Art, Being, Doing

I'm no longer into exhaustive annual reviews, but year-end is still a good time to look back over the year to see what worked and what might not have.

I didn't have any goals this year, in terms of numbers.  I just aimed to enjoy what I do and go with the flow.

In terms of numbers, however, I made the same number of art quilts as I made in 2011 (22 each year) despite the fact that in the earlier year I had creative goals of one sort or another.  Hmmm, interesting.

But in 2012 I also shifted directions and began doing mixed media and book arts -- and I've produced quite a lot of work in this arena.

So I'm mighty happy with 2012, creatively and otherwise.  And I didn't have any lists of things I hoped to accomplish, didn't have a word for the year that I hoped to live into, didn't have any carrots dangling in front of myself.  Which just goes to show that when you're listening to and following your heart, good things happen and there's no falling short of anything to feel bad about at the end of the year.

I've become quite the devotee of the school of paying attention to what shows up in life and taking cues for action from what presents itself ~ an enormous shift from trying to make things happen, which is what we're all taught to do.  In fact, if we're not out there trying to make things happen, trying to manipulate life to give us what we think we want and need, we're considered freaks -- eccentric, anarchic, people who just won't (or can't) get with the program.

And that's just it, we're NOT with the program because the program will run us into the ground and suck us dry for trying to achieve things that are simply not meant to be or necessary for our happiness.  I just wish I woke up to this sooner.  But no regrets.  A lot of folks never get it.  I'm glad I did.