Good Things: December 2023
Resting, reflecting, holiday songs, silly little art goals, and other fun stuff from gill d.
Image above: a little sketch based on the sun tarot card but with a dark solstice twist
You’re doing great
Happy Solstice ya’ll! All I really want to say today on this shortest day at the end of what has been another very hard year for a lot of people on this planet is that you are doing a really great job and I hope you know that. I think we are all aware that some pretty horrible dark things are going on right now but despite all of that, we are still here and still doing our best and that is absolutely not nothing! You go, you.
As I tend to do around the end of most years, I’ve been starting to feel the crunch of “I didn’t do enough this year” but this time, rather than get frazzled, I decided to look back on what I actually did do this year and you know what? It was a lot! Even though it seemed SO short, this year was actually pretty long and a lot of stuff happened (and a lot of it was good stuff!).
The solstice is all about the rebirth of the sun and looking towards a new year so it’s a good day to remember that you’re doing so great and next year is going to be great. I hope that we can all rest up so we can shine as bright as we can next year— the world REALLY needs that.
I’ll leave you with this meme (stolen from the latest holisticism email), which is serving as my 2024 mood:
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Image above: a couple of fashion week cuties and their colorful bird by Anne M. Bentley
Featured Maker: Anne M. Bentley
I read something the other day about how looking at colorful artwork can make you happier and ever since then I’ve really been seeking out art that simply makes me feel happy. Anne’s work really does it for me— from cutie animals to women in repose to poppy city maps, I love Annes’ use of texture and color and composition to create work that feels warm and alive. Check her out for a little December pick-me-up!
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Image above: my personal rendition of the charlie brown christmas album cover, drawn last year but it still hits TBH so here it is again
December Playlist: HOLIDAY ULTRAMIX
It’s that time again! It simply does not get any better than the charlie brown christmas album around the holidays (and really year round) so I’m once again plugging my HOLIDAY ULTRAMIX, which also includes some other mostly-instrumental chill holiday jams. Served best shuffled with a side of nog. Enjoy!
Image above: if drawing my friends’ dogs doesn’t qualify as important work then I really don’t know what does! RIP Keats <3
Recent Work: Reflecting & Rejuvenating
As I mentioned above, this month I’ve been doing a lot of resting, reflecting, and generally trying to up my self-care routines in an effort to create a healthier gill for 2024.
Honestly it’s kind of hard setting my cute little art goals when there’s so much big stuff happening in the world these days, but I’ve been trying to remember that doing something is much better than doing nothing and that together all of our silly little art really does have the power to shift the direction of things. Even when the world’s problems seem unsurmountable, its helpful for me to remember that change has happened before and can happen again but definitely won’t happen if we all just sit around and aren’t doing anything fun or creative at all. So even if you think your silly little project means nothing in the face of wars and genocides and all the bad things, really it’s even more critical than ever.
All that to say: I’m resting up and taking care of my body so I have the physical, emotional, and spiritual energy I need to make ridiculous little scribbles of dogs. It’s a tough job but I’ll be here holding down the fort and I hope you all get the time you need to rest up so you can devote yourselves to your creative pursuits even more fully in 2024! I can’t wait to see what you make.
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Image above: cute lil purple flowers with yellow circle centers
Some Other Good Things
I love a new year’s reset and this video has a lot of great ideas for how to do this in a super organized way! I’ve already started reflecting & decluttering and it feels great.
Brenda Lee was 13 when she recorded “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and nailed it in 1 take. Wild to me!
Love a good posture exercise roundup
A great free classic knit hat pattern. I’m on my second one this month!
This post about creative archetypes is super interesting and inspiring! I too have often tried to replicate the creative habits of others but have of course found that following my own path leads to the best results. Take the quiz at the end for a fun time!
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Thanks for reading – see you next month!