Here we are, a week into the new year of 2024. Which is a lot to deal with in itself: This means that 2014 was ten years ago at this point. It does not feel like it at all. But alas, if we are to uphold the basic tenets of the existence of time, ten years ago it was.
In June of 2014, I had just resigned from teaching art at a public high school in North Carolina, deciding to take a year off before attending grad school for my MFA. So much has changed since then, and when I reflect on the years between then and now, on all of the therapy I have been in, and on all of the self help books I have read, the realization that we operate in cycles, seasons, and phases has become crystallized in my mind. It has finally sunk in.
The reason that this has been such a hard thing to compute is due to American society’s emphasis on productivity and output. We are expected to work 40-60 hours per week, 52 weeks a year, in addition to side hustles, on an average of six hours of sleep per night. It is really preferred that we act more like machines and run full throttle until we break down. However, we are living, breathing creatures of nature. We all have our own little cycles.
An illustration of the four seasons. Source: Pixabay.
We have a life cycle of infancy, childhood, and adulthood. We have menstrual cycles. We have waking hours and sleeping hours. We need a balance of work, play, and rest on repeat. The seasons teach us that we have periods of growth and renewal, and periods of withdrawal and hibernation. Periods of sunshine, and periods of staying cozy in the dark. And because of these lessons from the natural world, I have decided to be easier on myself, and to take notice of my own little seasons in a more nature-inspired manner. As much as I would like to, I can’t do everything, everywhere, all at once, so I need to be more mindful and look at my individual patterns.
I have decided to look at the year of 2024 as a whole to determine where my own personal seasons lie. For the next month, I will be making as much art as possible because in February, my teaching session begins. The majority of my creative output will go towards my examples and lessons. However, I really want to participate in Februllage this year, so in between making things, I’ll be gathering materials to create a card catalog of sorts for quick reference when February comes around. I will also only apply for the programs or opportunities that I really want, at least one per quarter. I will reevaluate the next season or cycle after my teaching session, after the dust has settled. That will be my Q1. Artmaking and teaching. Q2, I will worry about later.
For now, I will rededicate myself to the present moment and let go of any expectations that require me to be full-throttle, all day everyday. My words of the year are Fun and Rest—I like the word of the year approach, more than the resolution approach. We’ll see how it goes. I hope whether you have made resolutions or a vision board or other goals, that you’ll use them as a general guide and try not to be in a big hurry. As my secret blog post says, we spend way more time in the messy middle of our journey than we do at our destination.