A little late, but Happy New Year!  I know I haven’t been in touch on here or on my social media accounts as much as usual…and if I have posted, it’s been regarding The Merry Workshop.
To answer some questions you may have — yes, I am still writing.  In fact, my novel “Decaf For The Dead” is coming along nicely!  I have given myself lots of time to write at my own pace.  Usually, I keep myself to a strict writing/publishing schedule of a book a year!  I’ve been doing that since 2009, so as you can imagine — I became a little burnt out.
2017 was a transitional year for me.  I delved deeper into who I am and what I want.  I traveled to Sicily (which I still owe you a blog on), was maid-of-honor for my best friend’s wedding (Kindell from Postcards & Daydreams) in Nashville, spent time with family, and also spent a lot of alone time.  Perhaps too much alone time.
Turns out being away from New York so much has diminished friendships due to no longer living in the convenience of the city.
The end of the year brought on a new project — The Merry Workshop — a business I started with its first product being letters from Santa.  I now offer Valentine’s Greeting cards and will also be featuring other seasonal cards and personalized gifts.  I didn’t know how much excitement this would evoke in me.  I had the idea for it all in November and it quickly snowballed!  It allows me to explore a side of myself I had put to rest when I was a kid — the artist in me.
As far back as I can remember, my first dream jobs were: artist and veterinarian.  While I never thought to follow through with becoming a vet due to my overly-emotional response to animals in any kind of distress, being an artist took a backseat when I began to focus on writing.  Don’t get me wrong — writing is an art form, but it is not the only one I enjoy.
While my natural talent of sketching and painting is limited these days, I would like to explore those avenues more.  I already have begun honing my calligraphy/brush lettering skills.  Check out some of the creations here: themerryworkshop.com.
It’s like arts & crafts everyday for me now and I have such a child-like excitement again!  I hope everyone can find something that makes them feel what I am feeling.  Even if it’s just something you do that you don’t share with anyone else.
I created some goals — nothing too restrictive — for 2018 in the form of a doodle page in my new journal.  I have discovered this way of journaling on Instagram and fell in love.  Not only does it allow me to practice brush lettering and decorative doodles, but it also helps me focus on key words to inspire/motivate me and that express my current moods/feelings.
Do you journal?  What are your 2018 goals/resolutions?  Is there something new (or something old) you want to try or do more of?  Post a comment or create your own doodle journal entry and share it with me!  Leave a comment below or tag me on social media: @sandylobooks.