Moving Forward

To me, it's important to feel like I'm moving forward, growing, and changing all the time. I'm a list-maker, setting goals kinda gal.

This is an exciting week for me for a few reasons:

I made a big change at work - I'm not working part-time, 24 hrs/week at the Museum. I realized that my interests and passions have been changing, and that in order to follow them I needed more time. As of this week, more time I have! More time to...

- Take on the role of Volunteer Program Director at The Hive - a great opportunity for me to gain experience in arts management, to make connections and build community among women and artists, and to spend time focusing on my growth as an artist. My role begins this week as we reach out to two very different groups - elementary school students and a group of arts administrators and artists in Providence for the Connecting Creative Communities Conference.

- Develop Connect the Dots! I have a to-do list a mile long of things I need to learn about biz skills, marketing, web design, etc. I signed up for an awesome online course - Indie Biz 2.0 - led by three women who have thriving independent art businesses. It starts today, and I'm already feeling inspired and excited. It couldn't have come at a better time!

- Work through all those projects I have on my list, and the goals I've set out for 10 things in 2010. For instance, I've been working towards one of those goals this weekend...

#7: Make a Dress.

I didn't exactly make it from scratch, but I finally used my dress form for its intended purpose! Adj and I went to Goodwill last weekend, and we picked out this vintage getup:

Frumpy, big, loose, but it had potential...

Took it in here and there, enlarged the neckline on back and front, adjusted the sleeves, made a new belt, and shortened the whole number. And now I have something really wearable! I'm excited to debut it this week!

It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. And the dress form makes all the difference. This might just be the year that I move past my fear of clothing construction...

How are you moving forward these days?

Carole Ann