An Easy New Year's Resolution

Ah, there's nothing like closing out the old year with new projects. While I am truly attempting to be humble with this announcement, the last few weeks have brought joyous news for the Fabulous Illustrator.... such that I can't share until the contracts are all signed but at least one of these clients is one I have chased for some 15 years. I literally got out my rejection letters from this organization and they date back a looong way, many cheap apartments and a maiden name ago. So I leave you with this teaser! I'll post sketches and details as appropriate.

On to my traditional new year's resolutions post in which I make promises to myself for the coming year. Let's look back at last year's resolution: "Find more ways to be thankful for what I do have and quit trying so dang hard to get my hands around certain elusive dreams of illustrator stardom." I did try to live more thankfully in 2012 and I suppose I'll keep it as a holdover for 2013 along with "draw every day," my holdover from 2011. I believe these two resolutions combined have caused me to create better art in just the last two years than in all the years that came before. I make resolutions both professionally and personally but since making art is so personal often they overlap. The newly minted 2013 resolution follows this mold: "Listen to more music while making art."

huh, did she just resolve to do something really easy?

yes, yes I did.

I have a huge CD collection and pretty good sized iTunes library. When I strap on headphones and crank up the volume, all of a sudden the muse is transported to a new place! But the thing is I don't listen to music as much as I used to. Instead I listen to news radio - All Things Considered, Morning Edition and let's not talk about my addiction to On Point. I'm so fascinated by all those shows! But interesting as they are, they don't actually feed my creative energy and I don't realize how much they don't until I've spent a week listening to music while working instead of listening to the latest crisis. This past week is an example of that: I've had Voice of the Beehive spinning in the CD player and I've practically been able to draw in my sleep.

Then I think "this is awesome! I'm going to listen to music more! and I'll be giant swirly mass of energetic creative happiness!"

But I don't, I go back to getting sucked in by the headlines.

It's great to be informed, but sometimes it can be a real downer. So if I'm also resolving to keep being thankful and drawing every day maybe I should be humming a jaunty tune while I'm doing those other two. Thats why in 2013 I'm resolving to do something easy and listen to my music.

If I don't maybe this superhero will remind me