Thirty Before Thirty
Posted 6 months, 4 weeks ago at 10:11 pm. 0 comments
As I mentioned in my last post, I was inspired by Andrea over at hula seventy to create my own list of things to do before I turn 30 years old (next January). Here’s her list for this year. And here’s mine.
I thought I would have it done by my birthday but I wanted to make sure I got it right, so I didn’t rush or pressure myself. I kept that mantra in mind as well as I wrote this list – no “draw something every day” or “write a blog post every week”. Those types of goals just make me feel stressed and I am more likely to give up on them if I miss a day or two or seven. I always think, since I screwed up that one time, I may as well just give up on the whole thing because I ruined the “streak”. I have already started my illustrated journal, and I’ve tried to be very forgiving of myself if I don’t draw or write anything for a week. If it’s been a while, I just pick it up when I get some time and keep going, and try to avoid the whole idea that I have failed if days and days have passed without any drawings. That just causes me to feel like I am “behind” and then I avoid the whole activity until I can muster up the motivation to do multiple days worth of drawings (crazy).
So I guess Number Zero on this list is “forgive yourself”. I think that’s a good one. Here are the rest, in no particular order of importance:
- List something for sale on Etsy
- Make promotional illustration postcards
- Illustrate something… for money! *gasp*
- Design and print “real” business cards – backups for when I don’t have hand-made cards :)
- Put up a portfolio website (for both web development and illustration)
- Keep an illustrated journal/sketchbook
- Go to life drawing sessions/classes
- Animate a little something every month
- Create an infographic (or an animated how-to or how-this-works)
- Set up an “arts & crafts cabinet” to make pens, pencils, paper, glue, Xacto knives, sketchbooks, paints, etc. easily accessible upstairs (e.g. not in basement)
- Fill a sketchbook with drawings from around Portland (landscapes, buildings, statues, etc)
- Make a gardening/home improvement/travel blog with Todd, where we write about… life and stuff (not work)
- On that note… create a “travel-log”-esque website for our 2009 Switzerland trip
- Make a stuffed animal for Carter’s first birthday (my nephew)
- Visit the Classical Chinese Gardens and drink tea
- Explore Portland’s west hills, and see the Rose Garden, Japanese Gardens, and see Pittock Mansion
- Hike in Forest Park
- Have a picnic in Cathedral Park and walk across the St. John’s Bridge
- Buy a long board and ride a wave standing up
- Drive down Hwy 101, surf, see the Redwoods and hang out in Ashland again
- Learn rudimentary Italian and French
- Give thoughtful gifts to my close friends and family for their birthdays
- Finish Todd’s Valentine’s scarf (started for V-Day 2008)
- Make a terrarium
- Learn to hockey stop on my right side (and just overall become a better skater)
- Bike the Springwater Corridor from Main City Park in Gresham to the Eastbank Esplanade
- Decorate the mantel and hang pictures above the fireplace
- Make an inspiration board – OR – decorate my office/desk area at home with things that inspire me
- Attend a roller derby match
- Attend a play/ballet/symphony concert