New Year, Clean Slate



Welcome, 2023. The part I like best about the close of the previous year and start of a new one, is the natural invitation it provides to make a fresh start and have a bit of a reset. I do not know of any other holiday that brings the same, unique combination of relief and anticipation. I chalk my fondness for New Year’s up to being a ¼ Scottish, as Hogmanay is the biggest celebration of the year in Scotland. I never met my maternal Glaswegian grandfather (he died in his mid 40s, when my mother and her sister were wee bairns), but he gifted me my Scottish genes via my mom, which I carry with honor. 

While I do not take part in traditional New Year’s festivities in the U.S. (I am not a “party person” and I do not drink alcohol) I look forward to ringing out the old and in the new in my own, quiet way. For me, New Year’s Eve is less of a loud celebration, and more of a simple acknowledgment of another year passed. New Year’s Day is a day of relaxation, calmness, and of consciously setting the tone for the coming year. I tidy up around the apartment, and try to get things in order as much as possible, to set myself up for a successful year ahead. I also remind myself that this is a perfect time to refresh my practice of slow living, even when doing everyday tasks because, as Alan Watts said, “Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.” 

In previous years I have made classic resolutions, while other years I have skipped that tradition, entirely. These past few years, I have taken to writing a list of intentions and goals, mostly relating to my art. I have quite a few items listed for 2023, and I hope to achieve each of them. 

In 2022, I had decided to take a small step forward on my artistic path, as I had been working diligently on developing my skills in earnest for a little over a year. I felt ready to enter the next phase, in part by putting myself, and my work, out there. It was a bit scary at first, but over the course of the year, I gained more confidence, and became more comfortable with having a presence online. I have come to enjoy all aspects of what it means to be an artist which, as I discovered last year, is so much more than the artwork itself. I am finding my authentic voice, artistic styles, and continuing to grow and learn, which is so much more valuable to me than “building a brand.”

So, here’s to an art-filled 2023, with fingers crossed that I am able to take another small step closer to my goals. For anyone reading this, may you have a safe, healthy, and peaceful new year. Happy 2023.    

   




 


         



 

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