2017 — A Year in Review and Looking Ahead

I've already written about what I'm grateful for this year, but I guess I have more to say on the matter! We just spent a week visiting with my in-laws in Maryland. It was our first trip back east after moving to Washington! Sadly, we missed out on a white Christmas in Washington, but here's to hoping for more snow soon! All the experiences in the last 12 months have helped me to be a better version of myself. A better friend, co-worker, daughter, wife, and sister. When I look back on the year, I'm still in shock at what we managed to back into one calendar year!

26 infusions and 7,800 ml of IVIG infused
1 port placement
3,085 miles driven for a cross country move
20 states visited
4 years of marriage celebrated
1 nephew born and 1 niece on the way
2 HoneyBook office visits
1 year of working full time (and 1 year of being a side-hustle artist)
$1,000 raised for the MGFA during our annual auction
45 pieces of art sold

Going into 2017 with a full time job, I had no idea what was ahead for Larkspur + Laurel. I knew that I would have to scale back commissions. As an artist, that can be a scary decision to make. Custom work had previously made up a majority of my orders. Limiting my time and schedule ended up being one of the best decisions I could have made. Those limits have given me freedom to move freely within the boundaries I set for myself. Those boundaries keep me centered, focused, and help me find a way to integrate painting into my life while balancing work and health management.

This year has been one of growth and stretching, hard decisions, and finding a narrative that helps me thrive in new ways. As I look ahead to 2018, I'm setting my word as inspire. I can't claim credit for that word. My sister-in-law gifted me a Giving Key necklace for Christmas this year, and her note really hit home for me in a way I had not yet considered.

"I was going to choose 'create', but you're doing so much more than that these days, you're really 'inspiring' others."

Looking back on this year, it was so much more than just creating. I love painting. I love being a creative. I've been challenge this year to do more to weave what I've learned from my health into my work and my brand. So while I probably never would have claimed inspire as my word on my own, I am so grateful for others helping me refocus and find areas for growth that I may have overlooked. My hope is that 2018 will be a year where I am able to create and live in such a way as to help others know their experiences and stories are invaluable.