Elevation/PSB 2016 by Finijo

2018 was not a great year for me physically or emotionally, which is clear to me when I realized how long it has been since I visited this place. For too long work was so stressful that I lived in a self-imposed state of ennui as a means of survival. When I changed my work situation in 2017, I was so worn down, that it has taken me a year or so just to get back to stasis. Even now, it is an effort to make the things I used to do and enjoy part of my routine again, but it is happening. 2018 was not all bad, and in spite of a non-healing ankle injury, a root canal gone awry, a car accident that almost removed me and still causes me pain, and pneumonia that landed me in the hospital, I managed to make it to Mexico City for Dia de los Muertos. I had an amazing adventure with family and friends and fell in love with Mexico. 

Working through my emotional sludge brought about more of a mission than a resolution for 2019. I have begun to clean out all that I don't need in my life. From possessions to people. The hope is not just to simplify, but to devote more time to the things and people I care about. To keep the people and things that make my life better and to disconnect myself from sources of pain and negativity. I don't want to slog through the rest of my life dragging behind me anything that makes my journey more difficult. I have done that long enough. Still, taking inventory of what I own is a bit disheartening. I have too much stuff - an embarrassment of riches. I donated 40 pairs of shoes and 2/3 of my clothes, and still feel like I can rid myself of more and not even feel the loss. I cleaned out papers and took about 10 lbs of shredding to a mobile shredding unit last week. This beginning has given me clarity, and with each step I take toward minimizing these things in my life, I feel like I'm making room for my creativity. 

It is time to put my energy into my art, my family, my friends, and my life. I have an art site in the works, a couple of art shows on the horizon, and I think I will be ready to get a studio in the future.