During the collective pause while we burrowed into the longest nights of the year over the Winter Solstice (in the northern hemisphere), I did my share of reflecting and planning for the new year.

As did everyone else, it seems, on the interwebs.

I didn’t want to make resolutions or goals, as both dissolve and fade in the light of real life—and after completing a year-long, weekly project I didn’t want to box myself in with another one. But I thought I could using a guiding intention for my art practice. A navigational beacon for 2023 that would keep me sailing in a direction I want to go.

And the direction I want to head next is to experiment more, play with new materials in new combinations and generally wander outside my comfort zone.

I mean this as both a matter of spirit and craft. Through more intentional experimentation and play, I am as eager to learn more about my Self as a creative being as I am to improve my art skills.

I didn’t know where to start at first

So I began by making marks in watercolor. The page above started with random shapes spaced far apart, just for fun. And then I kept going round the page with shapes that got closer and closer together—until there was no more space to mark.

My first experiment of the new year turned out to be: how close can I get random shapes? Just fun. Just experimentation—which leads me to new ideas for new marks, with new materials…the ball has started rolling.

In the meantime, I’ve been delighted and surprised by a range of new offerings by other artists

The new year’s energy is palpable on those interwebs! And I couldn’t help it, I now have several different classes and challenges I’ve decided to join in the coming weeks and months—which I thought I would share here if you’re interested in joining too.

Sketchbook Squad with Sarah Watts—a free daily sketchbook challenge

The Hundred Day Stitchbook with Ann Wood Handmade (I like her latest blog post about this free project too).

Free to Dream in Ink and Watercolor with Gaia Marfurt and Karen Abend—a 5 day zoom workshop January 24-28th.

Moonshine 2023 with Effy Wild—I’ll be following along with curiosity and making moon paintings each month.

With each new offering that crossed my path, I worried that I might pile too many things on my creative plate (the internet being the ultimate buffet table that it is!) But then I decided that first, with these several and my own self-directed experiments going, I’ll always have choices for what to work on—and I definitely WON’T work on each one each day.

Also, I’m approaching each experience as an opportunity to practice my guiding intention to experiment and play—which means releasing any standards for perfection or meeting schedules. The Hundred Day Stitchbook might take me 200 days. I tend to work in my sketchbook daily but some days I can’t—and I definitely won’t be working off Sarah Watt’s wonderful prompts every day. That’s okay! And if I get started on something and I don’t want to continue?

I will resist my childhood training to finish everything on my plate.

Everything this year is an experiment.

So what about you? Do you have an intention for the new year? Any plans? Want to join me in any of the offerings below? Let me know in the comments section below—or email me!