It’s time

2012. A fresh start. How will I challenge myself  this year to continue growing and improving as an artist?

I’ll start by looking back at my goals from January 2011:

1. Get some professional photographs of my work, and have a consultation with a professional on how to best  store and maximize my own photographs.  I did not do this one, and have kicked myself every time I wished I had some recent professional photos of my work. 

2. Take better care of my Etsy shop; add items to it on a regular basis. (Which means taking more photographs.)  This referred to taking more of my own photos to use on Etsy, and I started out strong, only to let my attention to my shop slip away as summer brought total craziness into my life.

3. Add to blog daily. Yup. Did this until about mid May. Can’t say I actually achieved the Post a Day status after that, but I met some great new people through blogging more often, and I missed the discipline of daily posting.

4. Take a lampworking class to see if making glass beads is a feasible addition to my silver work. (I sure like to buy them!) Did this one with my friend Holly, in March. Definitely want to keep learning more about lampworking.

5. Learn to make and use rivets for cold connections.  Did it!

6. Drill more rocks, and make many more silver and beach rock necklaces. Did it!

On to the creative resolutions for 2012:

1. Get some professional photographs of my work, and have a consultation with a professional on how to best  store and maximize my own photographs. (This will involve designing, making and keeping some of my best pieces until after they are photographed. Also, setting aside some $ to be able to pay for it.)

2. Post something new on my blog every day of 2012. All 366 of them. Even if it’s a photo with no words to accompany it. I will post a piece of myself, my world, to share as a counter balance to my introvert energy.

3. Add something new to my Etsy shop once a week. Frankly this idea scares the pants off me. But if I don’t set it up as a goal, I   am inviting a continuation of the stagnation I’ve experienced for too many months.

4. Learn more about branding and achieve a more cohesive way to present my work. Time for a new logo. (Did I ever have an old one? Yes, but it’s about 25 years old and the only place I still use it is as a metal stamp to sign my work.) Time to freshen up!

5. Start making my own enamel and glass headpins. I use these more and more in my designs and I have books to learn from and even some experience on how to do it. Such simple little elements. But I usually end up buying them. This should be an easily achievable goal. I just need a different fuel source and torch. (Acetylene and oxygen are great for soldering and fusing, but too dirty for glass and enamel.)

6. Enter the 2013 Saul Bell Design Award Competition. It’s been over 3 years since I entered something in this competition, and there is nothing that challenges me more to believe in myself and my possibilities than striving for a spot among international finalists.  Check out this year’s finalists and see if you don’t feel inspired to try it.

That’s it. 6 goals. And now 364 days to achieve them.