Looking ahead to the new year

Another year is upon us!

I’m not one to celebrate the New Year much, as I don’t like to see time passing. I tend to look backwards as much as forwards, and see all the unfinished projects, the missed opportunities, the things that didn’t turn out as I had hoped.

Yet despite all that, I really am an optimist, it’s the only way I can survive. That’s why I love winter trees. Even though a tree without leaves can seem barren, lifeless, dead, that’s not how I see it. I see a tree in the winter as strong, resilient, quietly gathering strength. Let it snow, let it freeze – a hearty tree will patiently cling to life, drawing hidden nourishment from the earth below. It does not die when the world freezes, it knows that spring will come again.

The challenge of an artist is to keep being creative over many years, through all seasons. Each year I set new goals, and each year I fall short. I know I’m disorganized, my mind wanders from one project to another, the list goes on. But one of my goals this year is to be more positive, to look forward, to get things done. So, that’s what I’ll do.

Over the next twelve months I will continue to draw, write stories, do more animation, and hopefully read a book now and then. I will set some big goals and some small ones, and we’ll see how it all turns out.

I hope you all have a happy and creative 2013!

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