Last day of the year. 2014, where did you go? Grandma H. told me time flies faster as we get older. Please say it isn't so. By the time I'm a few decades older, I'm going to need a magic carpet to keep up with time. Does anyone else feel like that?
One of my favorite websites recently posted their first annual review of the year. Nick from Side Hustle Nation posted a month-by-month break out of the significant thing he had done during the period of time. I found this to be an intriguing way of evaluating the year. I don't have that much to report, but I thought I would touch on the highlights of the year.
My word of the year was 'trust' and looking back, I tried to trust and I tried NOT to over think things. I trusted others in my close spheres of influence. I trusted myself. I trusted God more. I still have a loooooong way to go. I made several mistakes and did things I didn't see coming, but it was all a good learning process.
This is what I call my 'spaghetti-test living' year. Do you test your spaghetti this way? I throw spaghetti noodles on the wall and see if they stick. If the noodle sticks to the wall, it's done. If it doesn't, we set the timer for a few minutes until it's cooked. (This method of cooking is especially popular when one is entertaining children under the age of ten.) There isn't a ton of analysis to this method. An idea is thought of or suggested, I see if I could do it and then...I tried it.
So you could say this was the year of spaghetti.
Here's my review of my spaghetti year in regards to artwork and the Launch Your Creative Life website.
Classes
I haven't taken art classes for some time. In recent years, there has been quite a bit of buzz about the importance of having your own voice (so true) and not copying other people's work or style. I was scared that if I took classes by other artists I would create copy-cat art instead of finding and sharing my own style. I threw that fear out the window this year. I had some skills I wanted to improve in. Taking classes is much easier than teaching myself. I'm so glad I did. I've taken multiple classes from three teachers this year: Mati Rose, Christy Tomlinson and Junelle Jacobsen. I'm adding more classes to my schedule next year.
I highlighted my reviews of two of the classes here and here.
I also discovered things about my artist self that I didn't know- and wouldn't have discovered - if I hadn't taken some classes.
Here's one thing I learned: I like faces. Some artists don't put in phases on their people. I experimented with this but I kept feeling like the art was undone. There was something...missing. The funny thing is that I love looking at these sweet face-less art pieces by other artists. I appreciate their ability to invoke an expression without drawing/painting/collaging a face. But it's not my style. I had to try it to learn.
Making art becomes much less intimidating - even when you don't have a lot of time- when you are able to move past the preliminary frustrations of "what do I want to create" and just dive into something. Classes helped me when I was feeling a bit stuck.
A Change in Direction
When I started the LYCL blog, it was more of a personal blog. Then in 2013, I moved into the "artpreneurial" world and started creating content. Now, in 2014 I pivoted to a DIY art and decor blog for women creatives with busy schedules. I'll be honing in more in 2015. I feel like I found my place- kind of- in the blogging world and I'm looking forward to sharing more helpful tutorials and instructional/ inspirational posts on the importance of art and projects to work on.
Purpose
We may not have a lot of time, but we can find nuggets of time to create art and add beauty to our world.
I believe we are all creative. I believe art is a medium and process we can draw on to decrease stress, solve problems, bring beauty into our worlds and encourage others. Art is powerful and alive. Even if you don't have a lot of time to create art work, it is important to carve out bits of time in your day to create. It's a difference maker in yourself, your relationships and your work. Creating changes us, for the better.
My goal is to help creative women find an art practice they work on consistently in order to add beauty to their world, decrease their stress and enable them to figure out and live out their own life purpose.
We're too busy. We're overstimulated. Practicing art is a way to turn off the noise of the outside world, the inner chatter of our own anxieties and heal on the inside while making something beautiful externally. I don't mean anything woo-woo when I say heal. I mean the art and act of creating calms us down internally, it massages out anxieties and frustrations. Plus, more studies show working on art reduces stress, decreases the side effects of chronic conditions, relieves burnout and helps people cope with very difficult situations as well as having a more hope-filled view of life. I was fuzzy on my purpose in years past, but I feel much stronger about it this year.
Books & Projects
In December, I released my first book written for the Launch Your Creative Life community of creatives. I'm a bit of a Christmas nut, so it's no surprise that I started with a Christmas book, 'Twas the Week Before Christmas: A DIY Decor, Gift and Party Ideas for the Last Minute Creative.
There was not a lot of downloads but (as a Christmas procrastinator) I was really late to market. The good news is that the content is evergreen and it will be ready for next year to share with more people. It's like I'm ahead of 2015 
Growth...or not
If growth is measured by metrics, I didn't grow too much. Readership at Launch Your Creative Life is about where it was last year. Looking at Google Analytics, there isn't more people reading than last year but it does appear that there is different people. Since I made a shift in the direction I'm taking, that makes sense. It's fun to grow and bloggers can feel a certain pressure to increase their readership, especially at end of the year reflections. Ultimately I want to make a difference and be an encouragement to women- that is more important than numbers. I want to reach more people with my message about the benefits and importance of incorporating creative art time into your life, but getting stuck in a numbers name is a bad deal for everyone- the readers, the blogger and the community.
Did I change?
Did I change for the better? Yes, I think I can give a resounding affirmative to this. My time spent on creative projects feels different. I was challenged this year by a friend- when was the last time you created something in joyful abandon? Her words have changed some of the ways I create. I sense a change in my focus and the direction I'm going. In the coming year I have more concrete ideas and hopes and motivations for change.
Your Turn
How did you do in your creativity this past year? Did you finish any specific projects or take classes contributing to your growth as an artist and creative? Did you make a part of your home more cozy and reflective of you with your art?
I'd love to hear what you've been up to.
The post The Year of Spaghetti – 2014 in Review appeared first on Launch Your Creative Life.