Pictured above: My 2021 vision board. Find image sources here.

I thought I’d share some personal insight into my last year, because I myself find that hearing about the lives behind the artist/business is helpful and just something I enjoy. So, here’s a peek into my life lately and what I’m dreaming up for next year!

2020 was a year of contradictions: it was somehow my best year in business yet, but one of the hardest personally. And though it was a year filled with challenges, I did actually feel stronger from them, eventually!, so in a way I am grateful for that growth (or at least I’m trying to be). My husband Michael and I have been through a lot: in late 2019, he suddenly lost his mom, Ann, a best friend to me and she was like my mom, too. It’s still devastating and we miss her everyday. Pretty much immediately after that the pandemic started. It’s been a year of strange grief. I’m very thankful for group therapy and individual therapy for both of us. If you are going through any kind of grief, I can’t recommend therapy enough. In late summer after being very cautious, we both caught Covid and thankfully recovered after a few weeks (though he still can’t fully smell! crazy). My mom works at a nursing home and I’m very grateful she will be getting the vaccine next month!  

In November, we suddenly lost our sweet cat Selene who had truly been there for us this past year, always there for a snuggle and had especially kept Michael company lately. Not to sit here and list all of our grievances, but all this to say I have grappled with quite a bit of anxiety this year which has manifested in unexpected ways, like creeping into my business and magnifying insecurities. Like feelings of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, social anxiety among my peers, perfectionism, etc. – hey, I said this would get personal! Ha. But I’m sharing these things because I know others out there face the same, or something similar.I think sometimes it seems like from the outside that I don’t deal with these things, but I absolutely do. And I hope by sharing this you can see that I do not have a perfect business, life, and mind — everyone is dealing with something. Which is exactly what we need to remember, so that we can be kind to others but also be kind to ourselves. Perfection is not the answer.

I’ve discussed some of the challenges, so to celebrate a little bit I’m going to recap my favorite things about 2020. No matter what you faced this year, I encourage you to do the same!

• Released new collaborations with Uncommon Goods and Hedley & Bennett
• Taught Licensing for Artists for the first time! My students are amazing and I can’t wait to teach it again.
• Taught a new mini-course, Creative Clarity
• Painted a lot in the spring, released a couple painting collections, and holiday products
• Cooked a lot more!
• Had the best birthday at a cabin in the woods in St. Francisville, Louisiana
• Reached my sales/revenue goal for the year 

What’s to come in 2021

Obviously I’m not setting too much in stone for next year 😉 The only thing for sure on the books right now, is that I have a couple of collaborations releasing early in the year, and I’ll be teaching Licensing for Artists again in January (Opens January 27th)!

And what else would I like to do? Here’s a few things I have in mind: 

• Purchase our first home with a backyard art studio
• Paint, paint, paint – especially big canvases again! 
• Design and pitch a new fabric collection                    
• Finally finish my new website!
• A new Skillshare class
• Think about book ideas/pitches….

I think that should cover me! Ha, we shall see what really happens…One thing I do know, it’s always an interesting ride!

Thank you for reading, and I’m wishing you a happy and safe holiday season! I’ll see you all again in 2021. Happy New Year!

xo Juliet

Happy holidays! From Juliet, Michael, and Roxy | Photos by Sarah Becker Photography