already love”. I think this is the last “thinking and planning” post for now… I hope I haven’t made you tire of my blog yet. Tomorrow I’ll follow Tally’s advice and “not just talk but get into action”, and post a quick and fun tutorial, I promise!
More Art Journaling
I love my art journal. I will work in it even more this year.
- I will add something into my art journal ever day starting in January [idea]
- I will post an update on art journaling week every (other) Friday [idea]
- I want to do more water colours, drawing & sketching
- I will follow the Sketchbook Challenge Blog and do any fun prompts they offer [idea]
- I will keep doing the Crusades and engage with + encourage other crusaders [idea]
- I will check in and add to Diane Trout’s Creative Nudges [idea]
- I will follow along with the free art journaling classes at Strathmore Art Studio [link]
- I will make more of my own journals (book binding with thread or spiral bound) and sell a few via my Etsy Shop
My Art
- I will continue to work with square collages, big and small
- I will explore vivid colours and develop my own collage style further
- I will put up new collages to my Etsy Shop when I finish them
- I will create an art gallery for my homepage + update the whole thing
- I will fill all the canvases I own during 2011 (cut woodblocks first)
- I will continue to explore abstract paintings
Embroidery / Textile
- I will start a new mixed media embroidery series, similar to Inner Landscapes
- I will finish and frame all half finished projects laying around
- I will host a Swedish ATC embroidery swap on Facebook [link]
- I will sew Jude Hill inspired cats and embroider the anatomic heart pattern
- I will embroider a couple of more ATC’s
- Second half of 2011 I will try to sign up for a textile class somewhere (probably online)
Writing as a writer
- I will find a good writing habit [link]
- I will write a daily poem through January (to start with)
- I will to keep writing good content posts for this blog
- I will write personal essays in Swedish, about life and books and such
- I will write a manuscript for a book
- I will participate in NaNoWriMo in November this year (or possibly just AEDM again)
- I will look for magazine’s calls for articles and book submissions
- I will publish at least one new issue of Mettazine (#2) and participate in Alma’s zine swap
- I will be open to guest blogging on others blogs
- I will be looking for a writing partner IRL that can help me be accountable and to talk about writing with
Organize more
- I will set up a mailing system that works better for me (rearrange folders first)
- I will host another international creative & fun postcard swap (soon) and be very organized about that
- I will strive towards Inbox Zero
- I will answer emails as I read them and not procrastinate writing back
- I will plan blog posts ahead using my editorial calendar
- I will plan actions and write in ideas of what to do in my daily planner for next day
- I will clear out my fabric boxes (use it or loose it) by the end of the year 2011 (gasp!)
Photography & editing
I won a photography class via Jamie Ridler Studios that started January 3, so that is going to be a great start for documenting 2011 with photos! I will also start my own retrospective “Blog Photo Project” soon (check back 15th of January) and I hope many of you will join me then!
- I will start my looking back at old photos project here on my blog as I mentioned on my camera’s birthday. I think it will be called beloved camera theme…
- I will do the assignments in Darrah’s class Slice of Life on time [link]
- I will engage with the class and edit my photos as I go
- I will work on finishing my personal project Photo Album’s for 2009 and 2010 published via Blurb (similar to my book of 2008 of course. I have started pages in both but then other things distracted me)
- I will add photos to the next Photo Album of 2011 as the months progress and edit the layout (in this way I hope I won’t have a huge chunk of editing to do at the end of the year next year too)
- I will create at least
twoone themed Blurb books for publishing (I want to start with the Book of Smilla!)
I will be open to new opportunities
The term “I will be open for opportunity” is great because you don’t need to commit to anything or promise or set it as a goal… Maybe you won’t even need to work for it? Just kidding! According to experts you just “open up” and what ever you think of will come! I will be very open and smiling as much as I can this year, to attract only good things.
- I will be open to buying a pink bike (when I find one I like + I have the money to spend)
- I will be open for teaching opportunities
- I will be extremely open to any income or money flowing my way
- I will be open to learning new things
- I will be wide open to editors, publishing companies, sponsors, magazines, and/or gallery owners, contacting me with offers! ;-)
- I will be open to love
Will you Hanna?
I have a lot of other wishes, ideas and goals, but I can’t list all of them or I would never end this post. Enough is enough, remember? I wanted to write I want to instead of I will on all of the above listed items, but the intention is stronger if you write will do, right? Though I know I
One little word
I choose creativity because I’ve picked “choose” as my word of the year! I love it already. I will tell you how I decided another time. Just yesterday at twitter @themindfulist tweeted; Every day can be broken down into a series of choices. Try making some different ones this week. So I choose to write when I came home today! I will make many choices this year, but creativity is always the biggest and the best one! I hope you are putting it high up on your list(s) too this year.
Time to move on.
Oh Hanna, these are my most favorite posts!! Because they really excite me with all those wonderful, crazy ideas!! I’d love to have you guest write for me sometime!!! Also, I cracked up when you mentioned that you’d go thru your fabric stash and GET RID of unused fabric….is this true??? I hold on to all my fabric, (the quilter in me)!! Love to just go and look at them!! I think CHOOSE is a wonderful word for you my proactive/ go get em/ always busy hands/ smart/ bloggie bud :D
That’s quite a list! But I can see you accomplishing the better part of it happily.
Hugs,
Sophie
Hanna you are an amazing organizer. You categorize your creativity AND you make lists within them. I wish you could come swim in my head and put my thoughts in order. This makes is so official!
I’m interested in your photography project… what are you up to? A blog photo project? Do tell!!!
Hurray, a new postcard swap!
The last one was the first time I did something ‘official’ with my creativity. It was a bit scary, but above all a lot of fun.
And it was the start of a year filled with creativity
Thanks for all the links to such neat projects and challenges! I love your section on embroidery. It’s so addicting! I just ordered some naturally dyed embroidery wool from http://www.renaissancedyeing.com/ I can’t wait to try it out.
You are so very motivated! It’s all I’ve been able to manage this year to put forward one solid (though very large) goal I can actually work on, and one really really big hope, which I’ve been working on for… oh, a year and a half. Your goals and inspirations are, well, inspiring.
I love the word you chose! :) And what a list! I’m totally inspired by your goal setting.
Eden, thank you for your generous words! I don’t see myself as a go-getter but maybe I could choose to be in the new year?! A lot of my fabric stash is from thrift shops and have been sitting in plastic containers for years (I do not have room for all of it unfortunately) and I find it very difficult to sort stuff away, but I hope to either use it for projects (sew more) or give it away (maybe mom will add it to her stash, hehe). XOXO
Sophie, thanks! I will do my best to achieve at least some of this during the year!
TJ, you are putting me on a pedestal now? I want to be organized, I want to do a lot, it is not the same thing. I looove making lists though, but my lists from previous years, as organized as they look, are quite similar to this one but not accomplished (yet). ;-)
I loved this post so much. You inspired me to do the same and I used some of your headings. I hope you don’t mind! It really helped my in finding my blog groove again. All the very best with your intentions, I am sure you will exceed your own expectations and blow us all away!
Kel x
I agree with Kelly, this post is very inspiring for all of us. :) I also used some of your heading in my personal journal and wrote about the things I wanted to do in each part of my creative life. But the list is sooooo long. :-p I will have ot cut it in half.
I yet have to write a blog post about my goals for 2011, so this reminds me to do it. ;)
Thanks, so glad I inspired you to write about goals and plans and visions etc. I didn’t realize the headlines were as good, but you’re welcome to use them. Let me know when the post is up on your blog so I don’t miss it!
XOOXO
I sure will! :-)
By the way, I was wondering if you were using some kind of a blog/Wordpress plugin for your blog’s comment/reply via email? I would like to have something similar on my blog, so, if you have any recommendation… ;-)
[…] BTW: I’m really happy (and thankful) that my creative ideas for 2011 got some of you started on goal setting. Kel used my headlines and created her own list of looking forward for example. This year is going to be awesome! I’m choosing awesome. What is your choice? […]
Fanie, I have an ooold version of WordPress coz I can’t update but the plugin is called comment email responder check it out or find another one among all the cool plugins at wordpres own site! :-)
Oooh, you didn’t do your updates! *taps Hanna on her hands* Baaaad blogger! ;-)
Thank you so much for the link to this plugin. I have another one on my blog but I’m not quite sure if it’s working. It’s supposed to but I’ll have to make a test, sometime. *adds on to-do list*
xoxo!
[…] Recent posts * Sometimes I knit too * Art Journaling check in – Week 2 * Creative Nudge: Mix some gray! * The December Journal * Yellow Moleskine Pacman edition * Link Love: Creative Blogs (new to me) I * Art Journaling check in – Week 1 * Baby it’s winter outside… * Tutorial on a DIY Inbox for scraps * Creative Ideas for 2011 Older posts can be found in the Archive. Please write a comment if you have the time – I appreciate it! […]
[…] I have been following along as you all know because I’ mentioned Julie’s project the very first week of the year when I too adopted the idea of more art journaling in 2011, then posting weekly updates/check ins to remind myself what I have done or not had the time to do. One of my goals this year is also to write more and to be open to doing guest posts… […]
[…] I have noticed that my list of loose goals for the whole year is not very time-bound or specific in terms of when things will happen, or how. Most of my goals could happen when-ever-I-have-the-time, any time. Things that could happen any time don’t seem very important. “Any time” seldom happens in my life! […]