Five Things I am grateful for this year
Here we are in the 3rd week of 2021, and it's already been a crazy start to the year.
But you have all heard enough of the national news. You don't need to come to my website for more of what you are constantly being bombarded with on your social streams and in the news app on your iPhone.
What Am I Grateful For?
In this post I want to concentrate on what I am grateful for.
1. I am grateful for time by myself. Really.
Usually my life is spent running from pillar to post- documenting events, meeting clients, attending networking gatherings, and running off to the gym every chance I could manage.
But this year, I found ways to be at home, meeting people on my computer, working out using a new app I found and enjoying a yoga instructor I found on YouTube. I learned to cherish my time in the house I love, living with the man I love.
2. Grateful for family.
An added bonus this year was that my eldest daughter, who had recently made a move to New York City, ended up spending nearly 5 months with us.
I know we will look back on 20209 with some fond memories of this found time with my 26 -year old that I would not otherwise have EVER had.
3. Grateful that I live in such a wonderful town with greenways and parks that I can enjoy with a friend or on my own no matter whether I am walking, running or riding my bike.
4. I am grateful for time to spend learning. Not settling into old routines, but actively trying new things to understand the figure, perspective, color mixing, and most recently working on portraits and faces.
5. Grateful for my artist friends.
I started meeting fellow artists about three years ago when I became an empty-nester. I was determined to get back to my artist roots. And boy am I glad I did! I met people at The Village Art Circle in Cary, Art Space and Imurj in Downtown Raleigh, The Fine Arts League of Cary and as a festival organizer.
Initially last March, it was difficult to connect with these folks. Artists tend to be loners. And what more loner time than to be stuck at home during a pandemic, right?
But thanks to a guy named Scott Renk, I am meeting in a socially-distanced fashion on the streets of Raleigh to join his Urban Sketchers Group. I had met Scott during the o=monthly Figure Drawing sessions in Raleigh at an artist space called Imurj (now closed =-( )
Thanks to social media I was able to catch up with him and joined the group the last Saturday before everything shut down last March. This group is giving me a chance to compare notes and learn from other artists during this time when we can't go to a figure drawing class in person anymore.
And now I have started my own group, that meets once a month online in a Zoom call that we have dubbed Friday Art Happy Hours. There are about 7 of us who share our art and what we learned or did the previous month. Its a diverse group of varying experiences, ages and backgrounds. One day maybe we'll have a show.
May you find things in your 2021 to be grateful for as well.
Thank you for following my art journey. I hope we can meet in person one day soon.
Lindsey
