2016: A Year to Look Back on

It was a monumental year in my life, and yet I felt that my life was connected in a shared experience with many other people my age in my social circle. Is it that we're all slowly turning 30? This 29 year old wanted to share some themes from the year.

It was the year that a dream came true.

I worked part time last year in hopes that I would one day find full time work as an art teacher. It was a leap of faith, a financial struggle, and at times I felt pretty hopeless and discouraged.  After having spent 7 years in college, and 3 years teaching art part time, I had a dream for 10 years that I would one day be a full time art teacher. It happened. It happened at the school where I already spent my 3 years working as an aid. In their 30 year history, I was their first full time art teacher, making a salary. It didn't stop there. I was given MY OWN ROOM (NO MORE CART!), a bigger budget for visiting artists, and a class to write my own curriculum for. In August, I couldn't wait to stuff my car with giant sunflowers for my room. My heart is filled with gratitude and I enjoy my morning commute when my mind is thinking up lessons and prep to do.

It was a year for musical growth.

Venus Envy, a project with standup Bassist, Victoria Tag, was born early in the summer. Bone and Marrow released the album "Introspectator", (for sale on Amazon here!), we played many new venues, and the "Hear Me Roar" women artists showcases were born with the help of April Centrone. Bone and Marrow finally has a drummer; long time friend Anthony Defabritus. Bone and Marrow toured with the Homeless Apians and played venues in Asheville NC, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.  I accompanied No More Pain,  Tony Appleseed, Moon Motel, and The Porchistas on their new records.

It was the year to hit the road and put some miles behind us.

I saw more states this year than any other year; newly explored states include Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Texas.  Oh, and that's in addition to two of my favorite places in the world: Louisiana and North Carolina. I love all that time in the car- it's much needed creative time to write, read, and work on projects. The books that came along with me really changed my perspective. The trips I took this year, whether it was to play music, to teach, or to experience were all trips I couldn't forget if I tried. The hot van with no AC on the hottest week of the year, stuck in traffic to play a show, was one of those moments.  The only thing is, wanderlust is temporarily soothed with traveling, but when you come back you have to plan the next one to avoid feeling the blues! Unless you can find a way to work and travel at the same time!

Colorado, in January.

This was a painfully long state to drive though, but they have a really amazing bakery that makes coconut bread!

August, in Virginia. It was our first stop on our tour with the Homeless Apians.

My heart was pounding as I set up to teach a class at the COSM In Wappingers Falls, NY.  I gave Alex Grey a present for inviting me to teach in his space.

Ithaca, New York, October.

Southern Louisiana, In February.

Northern Louisiana

If I am fortunate enough to live a long life, I'll have the memory of being a 28 year old child, riding bikes in a historic cemetery with Daimon, catching geckos and taking pictures.

                             It was a year I read and accumulated the most influential books.

To say I was moved by "The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls would be an understatement.  I'll never forget reading about a nomadic family while I was in the backseat with the road moving beneath me.  I went through two highlighters while reading "Reclaiming Conversation" by Sherry Turkle; another book that runs through my mind all the time. I am nearly finished reading "When the Drummers were Women" by Layne Redmond. I imagine that 2017 will be the year I celebrate my ancient roots and try my hand at banging and hitting things for expression more often!

It was a year of beginnings and endings.

There were so many joys this year. Daimon and I attended 5 weddings (photographed one and was honored to be a maid of honor), and some amazing people got engaged this year! We mourned the loss of way too many pets of our friends. It made me want to take more pictures of my own Little Richard and make an album for him.  There were so many painful times this year. I experienced heart ache with friends, but saw summer love unfold.  The sun sets, and the sun rises.
         I made the decision earlier in the year to not maintain relationships that are imbalanced or toxic for me. It was really hard to not impulsively call people I had known for a long time, but there were a few gains from that decision. I put that into the universe and new people entered my life. That might have been my favorite beginning.

My predictions for 2017:

Many more joys and pains with even more intensity than this year (it's a little scary to imagine that). On a positive note, regardless of negative and positive news and happenings, 2017 will be the year of moving, changing, and going forward. What may appear to be going 10 steps back, is actually forcing people to think about how they can change that. My hope is that people feel empowered to do something, share something, say something.
 More personal predictions- My hope is that the upcoming summer will be a time to heal my voice and experience more freedom; it will be the first summer since I was 15 that I won't be working often.  I look forward to traveling more in 2017. I've never been out west to visit the most beautiful parts of this country and gain perspective from that experience (and take a few pictures of cacti while I'm there).  I want to make my hope a reality that both Bone and Marrow and Venus Envy will write more music, and share that music so we can travel with it.  Lastly, with my sister graduating in June, I predict that we can do more together and Andrea can grow from social experiences and more practical learning experiences with me. 2017 is a big year for so many, and it definitely will be a year of change for most, but we will have to be the best versions of ourselves, strategize, show empathy, handle our emotions appropriately, model what we want the next generation to be, and identify what we need to be happy. Is it community? Being with our loved ones? Creating? If we know what we need, we can take the first step toward being more fulfilled.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!