2020: Pursue Beauty and Seek God

Over Christmas break, I’ve taken several days, coffee in hand, to think through my goals and desires for the new year.

Throughout 2019, I created approximately 0 paintings. Zero. Zip, Zilch, Nada. I didn’t do any art whatsoever during the last year (aside from several cartoon doodles in random sketchbooks). I also only posted a very small handful of posts for this blog. This past year has been busy, and by the end of the year, I was depressed that I hadn’t created much of anything.

I’m not big on the whole “New Year’s Resolution” thing, but this lack of creative outlets is something that must change.

It wasn’t really a bad year overall. I like the school I’m working at. I also bought a house at the end of May, and I spent the summer attempting to furnish my new home. One of the bedrooms in my house is now set up as an art studio, and I am currently (finally) almost finished with a new painting.

Pursue Beauty and Seek God

For the new year, I’ve chosen the motto “Pursue Beauty and Seek God” for myself because I want art and writing to be a major part of my life and beauty is important to me. I believe that our pursuit of beauty is actually our human hearts attempt to see and reconnect with the attributes of God. It’s a desire to see all that is good and right in the world, and in beautiful places, we feel that we are at home. We never want to leave places that we find aesthetically pleasing.

So, what specifically do I want to accomplish this year?

I know I want to be involved in the arts community. I spent some time a couple of week ago scribbling thoughts, scratching out those same thoughts, and rewording and rephrasing new thoughts in an attempt to polish and focus my goals. I have a vague idea of where I want to be, but coming up with specific steps doesn’t come as easily. However, If you wanna get somewhere, you’ve gotta point your feet in the right direction and start plodding. If I want to be involved in the arts community, I have to make art, and if I wait for a convenient time to create beautiful things, I will never create anything.

Some Specifics:  

• Set aside at least one night a week to paint
  • I have a goal to set up a booth at the Riverside Arts Market to show my work by this summer.
• Set aside one night a week to blog and write
  • I have a goal of getting paid for something that I’ve written through some kind of freelance opportunity (even if it’s only for a couple of dollars).
• Less screen time
  • My sunroom has been designated as a “no technology” room so I can have a place where I can journal, write, pray, and think without the distraction of technology.

Something I’ve learned over the past year is that most of the time I have to prioritize the the things that seem unimportant over the urgent things in order to be spiritually and emotionally healthy. I believe that this is an act of faith because we are acknowledging that it is God who sustains us, not our own efforts and busyness. This mindset is necessary if I want to be who God created be to be in the coming year.