Episode 26: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Something about the quiet early morning sailing on the ferry, traveling home to Gustavus after a couple of busy days in Juneau, feels like a moment outside of time… We are suspended between the two worlds and my mind drifts.  We make the turn around Point Retreat and head into Lynn Canal, Lion’s Head visible in the north.  I find myself looking back and looking forward: taking stock of the past year’s accomplishments, reminding myself of several milestones with my art; and visualizing what I might find ahead, what new directions my creative journey might take.  I’m intrigued by the possibilities.Looking back at 2025, I focus on two digital/online galleries with which I routinely interact:  LightSpaceTime and Fusion Art.  Both websites host monthly themed competitions as well as offering educational blogs with news and art marketing articles.  I participated in various competitions about every other month during 2025, and was recognized each time with my images placing somewhere in the winners’ circle.  The best showing was a second place award for “Summer Sunset,” which also happens to be the cover of my 2026 calendar.  I submitted this image to the August competition with the theme of Waterscapes.And speaking of calendars, I was particularly thrilled to be contacted by the We’Moon collective that publishes an annual astrological planner and calendar.  This is a collaborative effort coordinated by Mother Tongue Ink, and features art and writing by women from many cultures.  I’m pleased and proud to say my image “Desert Moon” will be featured in the 2027 datebook, and the wall calendar will feature “Winter Moon.”  This recognition helps bolster my spirit when I feel stuck or frustrated, and serves as outside validation of my vision for sharing my art.Looking forward, I’d like to think the word of the year for me will be “discovery.” My intention is to deepen my process and develop my skill and understanding.  I want to learn, explore and connect more strongly with intuitive and creative energy.  There are several artists to whom I plan to reach out, hoping there will be an opening for teaching/learning, and there are certainly lots of online resources to investigate.  The first order of the day will be posed as “Help me define and describe what I’m doing, so I can figure out how to do it better!”  Color and composition are old friends, but maybe it’s time to leave the familiar behind and broaden my perspective.We make the turn from Lynn Canal into Icy Strait.  The sun is up and behind us now, shining on the snow covered peaks of the Chilkats to the north and the Fairweathers to the west.  I’m sure some of my questioning and searching would have been satisfied had I gotten some formal art training along the way, and maybe that is where I will find myself in 2026.  The possibilities are endless, and I’m “On the Road to Find Out!”  Thanks for coming along for the ride.