happy new year!

it's 2009!

it's so wierd to think that, really. i know i was born closer to the end of the last century, but maybe because of my love for old movies, 2000 always seemed so far off. it's 2009, and all the things that previous generations envisioned happening in 2000 are still sci-fi fantasies, like the jetsons flying around in their cars. (i also loved barbarella and muppets in space!) instead we don't seem to have learned anything!

significant things definitely did happen in 2008, like (of course!) Barack Obama being elected, and less obvious things like growing awareness of environmental concerns, so we ARE improving. let's hope for even more improvement in 2009!

what are your hopes for improvement in 2009? do you make resolutions? i've never been a big fan of resolutions, because i think they get abandoned all too quickly anyway! and honestly, other people's resolutions tend to irritate me. if people put even a quarter of the energy they spend feeling bad about their weight and trying diets that will never work into focusing on how amazing they are at any size, the world would be a much better place! plus, i hate the advertising campaigns that start up around new years, usually for diet products. i saw one yesterday where a really slender woman needed to eat Special K cereal after "overindulging" at christmas. first, she was pretty tiny, with no need for dieting anyway, so what kind of message does that send, but second, i don't like the idea that we overindulge at christmas. to me, that's what christmas is for, good friends, good family, good food, good time. just enjoying life and appreciating it, not worrying about gaining 5 lbs from eating chocolates! i really dislike the concept of guilt tripping people for enjoying themselves.



but i guess i'm getting off track! i started this post wanting to talk about CREATIVE resolutions! what i started to say was that despite my usual distaste for resolutions, i do have several things i'd like to work on.

* i want to be actively creating every day. not necessarily make something everyday, because some projects are too big, and some days i feel terrible, but do something creative every day. whether that's actual sewing or crafting or art, prep work (like base coats, cutting fabric, etc), working on an image in photoshop, blogging about creativity, whatever. i want to be working towards creativity every day.

(as part of that, i'm going to prep some embroidery projects. when i'm feeling really crappy, i really want to work on something, both to distract myself from pain as well as to keep myself from being bored. but the thought of digging out some cotton and the ironing board is too much for me some days. if i've already got patterns transferred and ready to go, it'll make life easier and give me something to do while sitting on the couch instead of feeling sorry for myself!)

* i also want to make at least ONE thing for myself monthly. not for a swap, not for a mod, not for one of the million babies floating around, but for me. art, clothing, a new duvet cover, whatever.

* and i want to put some politics back in my art. i used to do pieces all the time that were political in nature, but with swapping and costumes and stuff i kind of lost that. i've started recently, but i want to do more. i have ideas for projects that i really want to do, around gender and queerness and chronic pain and more. i'm excited to do them.


what about you? do you have any resolutions or hopes or goals for 2009?