Your creative year in review

It’s December, which means another year is coming to an end. This time of year I always think back on how the year went for me; the good, the bad, the ugly, the exciting, the unexpected. Regardless of if you do new year’s goals, resolutions, or intentions, it can be good to reflect on what worked for you in the past and what could have been better. I like to do something that I call “my creative year in review” where I think about what I accomplished artistically over the past twelve months. 

This process doesn’t have to be formal, although it can be if you want. All you need is a piece of paper and something to write with, or you can pull up your notes app if you prefer. If you want to make an occasion out of it, you can light a candle, grab your favorite beverage, or even order your favorite takeout, but this can just as easily be done laying on the couch in your sweats.

Your creative year in review is, at its core, a list of questions that you as a creative person can ask yourself to get a sense of how the last twelve months went. It’s important to approach these prompts with self compassion and understanding.

Let’s dive in!

1. Last December, what were my goals and expectations for the coming year?
2. How did my expectations change as time went on?
3. What unexpected roadblocks got in the way of my creative goals?
4. How did I approach these roadblocks?
5. What sacrifices did I have to make in order to create this year?
6. Did those sacrifices feel worthwhile? Why or why not?
7. How do I feel about the work I created this year?
8. What surprised me most in my creative life this year?
9. What lessons did I learn that I want to bring with me?
10. What habits or mindsets did I shed that I want to leave behind?
11. In what ways did I invest in myself as a creative?
12. In what ways did I hold myself back?
13. What emotions did I feel most frequently around my creative life this year?
14. What other parts of my life fed my creativity?
15. How did I care for myself as an artist this year?
16. What do I feel was my biggest accomplishment this year?

You don’t have to answer any questions that aren’t resonating with you, but take the time to be thoughtful and thorough as you work through them. Your answers may surprise you, or you may already have a sense of how things have been going! Remember that any emotions that come up are okay; for example, if you feel disappointment because life got in the way of your art, or you weren’t able to stick to your goals for other reasons, that’s absolutely fine. 

I encourage you to think of roadblocks not as something that prevents you from moving forward, but rather as rocks in a stream that act to divert the water into a new path. When things don’t turn out the way you expected them to, the stream has just been redirected, and you may find out that the place you end up is just as beautiful as where you thought you were headed.