2009-2010 part I

2009 was a good year to me! I can honestly say I felt happier overall last year than I have in a long time. It was so wonderful in fact that I (in a very twisted manner) have entered 2010 with a bit of caution that all the things that made 2009 great will come crashing down on me. I’m a subscriber to the Law of Attraction and that I create what comes to me and I felt like last year I saw a glimmer of the possibilities in action. Conversely, I should know then that having any negative thoughts and fears of losing what I have is a sure way of starting off a bad year.

Last year I was so inspired to create a list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2009 and I think it made for a wonderful year. With the success of last year I have been working on 2010s list and will be share it as the next parts to this blog post. (I don’t think I posted last years list till February 1st, 2009)

I wasn’t able to complete all items off the 2009 list but I am perfectly fine with that. I think I got more accomplished than normal because of the list and plan on just adding the remaining items to 2010’s list. I’m so proud of all the things that I was able to cross off and had such a fun time doing it. This is going to be a long enough post as it is, so to save space you can revisit those items by clicking on this link.

Some highlights from last year (not on the list):

ETSY
Early on in the year I realized I had been selling items in my Etsy shop more steadily than before. I’ve been on Etsy since 2005. I didn’t list or sell any items until a year later. I read often in the Etsy forums where people are so frustrated that they aren’t experiencing immediate success and are frustrated that they haven’t had a sale in a whole month. Since being on Etsy I’ve taken more of the “slow and steady wins the race” route. I’d rather sell the things that are meaningful to me and stay true to my vision and style, rather than just making what sells (skulls, owls, twilight, etc.) I’d rather continue to build momentum to eventually become a lasting power, than strike hot and fizzle quickly. This year I was so thrilled to see results toward progress. In early Etsy years I stated that I’d like to grow slowly where I’d eventually sell an item a week, then a couple items a week, then an item a day, until I reach multiple sales a day. Without aiming for 2009 to be the year that I sell an item a week it happened. I was delighted to notice in the spring that my sales were averaged out to be slightly ahead of 1 sale a week. Ecstatically the ball kept rolling all year round. There were a few times where weeks and weeks would pass by without any sales and I’d think my luck had run out, but then things would turn around again and I’d make up for the lost time. My first year (2006) I had 6 sales, in 2007 I had 10 sales, in 2008 I had 42, and in 2009 I had 77 sales. I also went over 100 sales finally. I don’t know if anyone could know just how proud I am of this. Since I was little I have dreamed of being able to sell the little things I create and it wasn’t until Etsy came around that I finally had an outlet for that. I will be forever grateful to Etsy for being in my life. Forever grateful.

Weight Loss
Technically this item wasn’t on my list, but by adding sparkpeople and trying to get down to a certain dress size to the list, it was there in a round about way. New year’s resolutions of losing weight are stupid to me, so I just put it on my list hoping that I would be inspired when the time was right. That was in May. Since then I have been transformed and am thrilled with my progress. It is something I’ve struggled with probably since puberty.  I know I am much healthier and can feel it with every motion o f my body. But honestly more important, losing the weight has built up my self confidence and allowed me to feel comfortable being me. I feel like I can do more things that I want to do in life because I’m not feeling as bad about myself or saying I’ll do this or that once I’ve lost the weight. I also feel comfortable meeting new people and being around others in general. I still have a way to go, but I am just so happy with how far I went with this in 2009. I’ve been setting up rewards for mini goals along the way and hopefully this spring I will reach the goal where I will buy myself some nice tall boots. Can’t wait!

Car Accident
This is something I would never add to the list but it was a huge event this year. In June while riding my bike home from work, I was hit by an SUV that was pulling out of a parking lot and wasn’t paying attention for pedestrians. My bike was crushed and I only suffered a severe sprain after I was thrown out into the street. It put a damper on getting around this summer as I was limited physically and wasn’t able to cross off  running c25k because of it. It put me into an emotional state for a month or two, where I’d cry at a drop of a hat and become so overwhelmed with fear I’d start physically shaking. As bad as all of those things sound I AM BEYOND GRATEFUL and that it could have been so much worse. Even writing this, I’m beginning to cry again. The honest truth is my life could have ended that day. I have several very close friends who are going through some life threatening health issues. It could be a very dark time. But talking with my mom one day helped me to keep it in perspective. No one knows when it will be their time, so it is best to live our life to the fullest and make the most of every day. I can be so cliche and I’ve heard that saying probably dozens of times throughout my life, but last year it really left an impact.  Early 2009 a great mentor of mine died too young, but while he lived he made a great impact on me and many others. His life messages were to help others and TREASURE LIFE, in fact that was what his license plates said (TRSRLFE). I feel making a yearly list I’m on the right path. I still have lazy and unproductive days but in general I feel much better and hope that I can continue to live this way through 2010 and beyond.

A few other highlights of things that happened this year, but were not on the 2009 list.

I worked my full time job only 4 days a week and had Fridays off all year long. Matt got a new car and I got rid of my old beater and we’ve been a one car household. I sent off my second series of Art-o-mat paintings, and created this pretty sweet promo video. I published my very first zine. I was able to find a source and make these resin jewelry pieces like I’d been envisioning for years. Got a Polaroid Pogo and love it! Matt and I went to go see the This American Life live broadcast. Made an art doll (scary) and sold my first handspun yarns. Sadly I think I only did Found Art Tuesday twice all year. Bishop ate my enemy (styrofoam) and had to have emergency surgery. I made some altered art shoes and then they were featured on AOL. I finally had a garden again, since last I lived with my parents. It was a container garden but I had SO MUCH JOY from it. Went to a family reunion. Was published in Underground Art School magazine. Made homemade pizza. Attended my cousin’s Ah-Mazing wedding. My brother and sister-in-law are expecting their first child and I will be an Aunt this March for the first time. I wrote a few articles for the Hello Craft blog. I took a ceramics class and was so inspired. Held my fourth gingerbread house making party. Went sledding and laughed so hard I think I breathed in snow and froze my lungs. I lost my wallet and kept my cool about it, surprisingly. Made new penpals and pfeffernusse cookies. Our friends Tom and Nikki, and Matt and I went ice skating in Chicago. It was something I’d wanted to do probably since high school (and really should have been on my 2009 list) when I first learned about Skate on State. Since then the Millennium Park has been built and they erect an ice skating rink there in the winter so we went there. It started out a rainy miserable day, but when we finally got out on the ice it began snowing and became an amazing and magical day/evening.

As I put together that list it’s surprising how much I’d probably forget if it weren’t for this blog. This week I’ve been in a kind of funk, where I didn’t feel very energetic, inspired or driven. I hate that feeling. Lazy. But yesterday and today I’ve been composing this post and it alone has really inspired me. I am reinvigorated just looking back at all that I accomplished last year and I’m again so excited for the new year. I apologize for such a looooong post (without one picture, yikes). I’m sure no one even got this far in the post, but that’s okay because it’s really just for me anyway. I’ll be sharing my to-do list for 2010 shortly (in the coming week).