Moving on

2012 was, well, quite the year.

I faced my fears:
 - I spoke out in more conversations.
 - I presented at BarCamp.
 - I started my own company.
 - I created an Etsy store and sold at my first few craft shows.

Obstacles materialized.  Stress mounted.  That's not all over.  2012 was not a year for security.

I learned some lessons and failed a bit. I would not have failed if I had not made things. Failure is a step, not an endpoint.

My themes for 2012 were:

• Creativity
• Conversation
• Discipline

I don't think I did too bad there, really.  Now, we move on.

2013.

I think my themes sum it up pretty well:

• Wonder
• Losing the ability to see what is wondrous about our existence is what turns us into mindless drones (or zombies, if you prefer).  Running through life mindless screws a lot of things in our world up.  We need to mark the wonder - to take a moment to spot the dew on the spiderweb. To let what we choose to believe in amaze us.  To let people do the same.  In 2013, I will make sure that I mark the wonder around me - and help others to do the same.
• Drive
• It would be so easy to give in to defeat, despair, exhaustion.  Easy but not right.  Giving up is not allowed.  Neither is slowing down because that could jeopardize the work done to date.  2013 is going to have some gangbuster pushes and I need to keep it up.
• Community
• There are two key elements to this.  First, I need to continue to get closer to and strengthen the community of good thinkers, artists, and generally cool people - in ROC and beyond that I'm building around myself.  They're important.  Second, the key focus for Storychick in 2013 needs to be growing a community of supporters/believers - the rest will stem from there.

So, that's how I'm looking at the year.  On Storychick, I'll have some news soon about things I am working on to kick off the year big time, starting with the first Icarus session - Wednesday 1/2, 7pm at Spot Coffee.  Hope to see you there!