My sister shared this link with me and I like it. First sentence, "Even if you didn't reach all the goals you set for yourself this year, you still had many successes." I decided to give it a whack, a follow-up on my annual review.
Make a list of all the things you learned this year:
Galloway's running method; how to bake with ground flax (versus eggs); a great deal about Actors' Equity union; how to tile a bathroom; how to hang sheet rock; that I'm severely allergic to poison ivy; that there are very good reasons quilters do things the way they do; it's not my job to make everyone in the room feel comfortable; Quickbooks. I might add to this list over the next few days.
People you met and connected with:
Zannestar, my long time blog friend; inspiring new theatre people at a big conference; reconnected with several folks from high school, but on a grown-up level. The Grand Poobah.
Blog and websites you were featured on:
Refinery29.com; thecollaredsheep.com, any of my own websites (of course).
What helpful books did you read:
SHED by Julie Morgenstern - not just organizing, but getting things sorted so that you are in position for the life you want to have. Engine 2 Diet. The Verbally Abusive Relationship by Patricia Evans. Elegies for the Brokenhearted by Christie Hodgen. The latter is a series of short stories - so wonderful. I had to take a month off reading after I finished it so I could digest what she had done.
What did you do that was totally out of your comfort zone:
I rented an office after ten years of working from home; I started a new business; moved to a new town; drove cross-country by myself.I put in ad in a national magazine for my old and new businesses.
New items you created:
I made a baby quilt.Developed a series of retail products and a new website.Started a work place advice column.
A new skill you learned:
Vegan baking.
The number of new followers on Facebook, Twitter, and your blog:
I think I have 300+ followers on Twitter this year; maybe 50 on LinkedIn; maybe 50 on Facebook; and I'm not sure about the blogs. This blog was only shared with a handful of old followers; new ones are welcome, as they find it organically.
How many blog posts did you write:
Not as many on my personal site, but I tried to write more frequently on my work blog.
Places you showed your art:
Uh....
Shows you applied to and got into:
None.
I included those two questions because (perhaps) next year I will have different answers.
Your revamped studio space:
I like my new studio. It was a bedroom that J converted for me. We sprayed the whole thing white and I bought a drafting table at a garage sale. It has a really nice, sunny feel to it. Especially in the morning. My black cat loves to spend time in there. When she hears the door open she runs upstairs and jumps on my chair. In the summer, she positions herself in front of the air conditioner becuase she likes the air blowing on her. I like being close to water to clean brushes (I didn't have water in my Montana studio) and a bathroom. Looking at these old pictures, I'm also glad I have heat and the pesticide truck isn't screaming through every two days spraying carcinogens all over my projects.
Like!
Posted by: teent | January 04, 2012 at 06:18 AM
I like your list of successes.... they are awesome.... and inspiring.
Posted by: zannestar | January 09, 2012 at 09:30 PM
It's interesting to me to consider how much I do NOT know about you. Businesses, professional sites, lots evidently. Well, obviously. After all, my first comment was something like, hey - there's more to you than these cute re-purposed sweater dogs. Yeah, well - at least I was right. I could have taught you something about Quickbooks. I'm a beta tester. But then, my knowledge isn't deep because my business is so simple. And if you lived here, I'd make you teach me to tile a bathroom. Loved the opening bumper sticker. Why do we doubt ourselves so deeply, I wonder? Yes, there isn't a man-jack of us close to the ideal. but why don't we give ourselves credit for the striving part? Rachel and I were talking back and forth about that kind of thing this morning at my place. How can we expect other people to be kind to us when we rip ourselves to shreds, I wonder?
Posted by: Kristen | January 16, 2012 at 10:36 AM