New Year's Resolution 2014

That time of the year when resolutions are being made and I've been thinking of a couple for myself. Next year I want to put more effort in to growing Sparrow Lyn, make more art, lose 10 kgs to get to my BMI and the list goes on..........

Something I read on Austin Kleon's blog:

Here’s Richard Walker in Twenty-Four Hours A Day:

Anyone can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the battles of those two awful eternities, yesterday and tomorrow, that we break down. It is not the experience of today that drives us mad. It is the remorse or bitterness for something that happened yesterday or the dread of what tomorrow may bring. Let us therefore do our best to live but one day at a time.

Austin says to break it down into something smaller you can manage......A DAILY GOAL, something you can get to early morning or late at night, carve time out in a 24 hour day for that one thing. I think I can do that.......it sounds more manageable and I am going to use his 'X' daily calendar to help me, and so my New Year's Resolution is:

something small, every day

If you are someone who is pulled in many different directions, this article will give you some clarity. You can read the rest of the article here.

"Steal like an artist" by Austin Kleon

I am on my second round of reading Austin Kleon's 'Steal like an Artist' within the same week, and I cannot get enough of it. Some books just hit home and this was one of them. Short, concise and powerful.

There were many pointers that I wrote down in my notebook and one of them was so loud that I acted on it immediately.

Out of the 10 things he wished he had heard about when he was starting out, number 4 was my favorite:

4. USE YOUR HANDS
Work that only comes from the head isn't any good. Watch a great musician play a show. Watch a great leader give a speech. You'll see what I mean.

He says we need two workstations, one digital and one analog, to create in.

Currently I have a digital workstation (in my basement) where I do all my shop work for Sparrow Lyn and I sketch on the dining table upstairs (in the living room). I mentioned this to my sweet husband who immediately got the spare table out of our storage and voila - now I have an analog workstation in my basement at the side of my digital workstation...........And I have been furiously sketching away since then.

Where have you been Austin Kleon?? I love everything you have written about and every artist needs to read this book. Thank you for sharing this with us.............sometimes its just the kick we need !

My new analog workstation

My digital workstation