it's almost 2017!! Yikes.

Hello everyone!
I'm squeezing in another post before 2017! 

So Christmas is done for another year.

It was a good one, but as always -

I ate too much. :)

I just love this period

between Christmas and New Year,

don't you?

I know some people who use this time

to "clear out" the old stuff
and make way for the "new stuff"
(physical or mental).

I tend to just be lazy & read a lot. 
And eat Turtles.
And Kisses.
And have wine & cheese for a "snack".
And put on my PJs in the afternoon.

I go for the occasional walk outside,
when i feel like I can't breathe anymore,
but in general - I don't move much.

But after this slow period,
I usually sit myself down 
and write a few thoughts on the new year.
I don't do resolutions
but I do a kind of purging of thoughts, I guess.

I look back at the old year
and write (or draw) certain things that jump out at me,
and then I prepare myself for the new year
by making sure I have sketchbooks on hand,
by putting journals & books in order,
by doing a bit of organizing in my blue room.

Oh, and for a few years now,
I've been using Susannah Conway's
UNRAVEL YOUR YEAR
and it's the only thing that feels right for me.
If you're not familiar with it, check it out.
And don't worry - if you're not a big goal setter -
or you feel like you have no idea
what you wanna be when you grow up - it's ok.
It's a gentle workbook done with compassion,
and it's free!

A few nights before Christmas,
I did this quick painting on paper.

You all know how fond I am

of using the green tape around the painting

to leave a nice white border...

I actually love removing the tape...

 ...and seeing the crisp borders.
Cheap thrills, I know.

A friend of mine saw this
and immediately said she saw
a hand coming down from the sky,
gently holding the tree.

I see it now, but I didn't before she said it.
Funny how everyone sees something different. 

So it's been a rough year for some,
and drawing or painting always help me
face the losses and the fears,
even if they aren't directly my own.

We've lost some important people.
People who led meaningful lives
and tried to spread the love.
People who wrote beautiful music
and beautiful books.

We've gained some not so pleasant people
and we've had to face the reality
that love doesn't always win.

That there are still many people out there
filled with hatred
for no reason other than
"they are different than me
and I don't like it".

Celebrity deaths.
Church shootings.
Wildfires in Alberta that wiped out whole towns.
The war in Syria.
Shootings in gay nightclubs in Orlando.
Refugees.
Trump.

Some of you may feel like
this is all very depressing,
but that's the thing about art - 
it shows us TRUTH.

When I sat myself down to draw this,
I asked myself this question:

What stands out for me about 2016?

And this came out.

I drew Trump first
(no, he's not the most important -
just the most irritating to me)

and then I thought of David Bowie's death.
Then Prince's death,
and before I knew it,
I was drawing the people we lost in 2016,
and some of the things that broke my heart.

Sadness - like joy - is a valid emotion.

But you guys, once these thoughts were on paper -
I kinda liked seeing them all there.
Like they went from my subconscious to the page
and by doing so,
they somehow carried less weight
within me.

I'm sure many of you feel the same
after you paint something
or draw something
or write something.

Tell me I'm not crazy.
:)

HAPPY NEW YEAR to every one of you!!
Thanks for hanging out here with me
for another year.

Here's to 2017!
xx