I know I’m late, but happy new year everyone!
Last year, while everyone else was talking about their resolutions and/or plans for the year, I kind of let New Years quietly slip by. I was in the middle of a serious writing funk and couldn’t come up with anything retrospective or profound. Eventually, I wrote this, vowing not to give up writing.
But the truth is that I quite like the beginnings of a new year. It’s like holding a new book with blank pages, full of possibilities and unwritten stories… a whole year ahead of you to discover and improve and fill the pages with your own tales.
This year, I created this little hand-lettered collage of words and goals for the new year (that I bet we can all keep!). This year may see some changes (to be shared soon, hopefully!) and some of my resolutions reflect that. My resolution to continue writing still holds, along with the added one of blossoming my artistic endeavors. I hope to get rid of some bad habits (like staying up way too late… like now, ahem) and cultivate healthier ones. And I’m looking forward to a new year full of travel, adventures, reading, and of course, eating! But mainly, this year, I just want to continue learning and exploring, both the world around me and the potential inside of me.
So Happy 2016 everyone! Let’s go write some stories!
What are your goals for 2016?
PS. If you like this, I’ve made printable PDF versions of this in both non-colored (pictured above)and colored (a bit more colorful).
As always, I LOVE this!!! Your calligraphy/fontwork is really getting good. I’m definitely all aboard with the “getting out of your comfort zone” and “practicing gratitude.” I think the two also work really well together in crafting a good year :) I hope 2016 treats you well!
Thanks so much Michelle! I think you’ve already got the “getting out of your comfort zone” thing down, with all that you took on in 2015! It sounds like that you’ve got exciting things happening this year.. I look forward to following along!
Lovely :-)
Thanks Andrea! Happy new year to you! :)
Perfect, and such wonderful words for the year!
Thanks Mere :). I hope 2016 will be an awesome year for you!
I love it. It’s inspiring and cute! My goals are to figure out some health issues, get healthy, and explore more!
Thank you Julie! I really need to get healthy this year too and get back into the habit of exercising. I totally let it slip last year. Good luck sticking to your goals this year! :)
I don’t know, maybe it is because of the horny anime clip that I accidentally clicked into, influencing my brain, but.. part of the hot air balloon you drew looks somewhat like… a piece of female garment to me… Yikes! Sorry!!
It’s been a while since I had the luxury of staying up late. I’d like to get rid of this bad habit too. Nowadays I sleep very early… early in the morning. We call “after midnight” as “very early in the morning”. ;)
LOL I could not figure out what you’re talking about.. but then D pointed it out me. Maybe I should change the color! And you must be watching weird anime stuff in order to accidentally click into one ;).
WOW! This is beautiful, you drew this?!?! :) I see so much joy in the lettering and the phrases you chose– I hope the year is filled with all of these things! I can’t wait to see how it unfolds for us both, and I’ll be following along on your adventures.
Thank you Daisy! I’m looking forward to following what this year has in store for you too… you were so cryptic in your post! ;)
You are so talented! You need your own etsy shop. Yay for 2016 and all it holds! ☺️
Aww thank Courtney! I wish I could do an etsy shop (after a lot a lot more practicing, of course!), but my biggest challenge is the lack of ability to make high quality copies and prints!
I hope this year is wonderful for you too! x
I absolutely adore your Words for 2016 poster! And as soon as i’m near a printer I’m going to print off a colour copy and pin it on my wall :-) Oh and Happy new year! Hope it proves to be everything you’ve dreamed it will :-)
Awww that means a lot to me Kiara!! Happy new year to you too… I hope it’s filled with even more travels and adventure!
Happy 2016 Anna! I’ve been behind in ready blogs lately but have just done some catching up on yours – and I have to say, your illustrated posts are AWESOME. You are talented, girl! Looking forward to seeing what you get up to this year, whatever form those posts take xx
I know what it’s like to get behind on blogs! Welcome back :). And thanks so much! I hope you had a lovely holiday season and I hope this new year will be wonderful for you. Maybe more blog posts this year? hehe :)
“Learn how to draw and write pretty things like Anna”. haha. I think I’d fail that one ;)
Haha! Honestly, this takes so long that I wouldn’t recommend it… not when you can be doing more exciting things like traveling and socializing, lol. ;) I hope you have a good new year, Hannah!
haha but it sure is pretty ;) happy new year- maybe 2016 I’ll bump into you and D somewhere on the road!
I love how you wrote “Eat well” and drew a cupcake and ice cream beside it. Not your typical New Years eating resolution. (Just booked my flight to Asia. BKK on the 28th!)
Hehe, yep that’s my idea of eating well ;). Yay!! I’m guessing you’re just gonna wing it once you get into the area, but hopefully our paths will cross!
Anna, I would add something like, “Get out of your comfort zone be selfless and volunteer your time” This year I personally want to volunteer my time and my energy helping out somewhere for someone this year. I live in Southern California where with a life style that could be labeled land of the selfish, “it’s all about ME!” It’s really hard to shake that perverse mentality running, (I really mean driving here in the car utopia) from one place to the next. I want to take time to slow down and think about someone else this year.
Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment! Happy new year to you! :) I know what you mean…. I lived the majority of my life in Southern California as well. Volunteering is a wonderful goal. I always feel like I could be doing more in that department as well! Best of luck to you in this new year! :)
Totally love your sketch Anna! Happy New Year! I also stay up way too late, I don’t know why I do it, even when I’m exhausted and have an early start the next day! I’m very intrigued about the upcoming changes, you can’t tease us with that and not tell! :-D
It’s honestly not that exciting!! :) And yes… I really need to kick the habit of staying up too late! But it’s hard for me to focus during the day and I’m the most productive when it’s all quiet and dark. But I feel like it’s probably not healthy. I don’t know how you can stay up and still go to work the next day!
Happy New Year to you! I can’t wait to see where your adventures take you this year and to hear about these exciting new plans!
Happy New Year to you too Kerri! I hope this year will be great to you! :D
I love it – it’s like an inspiration board! :) Happy new year!x
Thanks Camila! I hope your holidays were good and that you have a great 2016!! x
Obsessed with this!! I’ve loved following along with your adventures this past year, and can’t wait to continue! I’ve got so many goals for this year that they’re hard to organize in my head, right now my goal is to make a list of my goals and to be realistic about them haha … Oh and keep the sketches coming they’re seriously amazing! :D
Thanks so much Lauren! It’s so important to be realistic about goals, that’s why I made sure all these are goals we can actually keep! I look forward to following along with you this new year too! x
So beautiful, I’ve just downloaded your colourful version and I love it! Here’s to a wonderful year ahead :) So glad to be following along for another year to come!
Yay! you’re back from the honeymoon! :D You already started off this year on such a good note… I hope the rest of this year will just keep on getting better and better for you! x