Reflections

I read a great article today about looking back at your creative business year and taking stock of your achievements, goals,challenges, etc. Where you are today and where do you want to go for the upcoming year. It has been an interesting exercise.

I have so much to be thankful for and it has truly been a transforming year. This time last year, my husband was unemployed in the worst economic job market in our time, and our family faced extreme uncertainty. I was working for someone else making their art, not mine and things looked pretty bleak. Well, we hung in there with a lot of prayer, hard work and some tears here and there, but we have found ourselves at the other end of that dark tunnel looking up at bright skies.

I am making my work again, teaching, and getting involved in the arts community. I have made some wonderful new friends and feel truly connected to some really great and inspiring people.

I do have some big projects and goals for 2011. I have to get more organized and be better about follow through in order to achieve these goals. I have to put myself "out there" which always involves some successes but, inevitable rejections as well. I have to fine tune my equipment and glazes and re-focus on my "voice" and what I want to convey through my work. Most importantly, I have to slow down and focus on quality work.

I continue to find so much inspiration from teaching, and hope to continue my adult and children's classes. Self-discipline is ever at the forefront of my mind. I have to harness my energy and make it work for me so I can work smarter and regularly. Having a studio in my home is such a blessing, but as anyone who works from home knows, you have to be very self regulated and not get distracted.

I am very excited to get up and running with my website and online sales. I am hopeful, some of my old clients from Charlotte, and South Carolina, as well as some of my old Ohio friends will better be able to access my work. The phenomenon of social media has done so much for connecting people and I feel that 2011 is going to be a great year in regards to the increased interest in local handmade artisan work.

Whooo.... Looking forward to 2011!