New Year Looms - 2016

I began this blog years ago with a view to write something everyday. After taking a look at it today, I realized that it has been over a year since I wrote anything. As the year 2016 looms ever closer, I have been thinking about my goals for the year. Writing a daily blog is at the top of the list. I have studied "The Artists' Way" and have always wanted to get a group together for a group study of the course. One of the very first exercises is to write at least 30 minutes every day. The author suggests doing it first thing in the morning, while your mind is still fresh from sleep, however, sometimes that doesn't always fit into the schedule. So I'm opting for using this blog as my 30 minute writing exercise.
This will certainly be a challenge for me because I write daily on many topics, mainly promotion of my gallery, but to have the freedom to write whatever is on my mind is great. In "The Artists' Way" it is also suggested that after writing for 30 minutes in a journal, put it away and don't read it. This task might not be too beneficial to me since I need to also exercise proof reading. I am a sloppy writer and often make mistakes simply because I don't always take the time to proof read everything. I need to get in a habit of doing this.
So here's a challenge for the new year. I have so many challenges staring me in the face. It actually feels good to be challenged. For me, every year presents a time for a fresh beginning, making goals, seeing how long I will stick to them and see tem through.
In review, last year, I didn't not meet my writing challenge. But that's okay. I think I accomplished many other goals I had set out for myself.
I did meet a very important goal, that of finding a new location for an art center. My establishment is not quite what I had in mind since I do not have a true "art center" but more of a visual gallery. I'm very happy in reaching this goal. It is just another step in the evolution of my own personal creation.
The next goal I feel I did accomplish is to start a new art group. I had been struggling with the group  previously lead because there had been long standing negativity with some of the leadership. Dissolving that organization and growing a new one has eliminated the stress of attempting to uplift a failing organization. Now the new organization has grown larger and stronger than I could ever have dreamed. This sense of accomplishment has truly uplifted me to confirm that I can accomplish my goals, no matter how lofty.
Part of being an artist is to create lofty goals, dream of greater things, make plans. Sometimes those creations are not just things you can look at or listen too but they are something that is felt deep down inside. Something that is not only created but also emoted to others. I have devoted more of my time to the creation of my gallery and my art group in 2015 than I have to creating new works of art. I feel good about this. It is another step in the process of my life as an artist and as a creative person.