The month of January went by really slowly. The end of 2025 was busy with lots of travel and family to fill the holiday season. I got home from the rush of Christmas ready for rest and a reset for the new year. The year ahead will be a full one for me as I have a lot to build towards my goals and ambitions. My hope is that 2026 will be full of fresh starts and lots of learning and growth.
A couple months ago I had been cleaning out old art supplies and clutter and found a dusty sheet I had partially torn up. I decided, instead of throwing it away, to cut it up and test out printing some of my old blocks onto fabric. I finished printing them and set them aside and forgot about them until this month. The ADHD goblin got an inspiration to pull out my sewing machine and try to make the printed sheets into patches. Despite having a sewing machine sitting under my desk in a box for a year, I had never learned how to use it. The hyper fixation took over, and with youtube and caffeine I taught myself how to use a sewing machine! (I immediately called my grama so she could be proud of me for learning) This was a large highlight of the month for me as I tested different stitches and practiced my new skill on all of my little patches. Maybe selling little patches will be coming up in my future.
As I highlighted in my newsletter, I pulled out my box of collage scraps this month and shuffled around all of the pieces. I made a handful of collages that all surprised, me as they usually do. The process is very playful for me to spill out the box as if it’s a new puzzle and sort through what colors, textures and shapes inspire me and fit together. It is very rewarding to find connections with pieces I saved from previous projects and create something new out of the landfill of old art scraps.
The new year ushers in large challenges and new beginnings for me. Art has always been an avenue to play and connect with myself, but it is also a very therapeutic and political act. As I start to grow up and evolve, I am evermore pressured to press further into art as a necessary pursuit for myself. Whatever it looks like for this year, I hope to further perfect my craft as an artist and as a professional.