One of my 2017 goals for this year was to make sure that I spend as much time in the studio sculpting as I do in front of my computer screen and to truly DISCOVER my uniqueness in my art form. And do you know what I've found four weeks into the new year. Wow - that's harder than it seems. So ... here's a few steps I've taken to help with that goal. Perhaps a few of these will inspire you too.

2) Reduce social media time. Social media can be such a drain on our time, resources, and energy. There are hundreds and thousands of posts needing our time and attention every single day. There is simply no way we can sift through and filter all of them. I have reduced social media time drastically this year. It's not because I don't love seeing all your work and interacting with you, because I really do! ​​​​​​​But in this year's journey of DISCOVERY I need to change focus a little. I'm still on social media and I haven't given it up, I'm just reducing the amount of TIME I spend on it.

3) Make a LOG of how much time I spend in my studio. One of the easiest ways to see how much time you actually spend creating is to log it. I've logged my studio time for several years now. Last year I logged about 15-20 hours a week in my studio. I also take process photos so I can watch my progress and document my journey. It creates for a TON of digital images, but it also creates for a nice "digital journal" at the end of the year to view my work.

4) Unplug during the weekend. We all need time to "unplug." This allows me plenty of creative time, Church time, family time, and is just what the doctor ordered. Downtime.