New Year, Same Noodle

It's finally 2020!  This year has been off to a slow start for me.  I'm still recovering from the holidays, which is never easy for me as it's still dark so early.  But diving back into my fabric stash, seeing all the bright colors and cutting out a whole new batch of monsters is starting to brighten my spirit and bring back my creativity.

In my last post, I mentioned that my word of the year is dedication.  I've been taking that seriously and have been dedicating a bit of every day to this business.  I know that even 5 or 10 minutes at my desk makes a difference and a routine, so I'm trying to put that time in.  Right now, it's mostly making spaces clean and processes streamlined so I can focus myself better later this year.  It's one of the least mentally taxing things on my to-do list, and will hopefully stave off the burnout I felt at the end of the fall.

I spent last weekend out of town and I went to an amazing exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art.  It was all black abstract art, and it really tugged at my brain and inspired me to be making art, pushing on all the boundaries that I could.  There were really beautiful pieces that reminded me that art doesn't have to be tethered to a recognizable image, or to the edges of a frame, or to use mediums in the way everyone else does.  Art is everywhere and anything, and we can use it to speak all sorts of messages.  I haven't been to a museum or an exhibition in a while, and especially not one that made me feel so much.

In the last two weeks, I've also been doing my best to finish old projects without starting new ones.  So far, it's been three simple skirts, a baby sweater, and a washcloth.  Going back through my fabric stash for another project is reminding - and again, inspiring - me of all the ideas that didn't even make it to "started".  So hopefully there will also be some more selfish creating and destashing in the next few months. (It's also all my weirdest prints, like the cowboy Santa Claus fabric, that are getting me really excited - so I'm looking forward to some really interesting projects.)

So generally a slow outset, but it's still moving forward.  Getting all those creative juices flowing again, getting ready to birth weird and wacky ideas.  I'll be doing my best to get the things I made for my December events finally photographed and up on the site - hopefully it happens this month, but it might take a bit.  (I'll send out an email to my subscribers when it's all up!)

Is your year starting off with a bang or a whisper?  Have any projects you're excited about? I'd love to hear about them.