January in Review

2022 Studio Progress Report: Projects, Habits, Goals

Hello and welcome to my Studio Review for January 2022!

I can’t believe it’s almost February! And I don’t know about you, but I often quickly get off-track with my new year goals. So, as we close out the first month of the year, I think it’s a good time to look at my goal list from the beginning of the year and see how things are progressing.

If you remember, I ended the year on Substack with “Preparing for a New Year” which was a bit of a motivational speech to myself, prioritizing several goals for the new year. So far I feel pretty good about where I’m at in focusing on intentional art and committing to a routine of shared exploration. My Daily Swatch Project is keeping me focused and grounded and I’m pleased with the new skills and inspiration I’m finding for my larger work in the process (and also very grateful to my few Patreon subscribers thus far - thank you for keeping me motivated!)

More specifically, however, in a separate post, I also started the New Year with a list of five daily habits I wanted to embrace for my studio and my well-being in, “This Week In the Studio”. In that post, I shared my desire for creating a few new routines in 2022: (1) daily digital art, (2) swatch making, (3) writing, (4) music, and (5) exercise. With my new year goals, I also provided myself with plenty of room for grace. With planned “social media breaks” and a time-management tracking tool - I am, so far, feeling positive about my progress.

So, one month into the new year, let’s dig in a little deeper with a closer look at those daily habit goals for 2022.

1 - Daily Digital Art

I’m definitely enjoying this daily habit of working on the same digital drawing every day of 2022. I’m happy to report that so far I have managed to find at least a few minutes every day in January to add a little bit to the drawing.

(Click below to see a 30 second timelapse of its progress.)

I find by working on the same image every day I’m encouraged to find new ways to use the digital tools in order to keep making new and interesting marks. I also like how the marks I’m making are starting to infiltrate my other paintings, collages, and even my swatch works in progress. Each month I’m planning to take my favorite daily digital image captures and make them available for viewing and purchase online in my Pixels store (below). Three images (including the one above) have been chosen for January.

2- Almost Daily Swatch Making

I’m thoroughly enjoying my swatch-making project (with its semi-daily updates available on Patreon). I have completed four weeks of projects so far (three of which can be seen above). While I’m still ironing out how to display these pieces as the year progresses, they have proven to be the catalyst I needed - providing me with opportunities to progress with my work in exciting new ways (including the “Capricorn” painting below.) I’ve also learned about new products and processes such as water-soluble fabrics and the process of needle lace; improved embroidery and crochet skills; made use of forgotten supplies around the studio; and have re-kindled a playful, freeform joy in making.

Capricorn painting in progress. Next step: adding embroidery to create the stars to form the constellation and for the border. (Red lines are embroidery guides marking the raw canvas.)

Daily Writing and Poetry

Though usually only a line or two, I’ve been diligently writing nearly every day so far this year - missing only January 24. I’m hoping to take the words and phrases that call to me the most from my entries each month and use them as poetic inspiration - hopefully having something to share with you by the end of February.

Daily Mandolin/Ukulele Practice

I am trying to get my fingers plucking at the strings at least once a day. I did miss three days in January (two of which I was out of town). If I can at least run a scale, I’m happy. If I manage to learn an entire song, I’ll let you know!

Daily Walk/Run/Hike

I’ve found the daily swatches and my daily outdoor time to both be extremely beneficial to my mental health - even more so now that I’ve added “Nutria Counts” to my walks just for fun. (We have a wetland about a mile away where they like to hang out.)

Local adult nutria: I know not everyone finds these creatures cute (I know, they’re an invasive species here too), but spending the last couple of years getting to know them, watching their babies grow, learning about their habits and activities - I’ve come to love these adorably large rodents. You can find out more about these South American native mammals on LiveScience.

So far this year I’m happy to report that I’ve run, walked, or hiked outside every day. (I keep track of most of my miles on Strava if you are interested - under “Jen Lommers”.) Mostly walking miles, I’ve traveled more than 95 miles this month, averaging “9256 steps/day”. However, I’m less concerned with distance and trying to stress daily activity this year.

Studio Time Management

Also, as I noted in my January 8 New Year post, I’m using a new Time Management app (Timeular) to help me stay focused and encourage the best use of my time during studio work hours. What I’ve learned in this first month of tracking:

1. I had a tendency to switch tasks often. Now that I’m tracking my time, though, I’m more likely to stay on task longer (simply so that I don’t have to log in a switch!) It’s been a great realization for me, and I feel like I’m re-training my brain to be more like my pre-smartphone-focused self.

2. Happily, even though my studio hours may build up throughout the day, night, and weekend, I take plenty of breaks to keep myself mentally and physically healthy and am happy to be at a very reasonable 30-36 studio work hours per week to start the year. I know when I was in the middle of the busy festival-show traveling life it was definitely not so reasonable.

3. Watching how my time adds up has also helped me stay focused on art-making. By having a set list of studio work tasks pre-programmed in my time management app, I’m less likely to drift off into that online rabbit hole - at least during normal studio hours.

So - how has my time been allocated this month?

January Actual Studio Time

I’m pleasantly surprised to see my “making” and “making adjacent” time adding up to almost 75% of my studio time. (Studio adjacent time is research, drawing, or writing, related to a specific art project in process). Being that I’m past the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it makes some sense, but it will be interesting to keep an eye on this chart as the year progresses. I know lately, I’ve been heavy into thread and fiber work which is very time-consuming.

Big Projects, a Little Frustration

Even with all my organizational and inspirational efforts, I still want to spend more time engaged with my larger projects. It’s been difficult because my skills are not ready for what I want to do with them. I’m frustrated at times, but I’m close to getting there, which is encouraging. I had one of those breakthrough moments at my studio table this month where I could finally see what I needed to do with a collage piece that I’ve been sketching and planning off-and-on for two years. (See the previous mention in my post “Then and Now”). What I didn’t mention in my last post is that the moment had me actually tearing up. Good grief - I’m tearing up just thinking about it now. After feeling a little “off my game” with my art-making these last couple of years, to see a part of a project goal finally within reach was - needless to say - emotional.

I’ve always tried to convey emotion in my art. (e.g. “From Out of the Rubble”), and in 2022, as I work to thoughtfully create each piece from the heart - I hope it finds a place in your heart too.

Wishing you well on your 2022 goals!

~ Jennifer