Happy New Year!

It’s that strange time between Christmas and New Year again when I’m never sure what day of the week it is, let alone what date it is or whether the shops will be open or not! Some strange meals are consumed as I try to clear the fridge of Christmas leftovers and the first twinges of regret about my festive over-indulgence begin to make themselves felt . . .

I always think of this time as a kind of 'No Man’s Land' between all the work of preparing for Christmas and getting stuck back into the normal day-to-day routine in the New Year. I always expect to have time on my hands this week, to do all the little jobs I’d neglected in the run-up to Christmas, though it never seems to work out that way!

But as the Old Year draws to a close, I do find myself jotting down a list of goals for the New Year and that inevitably leads me to a little bit of reflection on what I’ve achieved – or not! – in the past twelve months.

On the face of it, I don’t appear to have made very much progress on the business front in 2012. Sales have improved but the summer months were still very slow. However, seeing it from a different angle, as a year of transition, it’s been quite a momentous year, possibly one of the most significant ever for me! Because, although I've only dipped a toe in the water so far and still have a long way to go, I feel as if I have finally discovered my true passion – designing repeating patterns!

Over Christmas my son has worked on my laptop and my new pc so that they are now both better equipped for working on large images. And armed with some great books on pattern-making that were Christmas gifts from the family, I can’t wait to get stuck in again!

Already my Zazzle sales have shown a slight improvement, which is partly thanks to what I’ve learnt as a result of the ‘Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design’ course. So, even if I don’t get any further than that, I already have something to be pleased about. But I hope to take my pattern-making further in 2013, to explore new avenues for ‘monetising’ my designs as well as learning more about the process of pattern-making itself; so I’m wondering what I’ll be writing about that when it comes to this time next year!

My New Year’s Resolution is the same as ever: to remind myself, as and when appropriate, that we don’t always get what we deserve and, conversely, that what we get is not always what we deserve. 

The recent tragedy in Connecticut is a reminder that Life is often far from fair.

But it works both ways! There are so many things that I enjoy that I have done absolutely nothing to deserve; so my resolution includes reminding myself to be grateful for them too.

Looking back at my New Year’s post from a year ago, it seems as if the economic outlook hasn’t improved at all. In fact, as I write, the US may be approaching a ‘fiscal cliff’ that would have negative reverberations around the globe. As an artist who has many American customers, this matters! But there’s not a lot that we as individuals can do about it. That being the case, I’ll just carry on as before, enjoying exploring the world of art and design and hoping that my designs will continue to spread a little enjoyment far and wide, just as they have in previous years.

So Happy New Year, everyone! 

May 2013 bring you all 

Joy, Peace and Prosperity!