End of Year Reflection
It's been quite a roller coaster, 2009. But if I were to do it again, I'd do it all over again. Maybe some changes here and there, but I'll still get on the same roller coaster.
First, I lost my job earlier in the year, and moved from Vancouver to Wells. A very good friend of mine warned me that it would be a backward move, especially now when I'm at a level where better things can and will happen. But I reasoned, I need a break from Vancouver, I needed to reconnect with the sense of community, and I thought Wells was a perfect place, where people had your back (or so I'd like to think).
Wells had been good though, a place where you actually talk to your neighbours, more than just a "morning" or a passing nod. Of the 5 years I lived in North Burnaby, I can only remember the faces of the couple that lived next door to me. And that was only because we actually talked about stuff. And it's a great art community as well. Not necessarily just the small, close-knit clique, but also the whole community, that once you get to know them, you realize what they offer by way of talent. It's phenomenal, how many artists and how many media in this small town. We have 2 theatres - the Sunset Theatre in Wells and Theatre Royal in Barkerville. Granted, it's seasonal at the moment, in full production in the summer, but they do spend winter planning the next summer's productions. It is very much a kind of community I need at this point, while I develop my painting skills and a series of work, so I can provide a gallery's worth of work in 2010.
And it is my intention to give back to this community of Wells in every way I possibly can - and what better way to do this than to be a volunteer firefighter, being a member of the Wells Chamber of Commerce, the Sunset Theatre Society and the Island Mountain Art Gallery.
As a painter, I am very grateful for 2009. I have sold 2 paintings, a dedicated painting studio, and a framing & graphic design business that allows me to make bread and butter while I paint.
But has it been a backward move? In some ways, I agree with my friend. Graphic design-wise, I certainly lose out on bigger projects, and I do have to start over again in establishing myself professionally. As a painter, yes, I do lose out on building a big city clientele, but really, I'm at a phase where I do need to build my skills, and a body of work. So it's really not a step backward. These are just small things, that can be worked on.
Bring on 2010. Bigger and better things.