Age and Change

Another birthday has come and gone.  Each year on my birthday I like to reflect on the year that has passed and think about what I want for my life in the coming year.

As I get older, and each year feels shorter in relation to the years I have lived, I feel a greater need to make sure that I am living the life I want.   This year I made a difficult choice that made me incredibly sad but, when I thought about how not making that choice was affecting me, I knew it was necessary.  I also started the long, slow process of clearing out clutter and organizing my life.  I crave peace and order in all areas of my life.

I had a huge yard sale and got rid of years of accumulated stuff.  I have to admit that I have regretted selling a few things but the alternative would be to hang onto everything just in case I thought I might need it someday.  I created a budget and put all of my financial paperwork in order so I know exactly how unlikely it is that I will be able to retire when I had hoped I could.  I completely reorganized my studio and reminded myself that if I would just use all my accumulated stuff to produce and sell all the art I could make with all that wonderful stuff, instead of buying more wonderful stuff, I really could retire when I hoped.

I have also discovered something about myself recently.  I need colour!  I'm ready for my 70's earth tones to take a hiatus.  So as a birthday gift to myself, I bought some bright new cushions on sale and pulled in a few other lively pieces from here and there in the house for a fresh look in my living room.

My refreshed living room

This year I plan to finish the work on my house, create art most days using what I already have, and to do my best to stay healthy.