Pseudo Resolutions, Art and Our Little Secret
My 2018 new year resolution was made on the fly. Come to think of it, I've tried to do those things consistently and sometimes I fail. I thought it was a good reminder, however it's not a big challenge, I just see it as things I need to live by.
1. Draw more often
2. Prioritize daily relaxation
3. Mind my own business
I just need to flat out draw more. It sounds kind of silly for someone who is studying art, however by drawing I mean, just drawing for fun. No deadlines, no conformity, no criterira, and no critiques. Just plain old, draw what I want and feel like. I haven't done that in years. I met a young girl in my calligraphy class name Emma and she shared her little doodle book one day. How cute it is! How vibrant with colors and full of beautiful work. She loves Pokemon and other animes. I was so impressed by her technique of just fun and carelessness. For that moment, I had forgotten the rigidness and anxiety of art that I have experienced. She used Copic pens, crayons, gel, and color pencils on normal writing paper. Why would you waste such wonderful materials on silly paper? That would have made me anxious but then I realize, that her artwork was not meant to be shared or to impress others. She did these out of sheer passion and love for art. Her work lit a fire under me. I hadn't felt inspired like this for years. If you are curious, check out her work at https://www.instagram.com/ampharosie.181/
Prioritizing relaxation should be mandatory. I fumble on this all the time. It has a lot to do with deadlines, anxiety, stress, insomnia. I know that I could sleep better if I just relax. But what I mean by prioritizing, I mean by making a daily practice. By buying those scented candles, taking baths, listening to calm music, dimming the lights and do nothing. I forget that there is a buffer between work and rest, and a lot of the time I get upset at myself for not being able to rest because I lack the skills to destress.
Minding my own business comes without practice. I have been successful at this for almost six months now. However, by minding my own business, I mean not involving myself in drama. I want to be firm with people on how to speak about others behind their backs. I experience a lot of lack in loyalty in my family. I see that as well with frieinds who side with me or my ex-fiance. That kind of stuff stresses me out and improves nothing. And sometimes I fall in the trap of adding in when people start gossiping. It's what I naturally do; it's what I've learned from my mother. I want to nip that in the bud. So far, so good.
My true resolution, was kept secret. Only myself and husband knows because people get really frazzled by this lifestyle choice. But if you're reading my blog, you get in on this secret too! Perhaps it's a little thank you for sticking with me!
My husband and I have decided to go full vegetarian!
We've tested the waters on eating vegan for the past two years. We have nothing but good things to say about it. Eating no meat does not feel like a loss to us. But it's a learning experience on cooking and dining out. We have a lot of reasons on why we don't want to eat animal products anymore. However, my husband still wants to have his cheese once and awhile. And I want to indulge in sushi maybe like once a month. I'm aware of everyone's opinions on dietary choice, but we're not doing this to some rigid set of rules or labels; Just that we want to be happy, guilt free and feel good. Follow my instagram (IG / xuepanda ) if you are interested in seeing what kour veggie meals look like. I will do my best to post regularly with the # dinnerandashow .
What are your goals for the new year?
(edits later)
1. Draw more often
2. Prioritize daily relaxation
3. Mind my own business
I just need to flat out draw more. It sounds kind of silly for someone who is studying art, however by drawing I mean, just drawing for fun. No deadlines, no conformity, no criterira, and no critiques. Just plain old, draw what I want and feel like. I haven't done that in years. I met a young girl in my calligraphy class name Emma and she shared her little doodle book one day. How cute it is! How vibrant with colors and full of beautiful work. She loves Pokemon and other animes. I was so impressed by her technique of just fun and carelessness. For that moment, I had forgotten the rigidness and anxiety of art that I have experienced. She used Copic pens, crayons, gel, and color pencils on normal writing paper. Why would you waste such wonderful materials on silly paper? That would have made me anxious but then I realize, that her artwork was not meant to be shared or to impress others. She did these out of sheer passion and love for art. Her work lit a fire under me. I hadn't felt inspired like this for years. If you are curious, check out her work at https://www.instagram.com/ampharosie.181/
Prioritizing relaxation should be mandatory. I fumble on this all the time. It has a lot to do with deadlines, anxiety, stress, insomnia. I know that I could sleep better if I just relax. But what I mean by prioritizing, I mean by making a daily practice. By buying those scented candles, taking baths, listening to calm music, dimming the lights and do nothing. I forget that there is a buffer between work and rest, and a lot of the time I get upset at myself for not being able to rest because I lack the skills to destress.
Minding my own business comes without practice. I have been successful at this for almost six months now. However, by minding my own business, I mean not involving myself in drama. I want to be firm with people on how to speak about others behind their backs. I experience a lot of lack in loyalty in my family. I see that as well with frieinds who side with me or my ex-fiance. That kind of stuff stresses me out and improves nothing. And sometimes I fall in the trap of adding in when people start gossiping. It's what I naturally do; it's what I've learned from my mother. I want to nip that in the bud. So far, so good.
My true resolution, was kept secret. Only myself and husband knows because people get really frazzled by this lifestyle choice. But if you're reading my blog, you get in on this secret too! Perhaps it's a little thank you for sticking with me!
My husband and I have decided to go full vegetarian!
We've tested the waters on eating vegan for the past two years. We have nothing but good things to say about it. Eating no meat does not feel like a loss to us. But it's a learning experience on cooking and dining out. We have a lot of reasons on why we don't want to eat animal products anymore. However, my husband still wants to have his cheese once and awhile. And I want to indulge in sushi maybe like once a month. I'm aware of everyone's opinions on dietary choice, but we're not doing this to some rigid set of rules or labels; Just that we want to be happy, guilt free and feel good. Follow my instagram (IG / xuepanda ) if you are interested in seeing what kour veggie meals look like. I will do my best to post regularly with the # dinnerandashow .
What are your goals for the new year?
(edits later)