December 2023

The cold weather always brings reflection with it for me. As the frost and the winter breeze sets in, I settle and start to reflect on the last year. I stop posting as much, stop talking, and start thinking, absorbing, reading, and planning. This year is no different. The last few months, I think I’ve been pretty frustrated with my overall progress. I’ve felt pretty stagnant. Pretty stuck. But this month, as I take inventory of it all, I realize I’ve accomplished so much more than I had ever dared to hope last December. Sure, my online presence is a mess, but I cannot even count how many markets I attended this past year. I got a studio space again and that was freaking huge for me. I’ve made so many art friends and adapted to meet the needs of my priorities. I’ve made myself and my health a priority. I did 4 months of Physical Therapy. I’ve shown my work in Worcester and in Fitchburg gallery spaces. I’ve made art and written about it. And I think I finally figured out what my art is actually about. I never expected to do most of these things. Last year, when I thought about my limits and my art, I was so depressed because I could not feasibly imagine taking my art out into the world. I couldn’t imagine being well enough to talk to people at vending events and make those connections that I knew I needed with local groups. And now… now I’m realizing that accepting that I’m disabled doesn’t mean that I have to compromise on my artistic dreams and aspirations. I can do so much more than I imagined possible a year ago. I just have to be smart about it and take care of myself along the way.

Here’s to 2023 and all the stresses, friends, opportunities and reflections it brought me. I can’t wait to see what happens next year. I bet it’s going to be awesome.