September 29, 2015 – Taking Stock

Listen to this post:

One of the songs in the “My Favorites” playlist in my iTunes, is “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway musical “Rent.” It starts out “five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear, five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights and cups of coffee, in inches, in miles, in laughter and strife.” It’s a great song and it’s been running in my head.

This week I’m measuring a year in posts. Last week was my 52nd weekly post in this space. I wrote about our old oak tree on October 1, 2014. A full year of Tuesdays and I’ve found something to write about – or like last week, it found me – and I’ve posted it here to my online journal. Vacations, travel, festivals, teaching, being exhausted (like last week!) did not get in the way. I didn’t miss a one!

It’s been a big year, since the start of October 2014, a lot has come through in my world! Here’s what’s coming to mind:

• 52 posts is – I added it up – 59,338 words – almost 60,000 words. I looked up how many words are in an average book – 80,000. So, I have actually written a small book!
• The creating and leading of my first weekend workshop in Healdsburg last October. It was really a retreat, actually.
• The conceiving of, planning and organizing my first “Pilgrimage to Paris” – I’m getting on a plane TOMORROW! It’s really here – my dream realized. I’ll be writing posts from Paris the next two weeks. I’m filled with great expectancy for this pilgrimage – and what I will find to write of it to share with you.
• I flew to Santa Fe – my first private art retreat as a teacher/guide.
• The weekly groups – the mainstay of my weeks are even more solid – Thursdays are full nearly every week and Fridays have a core of 6-8 artists.
• The Special Saturdays workshop series really got going this year. So far we’ve looked at and painted: Light and Shadow, Working with a Limited Palette, Luminous Petals, Glass, Creating Volume, and Grapes and Grape Leaves. Coming up is: Painting your Travels, Water and Leaves and Greens in December. Along the way, a group of artists have been coming regularly, and a bond has formed between them just like the weekly groups.
• Which has led to the 537 Magnolia Artists – The regulars from Thursday, Friday and Saturday, have become a community and we have had our first TWO group shows.
• I created and published my first calendar for 2015. Over 200 of them are out in your lives. And I’ve already created, doing all the graphic design from scratch – myself, the 2016 calendar. It’s ready to be sent off to the printer for proofing when I’m back from Paris.
• AND… I painted! I was worried that my own painting time and energy would wane with all of this happening, but I managed 7 full-sized paintings, including “Eternal,” my big clock painting, plus two sweet doggy portraits.
• And, I kept up with selling my art at Open Studios plus two art festivals.

 

A big year and yet, what I’m most impressed with myself, is that I’ve posted every week. I have always thought of myself as a non-writer – and now I have become one. It’s both strange to think of me as a writer, and a wonderful celebration to know that I am. Several times over the year I’ve heard from people that I ought to write a book, or that I am writing my book. I have had the thought over the years that there’s a book in me. “My book” would be a combination, beautiful coffee table book, art instruction and creative journey memoir. I’d take the reader/watercolor student/fellow creative along, painting by painting, sharing what I learned through each one, both about working with watercolor and about myself and life. Now I see that it’s really possible – and that between the stories I write for each painting and this year’s posts, it may be already largely written!

It’s funny to be taking stock of a year at this point in the calendar. But this is a milestone I’m celebrating with myself, and I wanted to share it with you who have been following me this past year. I’m so deeply grateful for your input, reflections, comments, appreciations. This has encouraged me in ways you may not know. I started out needing to know you were there reading – like a life-line – to keep me going. Now I hold you in my mind and heart as I write, almost as if we are having a regular chat that I look forward to each week. I heard an interview of an author on the radio a few months ago, where the interviewer noted that the author (uncommonly) wrote in the second person. I was unclear exactly what that meant. First person and third person are easy for me to grasp, but what exactly is second person as a writing style? I looked it up – It’s when the author uses “you,” “your” and “yours” in the narrative. It’s used a lot in advertising, songs and speeches. I see that how I write isn’t exactly in the second person – I mostly write in the first person, because I do use “I” all the time in these posts. But you are always present with me as I write. These posts wouldn’t be what they are without you. I need you!

Taking stock has me also looking forward to what will come in the next trip we take around the sun. October 1, 2015 will begin with landing at Charles De Gaulle airport, and making my way into Paris!!! It has worked out that I’ll be there on my own 2 days before and after our official pilgrimage. This will be the first time since 1999 that I’ve had any time in Paris all alone. Apart from a few meals with old friends, I have no idea what I’m going to do with myself. Not having plans is its own kind of gift – and it’s a lovely way to start the next “year.”

Gros Bisous – (big kisses)

Cara