The new year begins soon and I find myself dreaming of how to make it magical and amazing. Coming out of a year of such intense grief and sadness, I am ready to embrace the light, the good, the possible. I am so joyful being home. I appreciate my community so much more. I am in love with the land, the people, the animals, the natural world, and my family that is all around me. I am inspired to create art that is inspired by all these things.

I have always dreamed of having an art studio. I’ve incorporated my art into all three of my past shops. I have sold well over a hundred of my handwoven shawls and many paintings, but my shops have always been apothecaries. I have always been known first and foremost as an herbalist. It was a blessing. My mind focuses more on art these days.

I am obsessed with anything fiber-related. I have been since the beginning of this blog. I can wander through the expansive yarn shop near us (named Yarned and Dangerous. My husband says, “Yes, it is.”) for hours to admire and feel the different textures of yarn. Soft, thick, plush, thin, roving, luxurious faux fur, mesmerizing sport weight variegated yarn. Colors that emanate the stripes of colorful canyons, of rich forests, of the sea. I want to dye yarn. I want to grow the herbs to use for said dyes. I want to spin. To create yarn. To weave on every kind of loom there is! To absorb knowledge from all the great teachers that step through fiber stores. To immerse myself into the art world. I have spun and wove and dyed yarn and had roving turned to yarn but I want to do more. And I want to paint freely to see what can transfer from my finger tips to canvas. I want to create with wild abandon.

Perhaps influenced by “In Her Studio” and “Where Women Create” magazines, I have held onto an image of grabbing my cup of coffee and heading to my working studio. Weaving away the day or painting or visiting with customers and working (playing) as a full time artist. To inspire others to create. I truly believe that creating art brings healing and joy. I could envision it, but didn’t really know how to make it happen. Well, whisper to the universe what you wish for. In about a blink of an eye, I was offered an opportunity I hardly believed to be true. A somewhat closed off space inside our bustling, local yarn shop was offered to me to house my working studio in. A place to try out different looms, listen to long-time weavers and spinners, and creators, and to be inspired by piles of yarn and open space to paint and craft and come up with ideas. To learn, to teach, to play, to watch the old 1800’s downtown street through large windows, the mountains rising a mile down the road.

My lease starts in three weeks. What are your new year dreams?