Goodbye 2022, Hello 2023
A review of the last year and some thoughts for the next.
Goodbye 2022
I’ve been trying to come up with a word to describe 2022, something that could encompass the entire year and tie it up with a bow, but the harder I try and think of something, the more elusive it gets.
The year was interesting; it was challenging, exciting, and full of changes, but it also felt normal in the grand scheme of things. The slow ebb of time marching forward.
It started with me working while going to school, Nick working his weird schedule, and thus us occasionally doing 12-hour days (on the same day); that was hard. We had to redefine our expectations about a ‘clean house’ and renegotiate almost all of our domestic tasks. This landed us in couples therapy, where we learned a lot about each other and our relationship. It was probably the best thing we did for our mental health in 2022, and I highly recommend it.
We made some new friends; we lost some friends. That was hard, but also maybe a long time coming. It feels like we went through the pandemic almost unchanged and had to do two years of changing in one year, which may be why this year felt so hard for many people. I felt like I changed so much this year, I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but it’s there. I’m walking into 2023 differently than in 2022, and I’m pretty excited to see how the new year unfolds.
I finished my design program and said goodbye to all my classmates; I left OMFGCO and all the folks I’d worked with for four years, and then started my freelance career. I experienced a world of emotions about those transitions. I don’t think I’ve fully processed it all yet, but I am proud of myself looking back on it.
Nick and I went to three weddings, on a trip to Mexico, to Bellingham and Whistler, to San Diego twice, once to San Jose, and to Tayhua Washington on a lake trip with my family. I went to Vegas and Charleston with the team at OMFGCo, and then to Oakland to visit a friend. I went to Austin and Hood River for Bachelorette weekends and Hood for a girl’s trip. It was a lot!
We also backpacked to Lower Twin lake, which was full of Oregon-Summer magic. I hope we get outside and go camping more in 2023; I can never get enough.
After a slow start in September and October and many false starts in November, my freelance career started gaining momentum in December. I got three big projects that felt right up my alley. A series of illustrations for a climate-friendly brand. A brand and illustrations for a project in the wellness space. A fun project with a nonprofit designing a graphic for some apparel. None of these I can reveal yet, but I look forward to working on them and sharing my progress in the next few months.
Hello 2023
Now onto my plans for the new year! I love a fresh start, and a new year is a perfect time to get one. I have so many plans for what I’m going to do, but the only thing I’m committing to is making the bed as soon as I get up.
When I make our bed in the morning, it feels like I’m committing to a day of being proactive and taking care of things. It reminds me that I have power over my environment and can take something that is a mess and make it beautiful. It makes me think about what else I could do and how I could positively impact my existence or someone else's.
Some other goals I have for my life/career include the following:
Run twice a week
Journal & Draw every day
Read before bed (instead of looking at my phone)
Learn to paint
Get an art studio for the backyard
Design three brands
Get three editorial illustration projects
Paint three murals around the city
Write 12 newsletters
Take better care of myself
Cook more meals at home
Spend more time outside
I know these probably need to be recrafted into ‘smart goals’ to make sure I progress, but I have a rough plan to work towards, which is the real magic of New Year’s resolutions.
Otherwise, I will do my best to make progress where I can and rest when I know I need to. I hope the new year brings energy to my creative career and new adventures with friends and family. That’s it! See you next year.
Do you have a New Years’ resolution? I want to know what it is! Feel free to email me or leave it in the comments below. Also, is there anything specific you want to know about My Freelance Career? Email me, and I can write about that in my following newsletter.
Thanks for reading this and for your support. Happy New Year!