Creative New Year’s Resolutions for 2017

by Blogging, Musings

It’s been a productive 2016. I’ve been published in 18 magazines this year! Plus, I’ve been promoted at work and this blog is slowly (and I mean really slowly) picking up steam. I’d call that a good year.

For 2017, I decided that my two words for the year would be Create + Discover. I want 2017 to be the year that I am creative, embrace new opportunities, and find exciting ways to live life to the fullest. With that in mind, here are my New Year’s Resolutions:
1. Create something everyday
Yes, something everyday. It doesn’t have to be large, but I will do something to boost my creativity everyday, for the rest of the year.
2. Write an e-book
I have loads of ideas that simply can’t be contained by this blog. I will be exploring these in e-books this year, from daily ideas for creativity to crazy stories from history.
3. Get published
Yes, I’ve technically already done this, but any published author/artist knows that it is intoxicating to see your name in print. I can’t wait to expand my repertoire and get published in new titles and magazines.
4. Write freelance articles
Freelance articles are a great way to explore odd topics. From the Chicken Lady of Martha’s Vineyard to the 1964 World Fair, there’s plenty of material I’d like to explore.
5. Finish NaNoWriMo
I’ve come close so many times, but this year I’d really like to write a 50,000 word novel in 20 days. The closest I’ve come is 20,000 words, so I’ll have to kick it in high gear to finish. I’ll be sharing updates when the event happens in November.
6. Join a design team
I work with members of design teams all the time for work, and I always think that it would be a lot of fun to create projects for my favorite companies. I’m working to join a few design teams now so that you can get the best posts possible with the best sponsors possible.
7. Guest blogging
Every great blogger I’ve read about has recommended guest blogging as a way to get your name out there. I’ll be both working to guest blog on other people’s sites and accepting a few of my good friends as guest bloggers on this site.
8. Participate in an ATC swap
This has always looked like an exciting opportunity to stretch my creative muscles. Not only do I have to create artist trading cards to share, but I will also get back cards from the other participating artists. I found a great site that will swap 52 cards at a time, so I’ll be sure to share the results of my swap experience here.
9. Embrace minimalism
Everyone teases that a crafter cannot be a minimalist. I beg to differ. I am working to whittle down my craft stash to only the items that I want to use and I am chucking the rest (not to the trash, but to other crafters who can make good use of it). There’s no point in being weighed down with materials you’ll never use.
10. Throw a lavish party
I’m not sure how I’ll accomplish this resolution, but I’m going to try. It may be a Great Gatsby New Year’s Eve party, or a Jane Austen-themed birthday party, so stay tuned for creative DIY touches from my grand soiree.

What are your resolutions for 2017?