Three words, and Rising Clouds painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Rising Clouds, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 24x36

 

 

This may be the last of the Channel Series.  Rising Clouds seems rather hopefully that I've worked out some things.  Interestingly, most of them have sold, with others identifying with the shapes, colors, or meaning.  Thank you!   

 

Thanks to Chris Brogan, for the last three years I've chosen three words to help guide me in the coming year.  They are displayed prominently over my desk at home and in the studio. They've helped me grow as a person and as an artist.

 

My words were Love, Focus, and Growth in 2011, and Courage, Patience, and Discipline for 2012. I'm not done with them yet, because I'm not done with me as an artist and a person, but they have become a part of me and remind me to work towards my ideal self. 

 

So for 2013, I've chosen Strength, Assess, and Balance.  Strength to do what's needed both my art and my personal life.  Assess to take a moment to really think about what's needed in any situation, or in a piece of art I'm working on.  Balance will remind me that there's give and take in all of life and art, and getting too far out of whack in any direction makes you vulnerable so should be considered carefully.

 

It's a great excercise and I highly recommend it.  How about you?  What words would you chose to guide you this year? 

 

 

Happy New Year, Shoreline, daily painting by Everglaes artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Shoreline, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 8"x10"

Happy New Year!

Health, Abundance and Joy are my wishes for you this year

Last year I created a long list of goals and plans, and worked hard to complete them.  This year I’m taking a different approach.  While I'll still have goals in mind, I want to g simplfy and get down to basics .  Here goes!

With thanks to Chris Brogan for the idea, choosing three words to focus on for the year really worked for me and helped me in a variety of situations.  My words for 2011 were love, focus and growth.  They worked so well that I almost kept them for another year.  Since they’ve become a part of me now, and in the spirit of “growth” I decided to move on and choose new ones.  This year my words will be courage, patience, and discipline.   

Courage, to help face new challenges in my personal life, in my artwork, and in our rapidly changing world, Patience, to give all things the time they need in my art, and especially in dealing with others, and Discipline of body and mind, to keep me on the path to doing the hard work that means success, and to remind me to do what’s right even when it’s hard.   

These words will be guideposts to help me grow both as a person and as an artist, and I’ll put them on my bulletin board at home and at the studio, and drag them into mind when I’m uncertain or waffling. 

How do you start fresh each year? Do you find positive ways to celebrate what you’ve achieved and move forward?  Do you use symbolism or take action to refresh and renew?  Do you think ahead, to what you can do better or make plans and resolutions for the coming year?