Arty Party and Other Goals for 2025
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!
Read 100 books
Paint primary bedroom
Finish knitting my current scrap blanket
Go on a reading retreat (already scheduled with my dear bookish friend !
Finish reading Kristin Lavransdatter (I’m currently at page 550 out of 1124)
Host a Crafternoon Party
52 hikes (currently at 3/52)
Go to a live concert
Read Middlemarch
Participate in Vlogmas
Apply to a few new arts festivals that scare me
Family camping trip
Host a Pi Day party
Monetize youtube
One Arty Party per week
Release 12 new embroidery kits (first one will be available next week!)
Knit Jason’s Musselburgh hat (Here’s the first one I finished. I love it and I’m excited to make this project again!)
Swim laps 2x per week
Trip with our dear friends
Art journal daily
Go to a play
Traditional birthday trip (with my husband, his twin brother and his wife)
Walk with Jason 5x/week
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
