A Lively Hope by Heidi Kindlespire Hillman

A Lively Hope by Heidi Kindlespire Hillman

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A Lively Hope by Heidi Kindlespire Hillman
A Lively Hope by Heidi Kindlespire Hillman
Arty Party and Other Goals for 2025
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Artist + maker. Art journaling, embroidery + fiber art, voracious reader, outdoor adventurer, long time homeschool mama. Making time for daily creativity.
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Arty Party and Other Goals for 2025

Heidi Kindlespire Hillman's avatar
Heidi Kindlespire Hillman
Jan 24, 2025

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A Lively Hope by Heidi Kindlespire Hillman
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Arty Party and Other Goals for 2025
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As a self-employed, enneagram type 3 artist, it’s easy for me to feel like any/all available time should be spent working. Luckily I love my work, but I have felt a pull toward more intentional time for play lately.

I have begun setting aside time on weekends and holidays to play with a project or process that interests me, just for fun.

For my birthday a couple of weeks ago, I gathered supplies and set aside the entire afternoon to try out shibori dyeing, a Japanese form of resist fabric dyeing that I’ve been reading and learning about lately. It was such a delightful way to spend an afternoon.

I loved that I had zero expectations going into the project. It didn’t have to be perfect, it was just something I was trying. It also happens to be something I look forward to doing more of in the future.

I made a video of the whole process:

My family and I have started referring to this set-aside fun play time as Arty Party. As in “On Saturday morning we’re having Arty Party!” One or more of the kids often join me for some of the time and we create side-by-side. It brings me such joy.

I aim to have one Arty Party per week this year. Time set aside to discover new techniques and make things that are not to sell. I’m very motivated by this goal right now, as well as the other goals I set for the year. (Keep reading to see the full list).

25 in 2025

I love setting tangible goals at the beginning of each year. This year my oldest and I decided it would be fun to set up our goals in a 25 for 2025 bingo-style game board, since the numbers work out so perfectly.

After a lot of brainstorming, I’ve settled on my list of goals. Some are big and some are small. I added them all to a page in my planner so I can keep track/be reminded/check things off.

Note: Almost all of these are things I was already doing, so there are no big life changes happening. Putting them on a list and checking them off makes me happy. If that doesn’t work for you, please don’t feel pressure to do it!

  1. Read 100 books

  2. Paint primary bedroom

  3. Finish knitting my current scrap blanket

  4. Go on a reading retreat (already scheduled with my dear bookish friend !

  5. Finish reading Kristin Lavransdatter (I’m currently at page 550 out of 1124)

  6. Host a Crafternoon Party

  7. 52 hikes (currently at 3/52)

  8. Go to a live concert

  9. Read Middlemarch

  10. Participate in Vlogmas

  11. Apply to a few new arts festivals that scare me

  12. Family camping trip

  13. Host a Pi Day party

  14. 100 Day Project

  15. Monetize youtube

  16. One Arty Party per week

  17. Release 12 new embroidery kits (first one will be available next week!)

  18. Knit Jason’s Musselburgh hat (Here’s the first one I finished. I love it and I’m excited to make this project again!)

  19. Swim laps 2x per week

  20. Trip with our dear friends

  21. Art journal daily

  22. Go to a play

  23. Traditional birthday trip (with my husband, his twin brother and his wife)

  24. Walk with Jason 5x/week

  25. Start an english paper piecing quilt project


Reading:

I read Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie for a book club on Instagram. It was perfectly Poirot (meaning the end comes out of thin air with very little indication throughout the story of who the killer is, but it’s okay because it’s such fun to be a part of). I’m aiming to be an Agatha Christie completist someday and find everything of hers that I’ve read absolutely delightful.

This week I also read Save Me The Plums by Ruth Reichel. I’m a huge fan of hers, and while this wasn’t my favorite of her books I still loved it. This focuses on her time working at Gourmet magazine which was very interesting to learn about. The opulence of working for a huge magazine in the 90s is so incredibly over the top.


I’d love to know: are you a goal setter? Reply to this email and it will come right to me!

Here’s to making the time for the things we love to do!

Heidi

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Arty Party and Other Goals for 2025
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I'm new here
an introduction
May 17, 2024 • 
Heidi Kindlespire Hillman
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What's in my Morning Book Basket
Making time to read
May 24, 2024 • 
Heidi Kindlespire Hillman
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on kindness
an experience I think of every time our irises bloom
Jun 8, 2024 • 
Heidi Kindlespire Hillman
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