I’ve come to realize that I begin every year with similar goals. How about you? Do you make resolutions? Here are mine for the year:
Four {Easy} New Year Resolutions
- Clear the Clutter — we live in a tiny house, and this actually happens multiple times each year
- Exercise — something I haven’t done in, ahem, years
- Make TinkerLab More Meaningful — we’re turning over a new leaf!
- Make Art — it’s been really hard to find time for this one
Goal #1: Clear the Clutter
One thing that makes our house feel super cramped are gobs of Christmas decorations. So, pretty soon after January 1 our tree and all the baubles come down, allowing me to breathe well again. With this fresh start, the girls and I spent some time going through their toy baskets. These are basically catch-all junk drawers for toys that don’t have a proper home.
We decided that they would each keep one basket full of toys, and the rest had to be thrown away or donated. They had a great time reacquainting themselves with long-lost objects of their desire, and were very good about letting things go that they no longer held near and dear.
And then, of course, clearing away some clutter gives us more room to enjoy the things we love most about our home…
Goal #2: Exercise
This is one area where I have been utterly pathetic. One of the things that’s held me back from exercising is making time to do it. My kids never enjoyed sitting in a jogging stroller for too long, streaming exercise videos never worked for me, and I had trouble finding a gym that my children enjoyed spending time in. But I finally found the right gym, managed to exercise for an entire hour yesterday (gasp!), and plan to get myself back in shape.
Goal #3: Make TinkerLab More Meaningful
Last year my blog sort of hibernated and changed focus so that I could focus energy on my book. Without totally neglecting my beautiful children. No small feat.
And this year, well, I hope to give my blog more love and attention. One thing that I’m wondering about, and maybe you can help me with this, is what my readers like about my posts and what they hope to get from blogs like mine. Do you come here to get activity ideas, creativity inspiration, sketchbook prompts, or are you just a curious about our little life in California?
If you have a moment (pretty please!) would you kindly fill out this really short survey? You can do this right here without even leaving our site!
Goal #4: Make Art
Do you make time for your art? I used to have a pretty solid art-making practice and part of me really misses it. I miss the hours of tinkering and experimenting with different media and testing new ideas. But my life is so busy with kids and it seems close to impossible to make time for painting or even sketching.
The other morning 3-year old Rainbow woke me up at the lovely hour of 3 am and I could not fall back to sleep. In a desperate move to make lemonade from lemons I pulled out my sketchbooks and had three glorious uninterrupted hours of art-making before everyone woke up.
While I was sorely tired that day, the good news is that this brought back so many good memories of the TinkerSketch challenge that we launched in the summer of 2012. In order to help me stick with my goal to make art, I’m thinking about bringing this back.
Any chance you’d like to join me by making just one piece of art every day? I’m putting some fun prompts together and hope to have them ready by February 1, 2014. If you have any ideas I’d love to hear them.
What are your New Year Resolutions?
That’s it for now! What about you? What are your goals for 2014? Are you clearing the clutter or exercising more? Will you join me in the TinkerSketch Challenge?
More New Year Resolutions
Family Friendly Creative New Years Resolutions
Five Resolutions for a Creative New Year
Dear Rachelle,
Thank you for keeping this blog and sharing creative ideas. I m not making any resolutions, but for a third year I plan to join people who choose one little word to be their guide. My 2013 OLW was “spark”. I don’t have a word for this year yet. The idea originates from Ali Edwards -http://aliedwards.com/2013/12/one-little-word-2014.html#more-36533
No matter whether with goals or OLW, I hope that you will have an inspirational and enjoyable year.
Hi Terje,
So many people get excited about resolutions in January, only to drop them by March. Choosing one word is such a great way to keep focus throughout the year! Wishing you an inspirational year too!
Rachelle
My goals are getting back to creating more with my kids, decluttering anything in our home that don’t need or love & definitely getting back to exercising – just going for a walk really clears my head.
Hey Laura! It sounds like we should hang out 🙂 I adore walks for the same reason. Just feeling the air on my face and noticing new sounds is full of good distractions that do wonders for the mind.
Your goals sound a LOT like mine! Clear out the junk, be healthier, improve my blog and teacher store, and create! So far I’m doing good working on the last two, the first two still need a lot of work!
Hi Kim! The first two are hard for me too, which is probably why they always end up on my resolution list! Wishing us both luck, clarity, and time to make these things happen 🙂
Dear Rachelle,
your goals are so much like mine! And still I have some goals which I do not wanna give away now as I am so scared my plans and ideas won’t work out… So when I manage to do what I want, I will certainly let you know about that! All I can say now is that all my plans are connected with art! 🙂 And yes, I do join you in the TinkerScatch Challenge!
Lots of love,
ag.
It’s always fun to have some secretive goals, Agata! And…I look forward to hearing more when the time is right. I’m so excited that you’re up for the Tinkersketch challenge. You’re giving me motivation to make it happen.
I would LOVE to join you in a TinkerSketch challenge! As a Stay-at-home mommy/Girl Scout Leader/Library volunteer/Artist I find it hard to schedule in some drawing/painting/creating time. This would be a wonderful kick to get our house messy and creative again!
Hi Mia!
You sound a lot like me. I’ve just signed up to lead a Daisy troop so my world is expanding (and I’m hoping that someone will sign up to be my co-leader!). I’m so glad that you’re up for the challenge and look forward to finding more time for creating.
Rachelle
Count me in for number 5! I tend to tinker with my preschool class; I find the children and their approaches to art so inspirational. But to do art for myself again would be mahhhhvelous!
Hi Susan,
Children’s art and approach to art-making is so inspirational – I agree. And Yipee! I’m so glad that you’ll join us. More details soon, I promise.
Rachelle
Rachelle- I just love your blog so much! One of my favorites! Thank you for all you do!
Also, I love love love that turquoise caddy on wheels that is in the second picture. Where oh where did you score that? (Please say Ikea or someplace that I can go and get one…pretty please!) Thank you! AND Happy New Year! (one of my new year resolutions I call “create 365″…trying to fit in creativity every day even small little sketches count!)
Oh, Carolyn, you just made my day! Thank you!!!!! Can I add some more exclamation points without being totally immature ? You’re in luck! The caddy is from…..IKEA. We love it. Create 365 is a great idea. Little things everyday, is totally workable, and you’ll be so happy with the results at the end of the year. ~rachelle
haha…wrote the last part of my comment above before reading the last part of your post (I was so excited to ask about the caddy). I am up for doing the challenge as well…creating everyday, as it was a resolution of mine anyway, doing it with others makes it more fun AND makes me hold myself more accountable AND I love the idea of prompts! Count me in:)
That’s interesting that you ask about our own art. I have been so busy concentrating on giving kids good art without doing any myself. I am really excited though I signed up for an online watercolor class with Jane Lefazio and I’m hoping its going to jump start my own art.
Hi Faigie, That’s great that you’ve signed up for a class. It’s so important to do things that make you happy and fulfilled. I’ve found that modeling art making and making art alongside my children is one of the best ways to encourage hands-on creativity. 🙂
I find that when I do art next to kids they are so busy looking at how I do it that it inhibits their own creativity
Hi Rachelle, Your blog is so great & I always look forward to seeing what you’re up to 🙂 It’s so funny – I see you’re in the Silicon Valley area! We moved from San Jose to Germany in 2012, after living there for 12 years. I’ve had to alter my path as an artist many times along the way since art school/moving/kids/etc but currently have a little time (what an amazing thing!) and big dreams of course. I’d be game to join you in making art every day. I already try to do this…even if it’s a scribble, or folded paper, or taking photos. It all feels good. xo Devon