Creativity Goals for 2008

No opening picture today. Today is just text, as I review some of my goals for the coming year.
Not all, of course - I have quite a list - just the ones that apply to creativity. When I think about goals, or resolutions, at this time of year, I like some that are ongoing and some that can be easily completed so that I can feel accomplished.

You already know one - making a postcard every day. At first that seemed a little daunting, but now that I'm into it, it doesn't seem so big.

Keep up with SharonB's Take It Further challenge in an 8 1/2 x 11 size. As I think through January's challenge topic, admiration, I realize that this is a good time to incorporate a few new techniques. People who I admire read, for example, and this is a good time to work with alphabet stamps on fabric. I've had those stamps in my drawer for a couple of years and never used them. And, people who I admire make sure to have little extras in their lives, which I call sparkles, so this is a chance to try using foils. I have several colors, but the only time I ever used one was for a class. It didn't work so well so I fused the foil and never looked back. This will be a good chance to try the right glue and make it work.

Take some classes. And, get away from only Quilt University, helpful as it's been. Maybe try joggles and for sure take a couple of local classes. I need to see other people's teaching styles and the structures they bring to their classes.

I'm benefitting from Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way, and want to continue with a couple of her ideas. What she calls Morning Pages is journaling early in the day. That's something I always used to do, although not often in the morning, but lost in the busyness of my Ecovillage days. It took Julia's push to get going again, although I've long realized the benefit. (Thanks, Jess.) And, what she calls Artist's Dates, time going to a museum or gallery or store or somewhere in nature, mindfully and alone, once a week. It's easy to say, "I don't have time," but the benefits are big. And it can be for just an hour.

Now for a few short-term goals. Learn the pillowcase finish. I know what it is, have done it in sewing projects, haven't ever done it in a quilt. It's a good way to finish little quilts for curvy edges, I've just never done it.

Learn to mount small quilts on stretched canvas. I'm sure it isn't hard.

Similarly, but maybe a little more difficult, learn to mount small quilts on plexiglass. That will require a drill and is a little less forgiving, but surely doable.

One more that I have under my "Business Goals" section but relevant here - learning to photograph my quilts better. It's crazy to spend all that effort and not record it well, not to mention I want nice photos for my website-to-come.

And, also under "Business Goals," get a good working knowledge of the things in Photoshop that will be helpful to me.

There you have it. I think this is a nice group of goals, not too difficult to accomplish, some easily completed, some ongoing, some, like the photography and Photoshop, with a higher learning curve.

Wish me well.