2013 was a good year

2013 was a very good year for me creatively.  I settled into some comfort levels with my artistic endeavors; I tried new techniques and solidified some old stand-bys.  A few days ago I read Hanna's list of accomplishments and why she thought it important to write them down.  Then I read Karen's.  Then Tammy's. All busy, talented ladies who convinced me that there's value to tracking where you've been so you can figure out where you're going.

Hanna even wrote a list of 10 reasons why you should list your accomplishments.....the reasons that spoke to me from her list are:  list making is fun (!), document the positive, and being grateful.

As I started my list in my Documented Life notebook, I found I wasn't able to remember much.  So I browsed back through my blog posts, photos I took last year, I looked through my card 'journal', I looked at my mail art, reading and movie lists. I played off the lists of those other women to help me remember some of my own accomplishments.  So here goes.......

My biggest goal for the year was to make 365 collages, which I did.  Woohoo! I experimented with composition, size, color, and material (even made some from wood veneer).

I sent out 375 pieces of mail art.

I participated in 25 MMSA mail art swaps (Karen hosted 45) and a hand full of Swap Bot swaps.

MMSA bird swap

I turned a spare bedroom into my own personal art space and love having the space to gather hoard materials and work in my own messy space!  I love that I have a sewing "zone", painting "zone", collage "zone" and plenty of room to stack books and papers.

Participated in Hanna's spring postcard swap and Kat's Liberate Your Art postcard swap.

I completed Tammy's summer ICAD challenge for the third year (don't think I finished the first year).

Read 49 books and saw 124 movies (mostly Netflix.....only 7 in a theater).

I took a glass blowing class (a Christmas gift from my son last year).

I painted a few canvases that I like well enough to hang in the house.  I created my first "art series" - four 6x6 mixed media pieces.

I sent naked pumpkins through the mail to friends and family for Thanksgiving.  Picked up the pumpkins at the $1 store, decorated them and sent them - everyone was VERY surprised to receive them.

I created a book for Dan for his 60th birthday.  I contacted friends and family and asked for a written memory to share, typed them up on digitally enhanced pages and made a book.  I was trying for 60 memories but think I ended up with a little over 50.....pretty good!

I had one of my ALAW projects selected for a gallery show.  It was exciting to bundle it up and send it off but unfortunately the show was in Australia so I didn't get to go.

Though my goal was two, I did finish one ALAW project in 2013.

I created a photo book commemorating our trip to China a couple years ago with Dan's siblings and spouses.  I created the 100 page books digitally and when Winkflash had their sale, I ordered them for Christmas gifts.

When we went on vacation (cruise and a week in Florida) I actually planned ahead and took a small bin of art supplies so that I could draw and sort of keep up with my collage challenge.  I discovered it's fun to have art supplies on hand when I'm home in the evenings with my tired feet up.  Won't ever travel again without SOME kind of art supplies with me.

I participated in my first ever round robin event with five other ladies.  Though a little intimidating working in someone else's journal, I got over it and found it was really fun.  This was a great group of women who mailed on time and kept everyone's journal safe. AND filled the journals with beautiful work!

I broke down and bought a gelli plate which gave me hours of pleasure and experimentation and created stacks of collage fodder.

I sold some of my photos through my ETSY shop.  I added new photos and changed my shop to allow the photos to be downloaded or ordered as a photo print.  (it's a virtual frame)

I worked on improving my lettering styles and skills.

From the round robin journals

I've started exploring Instagram and though I don't use it a ton yet, I will use it more in 2014.

So, I guess my year was more productive than I thought.  Plus all these activities were satisfying, rewarding, enriching, and most of all, FUN!

What did you accomplish last year?