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WELP that was 2012.
Jan. 1st, 2013 09:38 pmnot too bad, really. i kept my 2 inadvertent resolutions - i finally stopped biting my nails enough to grow them out to a regular human female length (workable but not freakishly short), and i stayed at my job for a year, like i promised myself i would. i have yet to find another job that has decent pay and a decent commute - usually it's one or the other. the drawbacks of my job are the relative lack of creativity/transferable skills and no health insurance, but the positives - most i've been paid for a job ever, nice work environment/coworkers/location, tasks i'm actually decent at, and good commute/regular hours/weekends off - are really keeping me there.
i think i got pretty lazy regarding art towards the end of the year, but i'll be.. hopefullly.. fixing that soon-ish. it's hard to get back into the habit of finishing things. i have 3 commissions to finish and then i'm DONE. forever. with them. especially furry ones. after otakon and furfright this year, i'm burnt out. going to conventions for commissions are painful and expensive, and i want some free time after work to make stuff for myself, not feel guilted into drawing for other people. it's gotten to the point where it's a desperation thing now, i don't frequent fA nearly as much as i used to now that i don't absolutely need commissions to pay the bills. i'll be finishing the last three commissions by the end of the week.
i'm going to be improving and learning lots of other creative skills this year, too. i got a nice sewing machine, so i'll be teaching myself how to properly sew actual things with purposes. i've made 3 cat toys so far. next i plan on making one or two more of those, then heat packs filled with rice and some tea leaves, then a small purse/bag thing, then a simple knee-length skirt. once i get those done i'll figure out where to go from there.
i also want to learn origami, especially origami flowers. i got a simple book and some paper for christmas and i'm working on it but i wish the diagrams weren't so convoluted - i don't think this book is written very well for beginners.
i'll be trying my hand at knitting as well. first things first, of course, is a scarf. then there's some beginner patterns on pinterest i can try. a hat, maybe legwarmers for the winter, a rug and a tea cozy for the kitchen if i'm feeling up to it.
i can be very picky with the things i like to wear and use, and stingy with money as well. it'll be awesome to be able to create things that i otherwise have to look for in stores and spend money on. i think it's the idea of self-reliance that really gets me. there's a couple skills like cooking and sewing where once you learn how to do them well enough, you get this sense of independence, like, fuck you grocery store! i can bake bread for $.50 a loaf instead of buying it for $3. you know exactly how and with what it was made. not being able to sew has been irritating me the last couple of years, and the only thing stopping me from learning was my own self (as well as not having a decent sewing machine). but i feel up to it now.
i think i got pretty lazy regarding art towards the end of the year, but i'll be.. hopefullly.. fixing that soon-ish. it's hard to get back into the habit of finishing things. i have 3 commissions to finish and then i'm DONE. forever. with them. especially furry ones. after otakon and furfright this year, i'm burnt out. going to conventions for commissions are painful and expensive, and i want some free time after work to make stuff for myself, not feel guilted into drawing for other people. it's gotten to the point where it's a desperation thing now, i don't frequent fA nearly as much as i used to now that i don't absolutely need commissions to pay the bills. i'll be finishing the last three commissions by the end of the week.
i'm going to be improving and learning lots of other creative skills this year, too. i got a nice sewing machine, so i'll be teaching myself how to properly sew actual things with purposes. i've made 3 cat toys so far. next i plan on making one or two more of those, then heat packs filled with rice and some tea leaves, then a small purse/bag thing, then a simple knee-length skirt. once i get those done i'll figure out where to go from there.
i also want to learn origami, especially origami flowers. i got a simple book and some paper for christmas and i'm working on it but i wish the diagrams weren't so convoluted - i don't think this book is written very well for beginners.
i'll be trying my hand at knitting as well. first things first, of course, is a scarf. then there's some beginner patterns on pinterest i can try. a hat, maybe legwarmers for the winter, a rug and a tea cozy for the kitchen if i'm feeling up to it.
i can be very picky with the things i like to wear and use, and stingy with money as well. it'll be awesome to be able to create things that i otherwise have to look for in stores and spend money on. i think it's the idea of self-reliance that really gets me. there's a couple skills like cooking and sewing where once you learn how to do them well enough, you get this sense of independence, like, fuck you grocery store! i can bake bread for $.50 a loaf instead of buying it for $3. you know exactly how and with what it was made. not being able to sew has been irritating me the last couple of years, and the only thing stopping me from learning was my own self (as well as not having a decent sewing machine). but i feel up to it now.
