It’s strange thing… recapping an entire year in a blurb, that is. (This will have errors. Free-flow writing, here we go!)
Especially because I have an incredibly spotty memory and recalling what happened this year just for the sake of remembering it seems odd. I’m not into humble bragging. And listing all of the things I’ve accomplished this year just for the sake of patting myself on the back is silly.
What would that do for anyone, really?
The point: I don’t recall the majority of 2019. I know it was filled with the usual peaks and pits. And honestly, I don’t think it really matters.
Because there’s a bigger lesson at the end of it all. (Particularly at the end of this post.)
I want this approach to memory to be a testament to you… because it’s not the specific things that make you happy or make you grow. It’s what you do with them. What good is a wall full of life trophies if all you do is stare at them?
Work, earn, enjoy, assess, grow, take action, repeat.
Of course I’m elated about all of the big milestones I hit this year (a few that I will dive into further in a bit) but my eye is on the BIG prize, not the small ones. Everyone’s big prize looks different. I thought for years mine was to be in museums and be a household name to the children of our future… the kind of artist people emulate and learn about in school. But seriously, that is a load of E-G-O and once I realized that would never make me happy, I had to ask myself why. And the even scarier question… what would?
Maybe the biggest overarching theme of this ‘Year in Review’ is how much I learned about myself. And how the time spent meditating and listening to my intuition lead to the most amazing year of my life yet. More on that in a bit.
Anyhoo. Back to the ‘household name as an artist’ thing. I thought this is the life I wanted. But a very wise friend of mine asked me if when I was 80-years-old looking back on my life, would I be fulfilled from the shows and the recognition? Or would it still not be enough? It shook me up, that’s for sure.
It was in that moment I realized I’d been blindly chasing down this artistic path for 29 years. So I had to take some serious leaps of faith and spend a LOT of time with myself, reconfiguring my life’s journey in just a few short months. It was scary (it is STILL scary) but she was so right. What good does having your name in a textbook and your paintings in a museum if you aren’t doing anything about it?! What good does that do if you aren’t helping anyone? For me, anyway. (I also had to realize not everyone is a helper like I am. It still seems crazy but not everyone is meant to guide. We all have our skill sets.)
So I decided to start over, in the middle of the year, and I haven’t looked back since.
Starting over felt scary.
Why? Because I’d all but perfected the path I was on. The trajectory was set.
And this is one thing I see entrepreneurs doing so often... I mean, I did it! We throw ourselves at something with all we’ve got and either give up or keep screaming at the wall, wondering why it’s not working. But it’s not working because the intention is sour, the idea has gone bad, we aren’t pivoting.
I’d learned how to pivot, I listened to the podcasts, I read the business books. I was doing GREAT. But it still was off for some reason…
And that’s when my friend asked me the very important question of Allison-at-80 and her happiness.
From that moment on, everything changed.
I say all of this nonsense to tell you that I’m offering courses for artists + creative and mentoring (coaching/masterminds/whatever you like to call them) in 2020. Because after 3 years of stubbornly teaching myself about running a business the hard way, without any help, working full-time and painting 60 hours a week while becoming quite successful… I think I have a thing or two to say!
And gosh, do I love helping people. It’s my next favorite thing to painting and cooking (and Reggie.)
Really, when I think about my 2019 this is ALL I can think about. This was it for me. It is just so huge. A massive breakthrough to finding my life’s purpose.
And it still fills my heart with so much excitement.
Sure, I was a part of some amazing shows…
I sold over 200 pieces of artwork…
I have more than doubled my salary since leaving retail (and on track to triple it in 2020)…
I turned 30…
But more importantly than all of those ‘trophies’ is the peace I found. I found purpose within my purpose. I feel so damn lucky.
People wander around their entire lives wondering what their purpose is. And I’m hoping through this major Ah-Ha! moment I can help guide others to their dreams and help them be extremely successful at doing so. Maybe even lead them a little closer to their true purpose.
I hope this unconventional yearly review doesn’t disappoint anyone. I keep flip-flopping between naming a few more specifics for what this year held but it’s just not the point. The point is, I sat down around this time last year and made a list of my goals for 2019. And I slowly chipped away at that list. Goals are so important, otherwise you’re just shouting into a void and have nothing to prove for it. And I feel so accomplished. But I’m ready for the next thing. It’s weird wanting something for so long (my entire life!) and finally having it. And then watching yourself morph into this version of you that you never knew existed.
I’d been blocking out my purpose because of the fear of failure, fear of branching out. But now I feel more free than ever.
So for me, I’m an artist. But also a mentor. I’ve always been a mentor. But I just didn’t realize it. And that will be the biggest part of my 2020.
I’ll continue to paint, work with galleries, be in shows, sell my work near and far… but I’m adding on resources to help YOU.
I truly believe I was given the task of learning how to navigate the art world the hard way and with the resources I had so I could share it with whoever it is out there who needs it. I can’t tell you how many coffee dates with stressed artists I’ve had, asking me ‘how I do it.’
Well, there’s no magic formula. But I cannot wait to walk you through it and be with you every step of the way.
I’ll be releasing my first course (still tweaking the name/terminology) in January 2020. So if you want to get in on this crazy and join the journey, come on!
Here’s to us making 2020 the best year yet. My heart is so full for what is to come!
Xx, Allison