2012 manifesto

blair recently wrote up her 2012 manifesto and it inspired me to do the same. i don't do new years resolutions but i like having goals, even if i don't always fully achieve them. it's nice to have something to focus on and work towards. at my work, we are always talking about how we shouldn't measure whether or not kids achieve a certain goal, but whether they've made progress towards it.  i'm taking the same approach with myself this year. progress, that's all i ask of myself.

::organization. i don't know if it's the new year or never having fully recovered from the wedding, or what. but i feel like our house is full of crap. there is crap everywhere. whether it's stuff we need to get rid of, stuff that never gets put away, or stuff that could get put away if only we had a place for it. we have a big house, which i've come to learn is both a blessing and a curse. it means we have lots of room for stuff, but it also means we have lots of room for stuff.  my goal this year is to identify what storage we need and deal with that, and to take time (just a little bit- maybe 1 hour a week or less) to put stuff away.  part of my problem is that i hate to throw stuff away if i think that somehow there might possibly, just maybe, be another use for that item. i need to get over this. because i'm never going to use those things that i'm saving (twist ties, excess plastic bags, broken egg cartons) and sometimes you just have to throw it out.

::blog/shop. after a couple of years off, i am finally feeling inspired to get my shop going again and do my best to keep it regularly stocked. as part of this, i am working on a complete overhaul (and most likely a move) of this blog and shop (most likely moving it off of etsy).  i've learned a bit (a lot) about building a website in past couple of months and i'm excited about making myself a new space online, after five years on blogger.  i have loads of new ideas for creative endeavors and products for my shop and, while i know my limitations, i would like to work on some of them.  and i'd also like to have a show of my photography. (just thought i'd throw that one in there for good measure).

::wardrobe. here's the deal: i hate shopping.  i get overwhelmed, i get stressed about spending money, and i hate trying on clothes.  mostly, though, i get paralyzed by whether or not a garment was made in a sweatshop. seriously.  i can't help it. i have a history of working on anti-sweatshop and labor issues and it paralyzes me to the point where i assume that all mass-produced clothing is made in a sweatshop (which i know is not true). i buy most of my clothing used, which is obviously one solution.  making my own clothing would be another solution, but i know my limits (both skill and time) and even if i make myself three new garments this year (which is my goal), it's not enough.  i really need some new (mostly, nicer) clothing. i am tired of staring into my closet in the morning and feeling utterly uninspired. i'm not a teenager, and i'm barely in my 20s anymore. this has to change. i need to buy some quality pieces (even if they're expensive, i know it's worth it), get rid of the stuff i don't wear, and build a solid wardrobe. (suggestions on where to shop are welcome, hint hint!)

::learn new things. this is a constant, of course. i love learning new things, trying new projects, hobbies, etc. but i'd like to be a bit more deliberate about it. people often ask me if i think about going to grad school.  i don't.  not ever. i loved being in school when i was, but now i have absolutely no desire to go back to that (living with a college student for the past four years has helped this decision). but i do love learning new things and i'd like to take a class or two in something this year, especially if it's design or art-related. to this end, i did sign up for a calligraphy class through community ed that starts in two weeks!

phew. that was a lot of words. if you actually read all of that, thank you.  i'd love to hear your thoughts on this, or your own goals or manifesto for this year.  i am mostly writing this here for my own sake, to keep myself on track, but i really would love to hear your thoughts as well.  here's to an excellent year, full of progress.