April 2022 Goals
April 2022 Goals
Midway through March, when I got my book back from my editor with her recommendations, I set up my entire April schedule because I was excited and ambitious. After about a week and a half of working on the book every day mixed in with the medical appointments and a family event, my brain and body screeched all progress to a halt and said , “YOU NEED TO GIVE US A BREAK NOW”.
I was hopeful that maybe after a few days of regrouping I could hit it hard again. My idea of hitting it “hard” is working on it for a maximum of one hour a day because I’ve learned that is all my brain can handle AT BEST…and I am not at my best right now. Not even close.
So for April, I will focus on the basics to improve brain and body health and sprinkle in some extras when I can.
I wrote a poem a few days ago inspired by the “I Am From” Project. Check out the project that inspired me at
https://iamfromproject.com
. I really enjoyed the process of doing this. I sat in my greenhouse with the door open (it was in the 30s that day) and immersed myself in memories of how nature has affected my life since the beginning of my existence. I ended up with a lovely poem that I decided I am turning into a finished art project.
Yesterday I inked the poem lettering. Today I gessoed a canvas to get it ready for painting tomorrow. I will use the canvas as a background for mounting the poem and collage little things related to the poem around it. I hope to finish this project this month. It ticks a lot of mental health boxes for me: art, writing, nature.
As for my book, circling back to that, I need to bite off smaller portions and finish one chunk of the editing recommendations from my editor.
I also need to work on my state grant requirements. For April, I will order the photography equipment, frame my finished works and start biting off the mountain of accessibility changes on my website.
My partner and I have our first outing planned this week. We are driving to a federal wildlife refuge about an hour from here to spend the day birdwatching. This place is known for its massive spring and fall bird migrations and we try to go there several times a year to mark seasonal progress. We have gotten into camp style cooking and will bring our cooking equipment and set up by one of the lakes and make a nice lunch while watching migrating shorebirds. We often hike here as well but my body hurts so bad that it likely be a sit and watch day instead. Maybe I’ll bring my watercolors with me and paint instead.
For my sewing goals, I am on the last item of my beige/tan module which is a poplin jacket. I am excited to begin a new color palette which is gray. My needs are shorts and capris, a denim skirt, mittens and toppers (jackets, cardigans, vests) which I will tackle this month. When I first started sewing for myself, all I had in my closet were some too-short black leggings, ill-fitting t-shirts and some flannels and cardigans. Now I have a comfortable, varied, well-fitted, beautiful closet full of clothes that make me feel fantastic while I chop and haul wood, paint in the woods, snowshoe, kayak, etc.
I also picked up a poet’s workbook art kit put together by May Lee-Yang of
https://compas.org
that I will work on in the greenhouse. Because I am high risk for COVID-19, my library sets my library books in the lobby to minimize my exposure risk. This was sitting on a table near my books for folks to take and I am SO happy about it! I love poetry and have written on and off over the years. Last fall, I wrote haikus and made little sketches with them outside every day until the snow fell. Now that I have the “I am from” poem art project nearly done, this little workbook will guide me through other exercises that will hopefully result in other lovely projects.