Books on Sunday

On an internet list I belong to many participants have chosen one word to use for the coming year such as accept, gusto, create and move. All inspiring and personally important. I love new beginnings and the opportunity to start afresh, like opening a new sketchbook for the first time or spreading out new fabric to start cutting. There’s something exciting about it!

It’s also important to look back and consider the accomplishments of the previous year, art that was begun and finished, shows entered, techniques learned or mastered or whatever seemed challenging or insurmountable to us 12 months ago. I’m not a journal keeper so I tend to review my calendar/planner that I’ve used during the year to see what has happened in my life. I also keep each planner and find them a good reference as time goes by.
Each year I search for the perfect planner, one that has the right layout of daily/weekly pages, additional information and extra room for notes and sketches. I haven’t been able to use Outlook or other computer programmes, I need to look at paper. I’ve gone though Day Runners, Week at a Glance books and now, I have bought a Moleskine for 2011. I’ve had fun putting my important dates and schedules in. I’ll have to work in the planner a bit longer to decide if it’s the perfect one for me. My family thinks I’m a little obsessive!
The best gift I received this season was a book by Alyson B. Stanfield entitled “I’d rather be in the studio – An Artists Guide to Self Promotion”. Many of you may already own this book and subscribe to her blog at http://www.artbizblog.com/ a fantastic resource for anyone interested in promoting themselves as artists. If this interests you, then run as fast as you can and buy her book. I found that 15 minutes after beginning the book, I had already learned far more than I had expected. I’ll be using this book all through the coming year and I wonder what my year will look like in 12 months?