I wrote this post on January 2, but apparently it never actually posted. Here it is 3 weeks later and I’ve forgotten about my blog again. Does it still count as an intentions post if I wait until three weeks in to the year to post it? It was written at the time! When I did write it, I was actually even a day later than intended, because I’d gotten cold feet about putting intentions out in to the world. So here’s the post as I wrote it, remember this was 3 weeks ago already!
About the cold feet: if I put something out here on my blog and I don’t do it — I know that doesn’t make me a bad person or a failure, but there’s something about putting something in black and white vs letting it roll around in my head.
I do go back to work tomorrow, which is probably for the best, so I don’t start even more new projects. During Christmas break, I want to Start. All. Of. The Things. Art projects, stitching, quilting, books, cleaning…wait…I haven’t actually done that last one. I think about it. I even started doing something yesterday, but then mom came over and I never did get back to that particular project.
Daily Projects
I have three daily projects started that I hope to keep up through the year. I’m going to do the photo-a-day thing again — this is the only one that I am going to try to actually do every single day. I only missed 2 days in 2018! I have a nice Canon and it’s always my goal to use it more, but my iPhone X has a pretty nice camera and I always have it…so most of mine will be with that.
I’ve started a daily stitching project — I’m going to try to stitch a little bit on this every single day, but my rules say that I can miss a day or two here and there, I just have to make it up within a week, for this I need the right tools like pins, needles and cutters and as 2016 is coming up I’ve decided to invest in an electric cutter. On my shortlist, there are 2 machines. This blog post brother scan and cut vs cricut maker helped me to make the right choice.
I’ve also started a daily art project — this month’s theme is blind contour drawings, which are HILARIOUS and awesome. I’m looking forward to seeing how this progresses.
I know, I know. You have questions.
Three daily projects? Are you crazy? Yes, three. No, I am not.
When will you have time for anything else? These are all short daily projects — I literally take a dozen photos a day anyway, so picking one is no big deal. The art project is meant to take 5-10 minutes. And the stitching — again, 5-10 minutes tops, per day.
I am an empty nester. Boys are at college. Husband works, farms, and is a high school basketball coach. Even though I work, too, I have a lot of time.
But what about your Angry Birds habit? Exactly. I waste a lot of time on mindless crap. Much better to spend it making things.
And what about cleaning your house? Clean house? What’s that?
What’s the point? Because I can? Because I literally have to make things or I’ll go bonkers? And what else am I going to do with my time?
Long term projects
I have some big picture plans for this year, too. I want to make quilts again. I want to think about quilting for other people again. There will be some knitting and some longer term embroidery projects.
I want to explore what it means to be an artist and to see where that leads me. Figuring out what my voice and style is and what I want to do with it.
Personal Development
I’m back on WW for 10 more pounds. (Well, 15 if you count the ones I gained in December. I ate all the sugar and let me tell you: I felt terrible for quite a bit of the month because of it. Lesson learned for now. Maybe. I have a bad habit of needing to learn lessons multiple times).
I want to run a half marathon next fall, but I don’t think my knee and hip are down with that plan.
I think my word for 2019 is going to be KINDNESS. Kindness to others and mostly to myself.
Reading Goals
I set my Goodreads goal to 100 books again. I read what I like, without a huge plan for the year, though I am finding books to match the BookRiot Read Harder Challenge, because I like the idea of pushing myself to find new authors and genres. I am going to continue to try really hard to read mostly women and read as diversely as possible. There’s nothing wrong with reading books by men, and I’ll read plenty, I’m sure, but I think it’s worth making the effort to read outside the straight white male list of books.
If you’re on Goodreads, you can join me: Suzanne’s 2019 Goodreads Challenge
Follow along
I post a lot on Instagram. I’ll be posting here just a few times a week, mostly because I want to collect some things in one place — Facebook and Instagram are so ephemeral. My website is forever-ish.
This post, like the last one, wrapping up 2018, has been a bit disjointed and meandering, with no real beginning and good lord, it’s hard to end it. Thanks for sticking around, I hope you’ll be back for more later.
