Tuesday, December 08, 2009

My goals are distilled and concentrated. I am ready for a new journey.

I said good-bye to my Boston Handmade group yesterday. I can't believe how hard that was to do. Geez, no one died!! So why was it so hard!! *laugh*.  Through the group, I've made a bunch of wonderful friends and have possibly - hopefully! - built strong foundations for some lasting relationships. The community is so special and so unique that it was very hard for me to leave. But I knew that I *had* to do it, in order to focus on other things I want to do-- my long term goals. The things that need care and watering and feeding and pruning regularly. The things that are so important to me, that I have strong ambitions to do, the very things that have been getting short shrift for a variety of reasons. No more. The things I will be focusing on in the very near future -- the ONLY things I will be focusing on -- are Children's Illustration and Art Licensing.

Who KNEW it takes so long for someone to extract themselves? I have been kind of like an octopus, with eight hands in eight different creative places. I'm exaggerating of course. I don't have eight arms, and I have not been balancing eight concentrations. But for th past, oh, I-don't-know-how-long, I have somehow cultivated this position where I have ended up being pulled in so many directions. Somewhere along the way, I got swept up in things that had little to do with my true, over-reaching long term goals. Also to be fair and honest, some of my goals changed. Really changed. (Yes, people, we are allowed to change our goals as our lives and our focuses change. The only person you need permission from is yourself.) So I needed to pay attention to that as well, and figure things out.

Anyway, I'm feeling great and a big sense of renewal because, though I have not yet concluded my work in pet portraits, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel new, I feel refocused, I finally have made the tough decisions that I had to make! I know what I want, how I want to spend my time and on what in my creative life. And I know what I am willing to give up to accomplish this.

I have one more pet portrait before I am finished with pet portraits completely.  Her name is Rosie. I know she's going to be a beauty. I'm excited to work on Rosie's portrait and now I have the mental space and clarity to do it. I am going to complete the final sketch this week and then, on client approval I will move forward with the ink and watercolor. It's a big important moment for me, working on Rosie. I will give her all I have.

7 comments:

Ginger*:) said...

Moving on is hard to do, but you are moving up as well as on, so this will be a great thing for you and for us as we continue to enjoy your fantastic creations.

Anonymous said...

The title of this post sure packs a wallop!

Good for you for setting goals and charting a course toward meeting them. I know when I did that my membership with Boston Handmade no longer fit. Still I was reluctant to let it go.

I wasn't in BH as long as you were but found it awfully difficult to let go. What a nice group of talented people!

Best of luck with your new focus!

Me said...

We miss you already, Octopus!

Christine Throckmorton said...

What a lovely, eloquent post. And I would love it even if I wasn't Rosie's mom! Really inspiring, Kathy!

I look forward to seeing the last stages of the portrait development. And I REALLY look forward to my end of the bargain.....Get your camera out, girl!

; )

roz said...

Oh it's such a hard decision to make. I had to do the same thing several years back. Everyone kept telling me that i didn't have to choose but for me I really felt I did if I wanted to make it in children's publishing. I was being pulled mentally in too many directions. It was the right decision for me and it looks like it is for you too right now. xo

Jannie aka Chickengirl said...

Ahhh I totally know what you mean about being pulled into too many different directions!!! Bravo to you for making the decisions to trim things down. I definitely need to do this for the next year. Thanks for the inspiration.

anne said...

Oh Kathy, Good for you...from one Octopus to another! Hopefully one day I'll find the fortitude to focus too :)