2026 Creative Resolution Progress Update
I do not think I will achieve all I hoped to do.
Earlier this year, I made myself a few creative goals and objectives for 2026. With only a few months left, I decided to share an update on my progress. Maybe writing this will convince me to get to it.
In case it's helpful, below are the main points covered in this post:
My Non-Creative Resolution
After last year's health scare, I planned to focus more on my mental and physical health in 2026. So far, I am still alive.
Mentally, I am doing well. However, the first half of the year was emotionally challenging. Today, I feel more content with life.
Physically, I am good enough. I fell ill over the summer and felt 'out of it' for a couple of months, but I am better now. I lost ten pounds during that time, so there is that at least.
My Main Creative Objective
This year's creative resolution was to paint on a large canvas. Ideally, this should be easy for me since I already own all the materials and supplies I need. Except I have yet to set a canvas on my easel and get started.
The first half of this year felt emotionally challenging. My depression was high and creative motivation was low. The hobbies I normally enjoyed did not make me happy. I halted most of my creative hobbies.
Fortunately, I encouraged myself to digitally paint something, anything weekly during this time. I did not want to allow myself to give up on arts and crafts completely like I did over twenty years ago. I wanted my lack of motivation to be a phase.
What first felt like a chore eventually felt fun again. I went from simple doodles to more detailed animal portraits. It was a great way to keep my mind distracted. Before long, I resumed other mediums I halted at the start of the year.
When I reread My 2026 Creative Resolutions post, I realized that I forgot about my main creative objective. It never crossed my mind after I wrote my post.
I still have time to fulfill this resolution. I own everything I need to get started. I should not have an excuse not to get this done. Except I do have a poor excuse.
My craft room became my "depression room." When I no longer felt motivated to be creative, the room became my dumping storage ground of random stuff. It is so cluttered, I am too embarrassed to share a photo of it. Boxes and stacked piles of almost everything I do not use regularly reside in the room.
Now that I am mentally better, I plan to start cleaning and organizing the room this week. It needs to be done, and I am motivated enough to do it.
When I get it transitioned from a depression room back to a craft room, I hope to finally set up my easel, canvas, and painting supplies. Fulfilling this resolution would be a great Christmas gift to myself. Realistically, though, I can see myself losing motivation to start a large project like this.
My Creative Wishes/Goals
There were four other creative things I wanted to do this year. So far, I have achieved half of my smaller goals.
1. Make a polymer clay figure larger than one inch tall.
Clay crafting is one of the creative hobbies I halted earlier in the year. I only recently resumed the craft with simple projects like the polymer clay pencil keychain [] I made over the summer. It is not a great looking craft, but it was a quick and easy one that eased me back into the hobby.
Because I still have moments where I feel unmotivated, I do not see myself achieving this creative goal by the end of this year. If I am wrong, I hope to make myself a large Psyduck (Pokémon) or Tank (Forza Horizon game mascot).
2. Draw/paint in my sketchbook significantly more than years past.
Because I encouraged myself to digitally paint something weekly during my unmotivated phase, I eventually painted more than I intended. Since painting prevented my mind from wandering, I ended up painting several times a week.
As my emotional state improved, I resumed traditional means of drawing and painting. I rekindled my love for the arts over the summer.
This month, I am drawing and painting daily as I attempt to keep up with the Inktober and Peachtober art challenges. My artwork is quick and minimalistic, but at least I am being creative daily.
3. Complete a non-Woobles crochet project.
I achieved this goal last March during a trip for a fun doggy day out. I made a large crochet ball for my large dog the first night at the hotel. My pattern was based on a YouTube easy crochet tutorial by Crocheniacs| Amigurumi Teacher. Since it was not a Woobles pattern, I considered this a goal completed.
4. Learn a new skill or craft. There are several things ready to be used.
I dedicated time to learning about color theory and starting a small business. While I may have learned new skills related to those topics, I have yet to physically apply it in real-world scenarios. Therefore, I have not achieved this creative goal yet.
What's Next?
Depending on your new year's resolution, it may not be too late to achieve! Granted, two months does not seem like enough time, but it may be enough to start at the very least!
I still hope to achieve the creative goals and objectives I have yet to start. If I do not complete them, then at least I was optimistic enough to want to do it.
Comment below to share your resolution progress!
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Thanks, and have a great day!
~Simply Jelly Jam
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