As promised, I sat down for two hours last Thursday and went over my 2007 accomplishments. Early in the year, I decided that the theme for 2007 would be The Big Leap. I even made some motivational cards and laminated them to help inspire me. You can check those out by clicking on “Continue Reading” at the end of this post.
Here is some of what I accomplished.
Presented 8 workshops in 6 states to about 330 artists.
Visited three additional states for pleasure and 11 new art institutions.
Began and kept up a yoga practice.
Led 7 month-long (or longer) online classes, 3 free teleseminars, and 7 other teleseminars. Led a one-week Web site makeover class. Clint Watson’s Web site marketing teleseminars are still a favorite.
Had 2300 new subscribers to the Art Marketing Action newsletter.
Increased income 48%! (Joined “Rich Women” group to focus on finances.)
Opened high-yield money market.
Read 18 or so books and partially read numerous others.
Put weekly podcasts into place.
Created the Inner Circle (recently disbanded). Lasted 8 months and met some wonderful people through it.
Attended seven educational workshops and classes.
Met three clients face-to-face as they passed through Colorado: Gay Pogue, Ellen Soffer, and Tamara Burgh.
Caught the best early powder of the ski season in Crested Butte.
And some more highlights . . .
Best nonfiction book read: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Best fiction book read: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards (I’m not much of a fiction reader. My goal was two novels this year and I read four.)
By the way, both of those books had stellar covers!
Best biz books that would also be good for artists to read(I can’t choose just one): The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott; Pop! Stand Out in Any Crowd by Sam Horn; Your Attention, Please. by Paul B. Brown and Alison Davis; and BRAG! by Peggy Klaus.
Best cookbook discovery that will save you time with easy menus: Glorious One-Pot Meals by Elizabeth Yarnell
Favorite Ecstatic Art Encounters: Morris Louis exhibit at the High Museum in Atlanta; Kiki Smith installation at the de Young Museum in San Francisco; Deborah Oropallo exhibit also at the de Young; and the recently mentioned Larry Poons painting at the Denver Art Museum
Favorite Ecstatic Architecture Encounter: The Sea Ranch Chapel, designed by James T. Hubbell.
Oh, yeah, and I finished I’d Rather Be in the Studio!, my 250-page book!
Have you made your list?
A selection of my motivational cards for The Big Leap 2007.
13 thoughts on “2007 Highlights”
A great big huge WELL DONE! Alyson. Your accomplishments are an inspiration. I love your motivational cards – great idea. Plus frogs are cool. Happy Holidays!
cute little motivational cards. i saw a lot of collections of motivational cards at ‘the sacred path” the other day; kept thinking it would be a lot of fun to pull together a little pack.
I just finished reading a great book called Fables From The Mudd by the talented author Erik Quisling. His website is http://www.erikquisling.com This book is about taking life too seriously, bedtime stories for adults. I love children books, and I always wanted children like books but for adults…Now Erik has brought it to life! These philosophical tales are the perfect mix of dark humor and simple yet shrewd observations of the human condition. Merry Christmas to all!
Thank you for all those hidden accomplishments that you created through the lives of those you have touched! Love the motivational cards. I need to put that idea on my to-do list :>} Merry Christmas!
Chrissy: Thanks for the book referral. Sue, Ascender, Lisa: The motivational cards were a blast to make. I think I cranked out about 20 of them. It was a terrific, short creative project that was a diversion to “real work” for me. 100% necessary. The key is to not get caught up in creating stuff to motivate you and, instead, to just do it! Lisa: Yes, frogs are WAY cool! Everyone who has read “Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas” knows that. 🙂 My frog stamp is probably my favorite–what a great shape.
A monster list of accomplishments, for sure! Another year-end personal review process was spotted today in a NYTimes article by Michael Melcher– another helpful nudge to sit down and do this! http://shiftingcareers.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/year-end-review-with-yourself/
Way to go Alyson! I plan on my 07 Celebration on this Saturday. (I thought the frog was about conquering things…..”eat that frog”? Funny how a viewer interprets so many different ways!)
I’m a bit slow getting my blog updated with reference to Celebrating your Wins…….but I finally did it. http://www.artstudio75604.blogspot.com Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Alyson. Thanks for all the inspiration. You are amazing.
I don’t know what happened but my post came out as being posted by Tracy. Cheryl
Kudos on all your accomplishments, Alyson (not least of which are the acts of remembering and sharing them here)! Question: did your Inner Circle really disband? I was looking forward to coming back in the new year…! Guess I am just going to have to get your new book, instead… However, it was the monthly call to check in that I will really miss. I sure did appreciate that sense of accountability that phone call represented.
And the Sea Ranch Chapel! I stumbled upon the place quite by accident about a decade ago, and it forever changed my ideas about buildings… no longer just boxes!
I just wanted to say how inspiring all of your accomplishments were; and I agree with one of the other people who commented above: include, also, your affect on the lives of those who read your blog and act on your ideas! Also amazing are all the links you manage to put into this post, ie -the book suggestions. Some of those will be on my list of accomplishments next year! Thanks.
I find this blog and the people who comment on it very helpful and inspirational. Not only did I list my 2007 wins on *both* my blogs. I have also listed my goals for 2008. I have been making my goal list for a few years now. It had never occurred to me to stop to celebrate my wins. Thanks for the inspiration and the push! Deborah http://dgbquilts.wordpress.com and http://urbanwildflowerdolls.wordpress.com