This week was a great beginning to what I believe will be a wonderful year.  This year I am continuing my practice of writing a Friday post on the things that I am grateful for each week.  But I have started something new that I hope I will continue throughout the year.  I have started an art journal which I am going to work in each day.  I will begin the day with an intention and end the day writing what I am grateful to have experienced.  Even if I only paint or draw in my journal ten minutes a day, I want to draw or paint something.  I am hoping by adding an art journal to my day I will acommplish many things.  One of my goals for the year is to improve my artwork.   I know practice makes perfect so I thought this might be a good way to practice while also noticing and remembering and now documenting all of the wonderful things I see around me.
I am so grateful to all of the people who have been so helpful and encouraging as I continue on this creative journey.  Your work, your encouraging words, and advice all mean so much to me..  This week has been a great start to what I hope will be a very creative and productive year. Thank you for being a part of it.
I would love to know what has brought you joy this week.

One of my goals for this year is to paint more and to learn more about how to become a better artist.  I have been reading a lot about painting and photography and one of the things that comes up often is recognizing your own style.  I realized after looking at the pictures that I paint or take, that my style is very simple.  My pictures usually involve nature and the picture will evoke some sort of emotion or memory for me and hopefully for others. This is something that I painted awhile ago.  It has a long way to go as far as technique but when I look at it I always think of my sister and I sitting at the beach talking as we watch the boats go by.  It is a great memory.  I would to love to know more about your style and how it developed.

                              Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before.
                                                                                                                     Joseph Campbell
It was not that long ago that I used this as a Sunday quote.  It seems like a perfect quote to use on this first day of the new year.   This year I have chosen the word trust as my word for the year.  I am going to trust that as I follow my bliss each day that new doors will open.  I am going to trust that there will be new opportunities to learn, new opportunities for friendship, and new opportunities to live a healthy, happy life.  I believe that each day offers new opportunities for all of us.  As I follow my bliss this year, I want to be ready to walk through all of the doors that will open and see where they will lead.  I hope that you too will follow your bliss and have a wonderful, happy, and exciting new year!