Happy New Year: Accountability and my word for 2018

Due to both T Stands For Tuesday and Second on the 2nd, I had to push this post back until today. 

It's once again time for my annual accountability post.  This is the one where I see how well I did the previous year, and how well I think I might do in the coming year.

Let's begin with my word for 2017, which was Focus

This was the first year I used a photograph instead of creating art in the form of collage or mixed media.

Once again, I thought long and hard to find a word that would sum up my art intentions for 2018.

I finally came up with the word "Concentrate," because it doesn't appear I did so in 2017.  For some reason, I had trouble staying on task, always late with my art, and not putting as much into each entry as I could.  I believe it started when a dear friend died in early May.  It was a very stressful time, and I seem to have suffered art wise since then.

Although it's very similar to focus, here are the various definitions:

transitive verb:
 
To direct or draw toward a common  center or objective
to gather into one body, mass, or force  
to accumulate (a toxic substance) in bodily tissues  
to make less dilute 
to express or exhibit in condensed form  

intransitive verb:
 

to draw toward or meet in a common center 

gather, collect

to focus one's powers, efforts, or attention

As for accountability, let's see my accountability intentions I made on January 1, 2017, and how well I did:

1. Continue to make art that I hope some will find meaningful and show the process along the way. 
That's a no-brainer.  I've been documenting my process and products (generic) used for so long, it's habit.
 
2. Create at least one tutorial each month.
Although a couple were late because they snuck up on me, I was able to create 12 new tutorials designated as Second Thursday Tutorials.  And I created a few new ones during April, too.

3.  Interview one artist every four months.
 Although I had very good intentions, I never got around to asking anyone.  One of my problems was time.  Unlike others who conduct interviews, my questions are all geared for the specific individual.

4. Dye fabric in my own different and unique way.
 I can truthfully say I did a lot of fabric dyeing this year.  Several examples include using black beans, turmeric, and grape juice, in addition to painting and more sun dyeing using acrylics.  Of course, I continued rust dyeing and ecodyeing, too.

 5. Sort, sort, sort.  Be aggressive and donate items I know I will never use.
 You wouldn't believe the amount of things I gave away this year.    Of course, that was just a drop in the bucket of what I have accumulated.  I really MUST start using new or different items, rather than sticking with some of the items I constantly grab when creating my altered book, collage, or mixed media pages.

6. Plant a real garden this year and use some of the herbs and plants in ecodyeing.
It's rather obvious that didn't happen again this year, but I seem to be getting closer to a real garden.  Right now, I'm trying to determine how I can expand the space in my herb garden.  I'm even hoping now that there is more sunlight in my flower bed (front garden), I might be able to raise a few veggies there, too.

7. Create four abstracts.
I created a couple during my stint as host of Art Journal Journey last summer, but I only did two and they weren't worth writing home about.  I also created a couple for Tag Tuesday, too.  So I guess I accomplished that goal.

8. Create ONE Christmas gift a month and several during November for AEDM.
I can truthfully say that didn't happen.   What can I say?  Lack of focus, right?

Although I fell short of my goals, more were fulfilled than not.

So what will I attempt to be accountable for in 2018?

1. Continue to make art that I hope some will find meaningful and show the process along the way.
Old habits die hard, so this one I think will be successfully accomplished.

2. Create at least one tutorial each month.
After reading others wanted me to make these each month, I plan to continue my monthly tutorials on the second Thursday of each month.

3.  Interview one artist over the course of the year. 
If I do more, it will be icing on the cake, if not, at least I haven't set myself up to fail this year.

4. Continue to dye fabric in my own different and unique way
Since this is something I love doing, I doubt I'll have trouble living up to this one.  And I'm always on the lookout for new ways to dye fabric using nontraditional eco-friendly dyes.

5. Sort, sort, sort.  
It's an ongoing process and with sorting comes creating, which I hope to do more of over the course of this year, too.  It's one thing to know where to find tools and supplies, it's another to make art using them.

6. Create four abstracts. 
Let's hope I don't forget this one.

Of course, you'll have to wait till January, 2019 to see how well I did in 2018.

As always, I appreciate your continued support of my projects.  You and your visits make this all worthwhile!  Here's to a creative 2018.  Hopefully I'll concentrate better this year.