Hello my loves, I hope you're all well!
It's been a minute hasn't it!
I always forget just how busy this month gets and how quickly my work-life schedule can
get out of whack.
But I wanted to make some time today to just say hi, check in, see what you're all up to.
It's a slightly calmer day, and I'm not sure how many of those I'll have left until the
New Year.
And as an excuse to get out of my filming rut, I decided to set up my camera while I
work on the last of my Christmas presents for this year.
So this is gonna be for my dad, I'm pretty sure he won't be watching, and if he is...
well...
I have another present for him as well so at least one will be a surprise.
He, like most of us nowadays- let's be honest- loves houseplants.
He actually introduced me to The Nunhead Gardener which is the garden centre I get most of my
plants from now.
And I thought about getting him a plant stand or... something plant related.
And I started seeing these kinds of posters around and thought... 'hmm, I could do that.
I'd love to do that!' so here I am- doing that.
I sketched things out a couple of days ago, printed the text and traced it all onto this
paper with my lightbox.
The Latin terms I used... not sure about the accuracy of those.
I honestly just googled the common name of the plants and then, if there were variations
on the Latin name, I picked the one I liked the sound of the most.
Same with the translation of the word 'Houseplants', I don't think 'herba' is necessarily the most
suitable word here, but I preferred it to the other options.
And since this is just for my dad- no offence to him, of course- but as it's not going up
for sale or anything, accuracy wasn't really my priority.
I just wanted it to look nice.
This is the first painting I've done in a little bit, certainly the first one I've done
outside my sketchbook in.... a LONG time.
As you know, I've been working on finishing all my unfinished sketchbooks before the end
of the year, and I can tell you now, that's just not gonna happen.
As well as running out of steam for the project- just having the urge to do other things, running
out of time...
I find this time of year so important for setting myself up to enter the new year with
purpose and direction, and I feel like I've done that more than ever this year.
But that's taken up most of my attention recently.
I've set some really exciting goals.
Goals that- and this might sound really obvious- but goals that I actually *want* to achieve.
In the past, I've found myself not really knowing what I want, so setting goals that
I think seem appropriate for me and the current trajectory of my life.
But not things that really excite me.
This time around, I've stuck to like 3ish things, that's all, but things that make my
heart beat faster when I think about them.
Things that will actually get me out of bed in the morning.
One of the things I'd love to do is release an illustrated book, probably by the start
of 2021.
And I'm telling you all this because A-accountability, but B- and mainly B- I'm really confident
that I'm going to do it.
Maybe not in the time frame I want to.
But it'll get done.
And that's part of why my sketchbook thing has fallen aside a bit.
I want to finish those sketchbooks, I want to see the back of them...
In fact.
it would probably be more realistic to say, I want those sketchbooks to be full, I just
don't have the motivation right now to fill them.
Because they feel like the past, and I'm like tingling with excitement for the future.
What do you guys suggest?
Maybe I'll keep working in the old sketchbooks, but start a new one with the new work I want
to be making, just so I can keep the spark alive and not fall into drudgery and the routine
of filling pages for the sake of it.
Also, what are some goals you've set for yourself for 2020?
I think it's gonna be a really big year.
I think a lot of us need it.
Need to wave goodbye to 2019 and shake off whatever cards it dealt us, start something
new.
It may be 2020 when I post my next video, I'm not sure.
The next week or so will be here there and everywhere, I'm already looking forward to
getting back into a proper routine- is that really bad?
What are you guys up to over the next week or so?
Celebrating at all, or business as usual?
I'm just glad to have my final present sorted, not sure how I'm gonna wrap it- I'm not buying
a frame because... that's the kind of daughter I am.
I actually really like this little poster, I think it's simple, effective, clean.
The balance is off a bit, it veers off towards the top right-hand corner a bit, but other
than that, it's just what I was going for.
And I think my dad will love it.
I really do.
So thanks so much for sharing in this little gift-creation with me today.
If I don't get to speak to you beforehand, have a lovely New Year.
Thanks so much for watching.
And I'll see you in the next one.