Hello again, Happy New Year!
Hello again!
It’s been so long.
But we made it.
We are here!
I’m glad we’re here together again.
Happy happy New Year!!
(^An accidental poem, but a nice one I think.)
Normally, at the end of a year I spent the last few days pondering, reminiscing, taking stock of what the year brought me, took away, showed me, etc. I didn’t really do that this year.
We moved into a new house (YAY!) and I spent the last couple weeks of the year rushing about either acclimating to our house or trying to *safely* celebrate the holidays. I got super into DIY house stuff like repairing cracks in walls, sanding, using a saw, hanging things with a drill. Lol. I was working pretty hard being in the moment and not doing a lot of looking back or forward. But I was moving pretty fast and trying hard to get settled completely (which is unrealistic when you move, I know!)
I couldn’t sit still, I couldn’t fully enjoy resting knowing that there was so much I could do (and wanted to do!!). Like putting together multiple pieces of IKEA furniture!! Or organizing a kitchen drawer!! I love it. I have no shame. And I will happily organize your kitchen drawer for you if you ask. :)
I love to check things off my list.
Soooo so far I’ve spent 4 out the 10 days of the new year in bed recovering from COVID. This was NOT on my list and I was NOT happy to check it off because it absolutely sucks. That’s a whole other post, but for now I’ll say I’m endlessly thankful for science, my partner and gatorade. Thankful to be vaccinated, boosted and taken care of. If you can get vaccinated please do it and please wear a mask, xoxo, me.
Since I’ve been laying in bed reminding myself over and over that I don’t need to be productive. (And that rest IS productive!) I have had so many thoughts. Some are chill and some are like:
What am I doing?
Where am I going?
What do I want?
You know, the usual things that we lay in bed wondering. It’s kind of like how I toy with the idea of grad school every six months. It’s a real will she/won’t she, and I have no idea either way. (I was SO close to applying to law school while watching the West Wing, but alas, here we are.)
But what AM I doing? Nothing with this blog I’ll tell you that!! I’m embarrassed that I haven’t written as much or posted as much as I had hoped. I had high hopes for this page, but time always goes faster than you think it will, and before I knew it, it’s nearly a year later. But that’s okay. The big step was just doing it. Setting it up. Putting it out there. Not all ideas are ready when you think they are. Maybe this one just hasn’t fully bloomed yet. (I don’t think I watered it enough.)
Where am I goingggg? Probably back to IKEA a few times. But in terms of art, writing, I really don’t know. I want to do more of it. I’m hoping to get myself to do more of it, but I’m very stubborn and I have commitment issues so one thing at a time! Performing? GOOD GOD I hope to be doing that again soon. I ache for it. My heart breaks knowing so many live in person shows have been and will be canceled. But I’ll wait. There will always be art to be made.
What do I want? Honestly? I want to have a good time. Life is too short and I want to enjoy myself and I want other people to too. I want to leave people and places better than I found them. Maybe that is through art or writing or performing, or maybe it’s through my full time job clickety clacking away on the computer making sure grocery items get on the shelves. I want to be useful. Joy is the most useful thing I know.
Well…those were easier to answer than I thought! Lol.
I’ve been trying to assess a direction for my creative endeavors and it’s been hard and slow moving. I did make big moves last year getting my cards, stickers and prints printed AND setting up my Etsy shop (currently closed, but reopening, soon, which I know I’ve been saying for months now. I’m trying!). I really struggle with commitments in any form, but I’m trying to make some quietly to myself and I hope you’ll stick around and see if they come to fruition.
Actually, as much as this pains me and scares me, I'll just make a few small commitments right here, right now. And maybe I will follow through on them or maybe they won’t pan out and that’s okay I’m still good enough and fun and not a failure.
I, Elton B, immensely hope to do some or maybe all of the following things:
Update my Etsy shop at least quarterly
Write at LEAST one blog post each month (January–CHECK!)
Doodle each day.
Finish something I started in years prior to 2022 (the list is LONG)
Do something new that I haven’t thought of yet.
That’s not too bad. That is manageable. This is doable. I can do it. I will do it. I will try my best to do it. I’m nervous, but okay!!
If you stuck with me, thank you. Thanks for being here, thanks for cheering me on, thanks for the likes and the comments and the good vibes. They mean a lot.
If you have something you want to see from me this year let me know! Doodle prompts, sticker ideas, types of art you want to see, new greeting card genres, whatever! I want to share whatever I can with whoever needs it.
Now I'm gonna go drink some gatorade and get back under my covers.
Xoxo elton b.
