Children’s author Julie Hedlund, challenged participants of her 12 Days of Christmas for Writers series to post SUCCESSES (rather than resolutions) on our blogs this year. She believes the way New Year’s resolutions are traditionally made come from a place of negativity – what DIDN’T get done or achieved in the previous year. Instead, she suggests we set goals for the New Year that BUILD on our achievements from the previous one. I decided to participate in this Anti-Resolution Revolution! Here is my list for 2018:
- Finished my middle grade novel The Hill Between (AKA Ben and Bug) about a boy in Japantown in 1930s Tacoma and narrated by the ancient spirit of Tacoma’s hillside. Set it aside for now.
- Completed the following courses that I can remember: book blueprint and coaching through Jennie Nash, SCBWI-WWA retreat, goals course with Dan Blank, and (soon) Write, Submit, Support with The Writing Barn.
- Kept my writing and drawing habit strong by getting up most every morning before anyone else.
- Read other writers’ work and learned so much by doing it.
- Made great connections with other writers and artists. (Meeting these people is one of my biggest successes for certain.)
- Posted on my blog at least once a month.
- Sketched out a course to teach and posted it.
- Wrote and sketched a picture book dummy.
- Sketched almost daily for the past three months.
- Somehow kept going even when my world fell apart after Mom died.
I think you could use this for anything you want to look closely at in the final weeks of 2018.. You could use Hedlund’s video to help you focus on your artwork, your work in the community, your family goals or whatever project you want to think about as we enter the new year. Here’s the link if you’d like to play and dream along with us. It’s free and Julie has a welcome smile in the dark winter mornings.
http://www.juliehedlund.com/12days
