Category Archives: word for the year

Building a New Year

Posted on by under word for the year
Happy New Year! I am excited about my plans for 2013. Each year for the past three years, I have chosen a word for the year as explained on Christine Kane’s website. Here is a link if you would like to check out her worksheet for picking a word for the year. This year I picked the word “Build”. This word actually came to me because I want to concentrate on felting a yurt this year. Build seemed the natural choice. Then I looked up the word and found other meanings I hadn’t considered but work well with my intentions.

To build means the following:

As a noun: the physical structure or form – body, constitution or habit

As a verb:

  1. to initiate or found – base, begin, establish
  2. to increase or accelerate – amplify, augment, boost, develop, expand, improve, strengthen
  3. to help or enhance – advance, aid or assist
  4. plan on – aim, anticipate, intend
  5. recommend or praise – acclaim, advocate, applaud, support
It always amazes me when I do look up a word how many different meanings a word can have. All these definitions will work for me this year. One of the first things I have planned for this year is “A Daily Dose of Fiber”. I have explained what that means in a post today on The Felting and Fiber Studio blog. I’d love for you to join in the fun so do go take a look at the post. I will be blogging my progress with being creative every day here. This will really be a stretch as I do creative things related to fiber art nearly every day but I rarely post more than once a week. I want to change that habit so we’ll see how it goes. I’m sure the posts will be relatively short but I promise lots of photos!
Here are my goals/intentions for 2013:
  1. Build a yurt/ger.
  2. Be creative every day.
  3. Build a body of artwork.
  4. Continue to develop the new fiber arts organization “Tangled – A Fiber Arts Collective”.
  5. Build on what I learned in my Level 2 Stitch Class.
  6. Develop further classes and teaching opportunities.
  7. Build a video tutorial library.
  8. Take Level 1 Color Studies class from Gail Harker.
Since number one on the list is going to be a monster project, I’m not sure how much of this list will get done. But I have found that the busier I am, the more I get completed. If you have any plans for travel to Montana, do drop in as I’d love some assistance in yurt building. 
What are your plans for 2013? I’d love to hear what you’d like to accomplish in the new year. Do consider joining the Daily Dose of Fiber challenge over at The Felting and Fiber Studio, joining our forum and having a creative 2013.

Focus in 2012

Posted on by under intentions, word for the year

Last year, instead of making goals, I chose a word for the year. I saw this first on Christine Kane’s blog and she explains about choosing a word in her post Resolution Revolution.  I like that the word you choose is related to everything in your life as it is about “being” instead of “doing”. Keeping one word in the forefront of your thoughts is much easier than trying to remember a list of resolutions. Last year, my word was “choose”. I did get a lot done last year in relation to my fiber arts, I was happy with the choices I made and I want to keep moving forward in that same vein. While I was looking at the list of possible words that I might choose for 2012 on Christine’s blog, I came across several that spoke to me. I wrote those words down and my list included clarity, focus, mastery and discipline.  After I looked at these words for a few minutes, it seemed to me that all four of the words fit under the word focus. Focus has several meanings including the center of interest, to adapt to the prevailing light and become able to see clearly, to concentrate or to think about closely. So for the coming year, I will be thinking about focus and how that relates to fiber art.

 I also have a list of intentions that I want to accomplish during the year. I’m not sure how I’ll get them all done but I’m sure if I focus…

  • Continue the Level II Hand and Machine Stitch course
  • Promote my book when it comes out in August
  • Begin teaching felting classes at a local yarn store
  • Investigate future teaching possibilities (felting/fiber art) at the local community college
  • Mentor artists through the Montana Arts Council program at the store about the business of art
  • Participate fully in our new virtual studio The Felting and Fiber Studio
  • Continue exploring the combination of hand and machine stitching with felting
  • Begin making video fiber art tutorials (which I’m sure will involve more than I think it will)
  • Learn more about Photoshop and use it more frequently
  • Continue to explore surface design including more eco-printing with leaves with my local group
  • Begin researching and planning for The Yurt Project

Now if you were paying attention, you might be saying “What yurt project?” I have really wanted to make a yurt  in the traditional way with a felt covering for a long time. It will be a ton of work and I’m sure I won’t get it all done this year. But I’m going to start working on it this year. I have already gotten some books from the library and my hubby is going to help with the frame construction. I may see if I can involve some school groups or civic organizations and teach more people about felting. The idea is still brewing but I’m excited about moving forward with the idea.

What are your plans for 2012? I’d love to hear about them.