A YEAR IN REVIEW
And just like that, another year has flashed by. Is it just me but the past several years have all seemed to fly past me? 2021 was certainly a combination...
AND JUST LIKE THAT, ANOTHER YEAR HAS FLASHED BY.
Is it just me but the past several years have all seemed to fly past me? 2021 was certainly a combination of feelings and events (perhaps it was for you, too?) On one hand, I feel like I managed to keep up with the increasing demand of this adult life. On the other hand, I feel like I should have accomplished more, passively watching others run circles around me. Although I know these thoughts may not be certainly true—I wanted to take some time to reflect and share some of my takeaways from this year. To highlight some of the goals that were achieved. A few mishaps. Triumphs and defeats. Shortcomings and acquired strengths.
From now on I think It will be a great way to close out the years to reflect on what the year brought on and what to look forward to for the upcoming year.
So without further adieu, here are some of the highs and lows of 2021:
THE LOWS
Covid-19: The first of part 2021 was rough, from a wellness standpoint. Right after welcoming the new year, I tested positive for covid-19. I struggled a lot with the common symptoms, excruciating headaches, fever, loss of taste and smell, body and muscle aches. My appetite dwindled. I experienced so much weight loss. Work took a pause and so did my regular activities which I tend to enjoy. The first quarter of this year was definitely a period of recovery and being intentional in making my health a priority.
Imposter syndrome: As much as I love what I do as a visual artist, there are far more times than I would like to admit where I ask myself, "Am I really that good at this?" “Are they just being nice?” "What gives me the right to do this?" “Are you sure that this is what you are supposed to be doing?” "Who cares about what I have to create?" Imposter syndrome is a slippery slope and while I'm learning and constantly trying to quiet the negative thoughts and self-doubts, I have to remind myself that not having an equivalent level of skill to others doesn’t mean that I’ve failed or that my work is irrelevant. It’s easy to write down in a blog but honestly it still gets to me from time to time. I’m sure that I’m not alone in this. Would you anyone be interested to read a longer post about how to cope with this?
Burnout: This year although I tried to practice self-care and rest, I still struggled with my work/life balance. At some point, I found myself being exhausted all the time. I was not getting enough sleep. I felt isolated from my friends and family. Especially for the second half of 2021, I would say that I was working at least 14 hours every day from the moment I wake up and up until bedtime. Every day after clocking out of my full time job I would get right on to creating art and coming up with ideas for my next projects. Let me just say this also took a toll on my creativity. Honestly, I don’t know how I seemed to manage.
Didn't meet my goal of creating 1-2 original paintings a month: One area I fell short in was creating consistently. Not only in artworks but in content as well. I would let other things get in the way and not prioritize my ideas or sadly sometimes I’d just think that my work was not good enough. So I’d start and not finish. I felt like I was lacking direction or maybe I was struggling in not knowing fully how to define my work. But that certainly changed by the end of 2021 and I’m honestly excited for this new growth going on into 2022.
THE HIGHS
Quality time: Ah Yes. One of the things that I’m truly grateful for this year is when I got to spend some quality time with the ones I cherish the most. My friends and family. I’ve been blessed to have some of the best when it comes to friendships. One of my highlights from this year was when my friends came down to spend a weekend with me in Palm Beach. We strolled around a few hotspots downtown and danced like nobody was watching time at a restaurant during closing time. Times like this are when you get to realize what matters the most in this crazy thing called life.
Stopped creating art for the sake of creating art: What do I mean by that? Well, first of all, it's easier said than done and I'm by no means free of this weight, but I made an active effort this year to only create the type of art that I wanted to create. The type of art I could look at and feel proud of. Regardless of how others perceived it. Regardless of what other people were creating. I was tired of feeling beholden to certain expectations of what constitutes "good art" and instead, wanted to create from a place of "wow this excites me." And you know what? I've never felt more inspired.
Restructuring: Would you believe me if I say that this was the first year I’ve begun to call myself an artist. Usually I would tell people, “oh I'm just a girl who paints.” It’s the first time I’m feeling a noticeable shift and being confident in my skills. I started the daily practice of affirming myself and taking the necessary steps each day to bring me closer to my goals no matter how small. Small progress is still progress.
Showcasing my art for the first time in a Gallery: This year during Art Basel Week. One of my paintings was selected to be part of the 8th annual Art Beat Miami. Opening night was amazing. I’ve got to meet some of the most incredible people and other artists as well. It was quite special. The support I received was overwhelming. Looking forward to more group and hopefully solo exhibitions in the upcoming years.
ART BASEL: Whew, where do I even begin. Art Basel was such a dream of mine and I finally got to cross it off my bucket list. My first time at Art Basel was such an overwhelming experience. I mean in a good way. I was surrounded by creativity, inspiration, new ideas, and of course so many wonderful artists. It certainly opened up my eyes to step into how vast the art world is and the myriads of possibilities within.
Living in the moment: For someone like myself who loves to document life’s moments, this past year I realized some of the most special moments in my life were not being captured by a camera. Like the times I get lost and end up discovering some of the hidden gems in my area. I’m becoming more proficient in learning how to live in the present and I find myself letting go of the things that do not serve me with ease.
As always, this past year's successes would be nothing without all of you and your amazing support, so at the risk of sounding like a broken record, none of it ever goes unnoticed. Thank you and Happy New Year!