The Obligatory Year Round Up Post.
It is less than a week til New Year. It has become a tradition for television to trot out The Year that Was specials. It seems almost everyone in the blogging world starts listing their achievements. Friends (and complete strangers) extol their regrets and sincerely pledge their New Year’s resolutions, wondering which if any will join the pile of regrets totted up at the end of next year.
2014 – Year that was:
- Writing: This year has been consumed with writing. It has sustained me.
- completed (and won) 2 Camp NaNoWriMos – April and July
- completed my first novella manuscript (now in second draft) Doctor Jack.
- attempted my first full NaNoWriMo – almost completed the first draft of my steampunk novel – The Department of Curiosities
- held my first stall at Teanannigans.
- opened an etsy store – Off the Artboard.
- attended two pop-culture conventions (Oz Comic Con and Armageddon) – and survived the crowds.
- work-related anxiety culminating in quitting my job and workcover – to save my health.
- had two health scares.
- lost 12 kilograms of the weight piled on during the past few years of stress. (phew)
- started a three month sabbatical – full time writing.
- I survived 2014… just.
COSTUME:
In the costuming world, it is customary to list the year’s completed costumes and those planned for the upcoming year. So here goes:
Costumes completed in 2014: A lot less than I had originally planned.
- Steampunk areonaut
- Steampunk – striped corset and skirt.
- Aeronaut wings
- Firefly group costume
- Osgood
- Marceline
2015: The Year That Will Be:
COSTUME:
The easy part is listing the costumes I would like to make. Gone is the list of ten to fifteen outfits in twelve months. I am trying to be more practical.
- finish Queen Victoria (Pirates Misfits)
- I am in need, and greatly desire, a new steampunk outfit and gadgetry.
- A new Victoria and Otto ensemble (I have the material for the corset already)
- Finish the River Song outfit. (the material was bought two years ago!)
New Year’s Resolutions – or more accurately – what I hope to achieve in 2105:
- learn to deal with the anxiety remnants from work.
- remain professional
- look after myself first – my mental and physical health. Learn to say no. Walk 30 minutes every day. Set up a standing desk.
- revel in my family time
- Avoid conflict – or at least the anxiety that accompanies the resulting fallout by surrounding myself with true friends (also see #1)
- do more photography – just for the sheer pleasure of finding the wonder in the world. It can be a most beautiful place.
- finish weeding the garden, refurbish the back garden beds and maybe – just maybe – get some more fruit trees planted this winter.
- decide if I will return to my long term career in optometry or gather the courage to take on a new path
- give this writing gig a proper attempt, no matter what I decide for #8.
- keep up the (almost) daily writing routine
- finish, rewrite, edit and attempt to publish my novel, The Department of Curiosities (and novella, Doctor Jack)
- If successful in #11, then have a book launch
- start my second novel and novella.
Thirteen – my lucky number.
2014 has been a dubious year for me, full of trials and heartaches, stresses and anxieties. I can’t wait for it to end. Life can only get better!
Bring on 2015.
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