2015

Each year around this time I write a post about the year just passed. I like to do a round up of all the creative work I've done during the year because I'm usually surprised at how many projects I managed to squeeze in. For someone who always feels like nothing get finished its a very satisfying to see what I have achieved.

I'm thinking that this year will be the opposite though...

Its been a strange time in many ways, a big and hard year where my creative energies were redirected into different areas.

My Dad died. That has been a huge and devastating loss and coloured my whole year.

Also this year my beautiful daughter sat her HSC which was stressful for her, but also for the family. Its a tough year for kids and a lot of my time went to helping her through it.

In 2014 we began the process of renovating, the builders did the bulk of the construction work in the last three months of that year. Last year was all about finishing the last bits, ceilings, rendering, electrics and painting. Mr F and I did all the painting work ourselves. What a trek! We also organised all the trades, and were blessed with lovely people all round.

On top of that I spent more time in my other role as financial manager of our family business. Phew, I'm exhausted just thinking about 2015!

So something had to give and it seems to have been the creative stuff.

I did do little things along the way, mostly motivated by courses I signed myself up for when I was feeling deprived or workshops I taught myself! I find courses and workshops a great way to kickstart creativity. Each time I forced myself to make a little flame ignited which got me back to a making mindset.

One big creative project I am proud of this year is reclaiming my garden. A lot of hours of work have transformed it from a devastated and compacted building site to a beautiful leafy retreat again, with a productive garden down the side and a new garden potting shed. I love it.

And most excitingly I have my own kiln and started selling small ceramics almost accidentally from my instagram account.

But more of that later. I see doing these mosaics that there is quite a lot of undocumented making. A broken camera, a full computer and those time constraints have conspired to keep me from updating my makings as I go along.

Another post I do religiously each year is a wishlist post, where I talk about what I hope to do in the next year. This year I'm planning some serious crafting. I need it in my life and with some major projects out the way I have some breathing room to start. I can't wait. Come back soon and see what I'm planning!

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My other annual roundups: 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008.)