It’s the start of a new year and like many, I use the first few days as a time to reflect and plan, to look back and look forward, and to begin filling my calendar with actions towards my goals.
There’s a part of me that feels that I need to get a move on but with the dark cool days (at least here in the northern parts of the northern hemisphere), I also feel a slowness that I delight in.
Yet an urgency rustles all around. I get the feeling that if I don’t dive in soon, that I may get left behind. 30-day challenges abound in early January as a way to get our skates on after the drowsiness and unhurried quality of the in-between days of the holiday season. But still, I find myself resisting the inexorable rush into the new year: I ignore the press of tasks needing to be done.
I think part of this may be due to a question that was asked of me a few days ago.
Let me go back a bit.
The question
On New Year’s Day, my friend Brian Frank – you may know him as the poet De’la Koro if you followed my 31-in-31 Challenge postings on Facebook last October – sent me a poem by Dana Gioia.
I especially love the last two lines, particularly as they related to the unusual snow cover we were enjoying. When I shared this with Brian, he asked me, “What kind of footprint will you make in 2022?”
That stopped me in my tracks.
All of a sudden all my goal planning seemed peripheral to this one idea, this one question.
Somehow his question goes deeper and larger than the idea of setting goals for the year or even making a three-year or ten-year plan. It gets to the heart of our existence and purpose here on this earth. It asks about the impact we might make, might wish to make, on our family and friends, our colleagues, our students, our teachers, our community, and on the world. It’s about how we turn up in the world. It delves into our values and beliefs. It asks us to examine our relationships, with others, with ourselves, with our past. It’s about our choices and how we choose to live life. It’s about our legacy.
That seemingly simple question isn’t so simple after all. And a fast and satisfying answer isn’t easy to come by.
And so I’ll ask you this as you start the new year:
“What kind of footprint will you make, will you leave, in 2022?”
I’m still pondering my answer…
And here’s the poem that started this musing…
NEW YEAR’s by Dana Gioia
Let other mornings honour the miraculous.
Eternity has festivals enough.
This is the feast of our mortality,
The most mundane and human holiday.
On other days we misinterpret time,
Pretending that we live the present moment.
But can this blur, this smudgy in-between,
This tiny fissure where the future drips
Into the past, this flyspeck we call now
Be our true habitat? The present is
The leaky palm of water that we skim
From the swift, silent river slipping by.
The new year always brings us what we want
Simply by bringing us along—to see
A calendar with every day uncrossed,
A field of snow without a single footprint.
I’d love to hear from you. What are you doing these first days of January?
And how will you answer this question as we start the new year?
Until next time,
~ Gail
35 thoughts on “A Powerful Question To Ask Yourself As You Start The New Year”
My goal this year to to do more smaller pastel paintings particularly of birds – to set me on that journey, I’ve committed to simply draw the birds that I’m photographing in my backyard to develop my eye and “really see”. Just using a #2 pencil and a small sketchbook. Then I’ll move from those drawings onto the paintings. One step at a time!
Step by small step Lori. Good for you! The wee steps, in the end, take us on a journey. Love your goal and that you have a plan to make it happen. Yeah!!!
Good question. Covid seems to have put up a giant STOP sign, but maybe we are ready to cautiously get going again. Still thinking. In December I made a lot of minis, 3.5×2.5″. I kept them for myself because they are good and I like looking at them. I realized that I need to SEE my art, not put it away in boxes. So I will clear out the boxes, frame some, and enjoy those footprints.
Ahh Marsha – love that you have kept your minis! I find that when I’ve done work that makes a shift, I want to see them and be reminded of what I can do, what’s in me to come out. So YES, put them where you can see those footprints!
Marsha, I too realized that I KNOW what I like of my own art. I’m going to frame those pieces, and then re-use the rest. My Dad who passed away a few months ago had a great idea – give them away to people you love. Frame series in one frame, ask people which they like best. Have a little family art show!
Love the poem and love the photo with footprints in the snow!
😁
Hello Gail,
I would love it if you came to the UK to teach a workshop. I’ll watch this space!
All the best to you in 2022
I’m planning on it Jenn! I’ll keep you posted on my blog as things shape up for summer 2023!
New Years is a great poem. As part of his goal to share poetry in every California county, Dana came to Modoc. Our library group organized a wonderful evening listening to him speak and recite. He seems to influence artists of all genres.
My goal is simply to make time to draw or paint every day. We have a great place for plein air painting, so one goal is to “regroup the troupe” and get our plein air painting group going again……when the weather is warmer.
How wonderful that you have this connection with the poet Barbara! Thanks for sharing this interlude with us.
Love your goal for 2022. Have you blocked out time in your calendar to make it happen? Or, specified how much time a week you want to allot to drawing/painting?
And yay to regrouping the troupe for plein air painting! Always helps to make sure you get out when you have other people doing it with you!
In my case life is teaching me to live in the now, to enjoy the moment – I think that’s a lesson I needed to learn. So I am enjoying the snow as it is (to use the image from the poem) and I’ll be gentle to myself, there will be time to set goals when I feel stronger.
Angie, I love that you have recognised what you need at this moment and accept that. As you say, time enough for goals. Be with the snow …😁
Gail this is incredible. Last year at the Cop 21 the question was how to reduce our carbon imprint. All at once the thought came to me: “And what about our LOVE imprint?” Not to deny the importance of carbon imprint, but it would seem to me that making a love imprint is just as important, essential, even.
What if each person came away from a contact with us with a feeling of having been loved? A feeling that could accompany them during their day, and perhaps even have a ripple effect around them in their actions with others. I think it’s worth giving it a try.
Thank you so much for this arresting blog post.
Nancy
WOW Nancy – I love your idea of a LOVE imprint! Now that’s a fabulus foorprint to leave on 2022. Let’s all strive for having that effect in our connects with pthers!!
Thanks, Gail, for this. Striving to make SHAPES; think and work on VALUE and COLOUR. Special emphasis on LIGHT .
Awesome plans John! I hope you’ll share that with us in the IGNITE! Mighty Networks community too!
Dear Gail,
So often in this life we simply are and we go about doing. I have always been a big proponent of using your gifts. After a 28,5 year teaching career I began doing critiques for a Plein Air group. At this time I was returning to my own art, developing solid friendships and growing simply by sharing with other artists.Then in April of 2020 I began a year long medical journey that took me out of art making. However, my art community upheld me ,encouraged and supported me. In April of 2021 I began to paint again ( it was slow going) but these same friends were there to encourage me. One of my friends said “I can’t wait to see how this changes your art?” How we respond will determine those footprints!
Rebecca, thank you for sharing your recent personal journey over the past couple of years. Our community can be sooooooo important and this seems absolutely true in your case. How marvellous to have friends who were there for you. That is so much what life is about. And thank you for weaving your story into this question of what footprint will you leave? And yes, I too will be curious to see hear how it changes your art.
I feel alot like you in this question. Where do I go, what do I do? So many possibilities. Dove into online learning in the area of portraiture these last two years. I live off grid on a ranch in the high country of Colorado..me and hub – sort of all alone – perfect for a creative. My problem (I guess I look at it that way) is I am interested in all paint mediums. I go from acrylic to oil to pastel to watercolor and then back through it again it seems. MY ONE BIG ISSUE is organization of it all – so many mediums, so many substrates, frames, matboard, fixtures – in NOT a big space. But I loath the time it takes to organize and I feel like I just mess it up during the week’s painting. So what have I been doing for 10 days in January?? Showing up at my drawing table or easel and painting! Maybe next month.
Patrice, your comment made me smile.
And I do relate! Especially the part about laothing the time it will take to get everything organized.
And yay you as, in the end, isn’t the drawing and painting the priority after all?!
Powerful blog Gail and something to really get us all thinking…
My daughter is always setting goals, writing lists, crossing off when she’s achieved – which I find truly commendable.
Your question goes a lot deeper – I know I’ll keep coming back to this throughout the year as a reminder of whether I’m on track or not.
I feel my goals would have to be about being heard, about sharing my voice in this beautiful arena I’ve found myself in with such an incredible community of players.
I wish you well Gail and cannot wait to see you at Albuquerque!!!
Much love to one and all
Michele
Hey Michele, lovely to hear from you! And yes, I feel this question goes deep to the core or our purpose and being. Our goals will move us forward to whatever the answer to it is. But having a sense of the answer (and ohhh that’s a toughy) I think needs to be sussed out first.
And ohhhhhh I cannot wait to see you at IAPS. Whoo hoo!! 🎉 💓
Last year was one of varied losses, leaving me with an aura of sadness, so to start the new year with JOY I aim first to concentrate on lifting my own mood to be able of emanate light and colour to those around me. Step one, I have given myself a present and signed up for your Tuscany in May course! Meanwhile little steps in the wonderful nature that surrounds me in the dolomites will take me wherever I wander, and painting as frequently as possible gives me focus .
Jo, I am sorry to hear about your losses and the not-unexpected pall of sadness. I LOVE that you are moving forward into this year with JOY and ohhhhh, thrill of thrills for me, starting with signing up for my workshop in Tuscany! I can’t wait to meet you!! And in the meantime, small steps…in nature, in painting, in the day-to-day….
I just want to record some special moments… not just through photos but by special pastel paintings which go beyond “just a photograph” and capture a special moment of magic
Hazel that sounds like an awesome plan! Bringing yourself into the painting, seeing what the painting needs, all this goes deeper than a replica of the photo.
This year I will leave larger footprints. I am a big chap with clumsy hands, and I have really tried to contain myself in smallish artworks that require precision. This year I am going teach my art to grow and fit the real me, and become larger and more painterly
Rod, you made me smile!! I love the relationship between the size of you and the size of your paintings. Go large young man!!! Can’t wait to see your large footprints this year!!
I’m not really sure what my goal is, but I would think that I want to perfect my skills in art and share my talents in some way. I’m considering marketing my artwork. During my episode with Covid, I had all the time in the world to paint, and watch others’ artwork. I was only plagued with a mild issue with smelling and a slight cough, but felt like a leper! Quarantine for 10 days! But I got a lot of art done, reading, and organizing! I think that some times we’re supposed to slow down and reflect.
Kathy, as you’ve found, there are always silver linings in unpleasant and even awful situations. Sometimes those silver linings take time to show themselves but it seems you’ve discovered them pretty quickly! Brava!!
And yes, I think sometimes we do need to slow down and reflect. Our world is a huge rush and it’s sometimes tricky to navigate off to the quiet waters.
For me the question is : Is the world a better place for me being in it? Jury’s still out.
Interesting question Nancy! It certainly motivates one to do good in the world.
And the fact that you are asking yourself that question leads me to think the answer is Yes.
Gail you are a kind soul indeed.
N
❤️