Badge of Honor

What is your done list for last week?

The past week has felt distracting and scattered to me. I didn't get much done according to the weekly task list; instead, I did some other things that were not on the list— a type of procrastination, perhaps.

The holiday is approaching. My in-laws are visiting Abu Dhabi in two weeks, and my kids' winter break is less than two weeks away. We will also have an upcoming long weekend here in the UAE for the National Day Holiday. 

I feel a little behind in producing new designs and sending pitch emails—to achieve my goals. On top of catching up with my art business, I feel the pressure to balance a thriving marriage, being an engaging parent and a caring friend, a healthy diet, and a daily workout. It feels impossible sometimes. Or am I missing something? 

Life is full and busy, and I feel scattered and tired. Can you relate? Perhaps you could.

Here I was, sitting in my comfy armchair, reflecting upon the past week. I'm a multidisciplinary artist and designer. I love painting with watercolour and gouache and drawing on Procreate. I love making patterns with Photoshop and Illustrator. I use the POD site to sell pattern designs and my website to sell art prints and other stationeries. I have to narrow my focus for the week. If I try to fit everything into one week, I'll achieve nothing. 

When my 5-year-old daughter came home after school, the first thing she did was show me the Bee badge she had received from her class—a badge of honour for collecting 100 bee points by being a good student. She was so happy and proud, sparkles dancing in her eyes—this was her first achievement from school. The round, plastic, little yellow badge on her chest might mean nothing to many people, but it means so much to her. 

I looked at my week differently. I wrote down things that I actually did this week— I had an overdue breakfast hangout with two girlfriends, took a morning walk with another friend and offered to watch her child while she accompanied her husband to the hospital. I cooked dinner for a few nights (also had takeouts) and walked to pick up my kids from school Monday to Thursday. Workwise, I uploaded new designs for Spoonflower and updated my Studio Shop. What I am most proud of is that I painted a watercolour bouquet composition that I love and gave myself a #100daysfloralartchallenge to create a type of flower daily for 100 days. Because I remember too well that "Creativity isn't a special gift reserved for the special, but a life-giving practice for everyone." The more you create, the better you will be. 

These things I did may mean nothing to you, but they mean so much to me—especially in my vague, anxious feeling of being behind. These things matter. I may need to grow in time management and stay focused, but overall, I did okay. The list, to me, is like the bee badge to my daughter. 

Dear friend, how was your week? How do you feel about your week? I hope you write down your done list and give yourself a pat on the shoulder. You may not be where you want to be today, but you are growing and taking or adjusting your steps to get there. Well done! 

Speaking of my done list, I want you to know that my online Studio Shop is open ( did I mention that?)! You can browse and purchase my watercolor floral prints there. I plan to list more products as we go. 

There are also new designs on my Spoonflower shop! Perhaps you want some new fabric or wallpaper for your home or loved one while they have the end-of-year sale going on. 

It's the Thanksgiving weekend. I'm thankful for you, friend! Thank you for reading my newsletter and supporting my work! Download a fresh art print I made just for you as a thank-you gift. 

Until next time,

Keep growing!

xoxo,

Jun