Favorite Moments of 2012

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’ll notice that I do a yearly wrap up post where I talk about favorite moments of the past year. This post usually has some things in common:

• It’s later in January
• It has references to me never starting another blog again (which I never follow)
• It’s geared toward my writing life
• It’s hard for me to remember stuff

In fact, the last time I did one of these I suggested that perhaps I should start jotting notes down so I remember everything. But you knew that was never going to happen.

Instead, I’ll have to just go with the things that stick out in my memory, which is perhaps the point of a post like this anyways.

Freelance Writing

I had a good year for freelance writing, and am still enjoying my work so much at About.com and Life Goes Strong. I love the subject matter I cover and enjoy the feedback I get from readers. You’d be surprised at the number and variety of letters I get, everything from middle aged people asking questions about relationships, to tweens wondering about friendship, to writers wondering how to get published, to people who related to my poetry. I’m thankful for them all.

Books

This last year I focused my freelance work, so I didn’t publish as many books. I’m also still working on fiction projects, but in the last year they took a backseat to my paying work. (Gotta keep the bills paid you know!)

Still, I published a brand new collection of poetry called Yes, You, which I’m very proud of. It’s been received very well so far from the people that have reviewed and read it. It’s amazing to me now that I actually keep my writing to see the difference from a book like Yes, You to my first work, The Difference Now. You can see the growth in my life and writing.

I’ve done one thing consistently with my poetry and that’s give copies to people I like. I’m a poetry geek, after all, and this is my shy, silly way of saying, “Hey I think you’re cool” to people.  But then really awesome things seem to happen in return anyways, like this review , and this post on holding on to hope from Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen that was inspired from one of my poems. I never expect things like that so it’s especially sweet when it happens.

Mixed Media Art

I’ve fallen in love with mixed media art! The way I’m able to combine my passion of paper crafting with painting and poetry… well, there’s just something special about the whole thing that makes me feel like my soul has opened up. I did some in 2012 and hope to continue. I’ll continue to sell my prints and do some other stuff as well.

Blogging

There’s something about blogging that calls me… but I realized I had too many blogs. This is a problem many bloggers have had. But did that stop me from creating more blogs?

Nope.

I have, however, taken a look at my schedule and realized what’s possible and impossible. Namely, I’m combining some blogs and starting others. I started Kitschy Cuisine, which is one of my favorite blogs of all time. I’ll be adding to it leisurely, though, as it’s more of a hobby blog than some of my others.

I had already started Eiffel Trifle the year before, which is another hobby blog that I just love.

I did some guest blogging this past year at The Barn Door and also a post about Scents That Inspire Creativity at Sharon Falsetto’s Aromatherapy blog and one on the inspiring photos I took while in Paris for the Beading Arts blog.

This upcoming year I’ll be doing some consolidating of a couple of my old blogs. Still plenty of blogging all the way around, but more concentrated. More on that as time goes on.

Newsy Stuff

I was interviewed in 2012 for MSN Money, where I gave advice about bad gifts not to give.  I was also featured in Happen Magazine, where I offered tips for spring cleaning your online dating profile. Finally, I was interviewed by Irene Levine for her fabulous Friendship blog.

Goals

Well, every year I have goals, and sometimes I’ve posted them here, and sometimes I haven’t. Whether I post them or not they seem to change. I used to get upset by this, but then I realized that when you put your goals out there and something happens to change them, it’s kind of like God saying, “Over this way, please” so now I’m good if things go a different direction.

My goals for the upcoming year include:

• More fiction writing
• A creative day planner
• A lifestyle blog
• A new series of ebooks
• A bunch of personal goals

Will I make them? Will they change? My prediction is yes and yes.

Gratefulness

Freelance writing has some ups and downs, but this past year had many blessings. I met people that inspired me, and heard from many readers with heartfelt messages that left me with feelings of gratitude gratitude gratitude. You all have showed me how interconnected we are, and how we can make a positive difference in each other’s lives.