dollyrogerflag | Entries tagged with happy new year

Credits to tumblr, shopping sites, & Pinterest for the images.

Happy New Yearssssssss everybody!

On a local level, I hope 2024 was kind to you all. My whole year was a combination of things: sadness & happiness. Overall, bittersweet but I am grateful. I won't elaborate on peculiar details because even for an online journal, it's a bit overwhelming to share-- I just want to focus on being present. I want to be able to dream the future.

I ended up making my first vision board, I love this idea because it's a great way to keep me focused without getting side tracked. I am someone who gets easily sidetracked; I believe a vision board will be beneficial for me. My top resolutions are: staying super fit, improve my artwork, do more experimental photography, & collage/archive... within my income/ lifestyle, I believe this will be attainable for me.

Here are my 2025 goals break-downs:

1. Staying Fit & Being Healthy

In order to not end up in ER, between my physician and I, I do have to lose a bit* of weight and it keep them under control. Yeah, my body is weird and cannot handle dramatic changes; I get digestive problems if I am not careful. I feel a "Wellness Journal" would be a great way to keep track of the things I eat, even if I have been eating clean, certain foods can trigger me-- possibly send me to ER if I go overboard with "triggering" foods. As for my cardio routines, I need to make sure I have at least 50-60s minutes per day to keep my bowels moving. After my GERD scare, it's a wakeup call for me to turn my physical wellness into my resolution.

Also, I wouldn't mind building a bit of muscle-- I want to continue to lift weights once again. Might just start with the dumbbells that I have atm just to restart my body building.

*Key words: a bit. For clarity: I'm not one of those people who are obsessed with wanting a specific body image. I do not have a poor image of myself nor am I extremely vain in that sense. Be sure to check in with your doctor before you decide to make some drastic lifestyle changes, everyone is built different!

from the left: art from January/ February 2024, WIP drawing from December 2024

2.Improve my artwork
I believe I need to start researching some some artists, read some books and start studying different camera angles for dynamic poses. I'd like to weave back into traditional art:mainly with gouache and watercolors-- sometimes it's just nice to get into organic movements with my art pieces. For 2024, it turns out that I haven't been filling up my sketchbook enough..but to be fair, I've been drawing digitally-- so I guess that makes up for it. I do want to continue to fill up where I left off just so I can practice my energy with my line work.

3.Experimental photography
I figured since life is short and that I am becoming comfortable in my own skin, I want to get back into experimental photography: self portraits & still life, street photography. Perhaps learn some special effects? After seeing these sets of photoshoot done by Kemmiethecat, I felt a strong urge to something fun. I'd like to have a fun 'pre-wedding' style photoshoots! Not sure exactly how the LA landscapes will correspond with Wong Kar Wai-film style; I'd imagine having his style of photoshoots with American Diner places would end up looking like My Blueberry Nights, unless if I were to do photoshoots in SF.

My journal sets from seven years ago

4. Collage, Journal & Archive
I want to make sure I have time to do some physical collages and junk-journaling to treasure some memories. I may incorporate these stuff with my sketchbook ideas. There are some things I cannot express within my personal website and I rather make a personal written journal about peculiar topics. Also, I this One Piece journal looks so nice. Don't worry, I'm not going to purchase them... I don't deserve them.

Apparently the internet is not forever, so I need to make sure i back up my favorite recipes, important videos and my favorite media before they vanish.

animal crossing screenshot of bern and i

Gameplay with Bern during our first year of the pandemic

5. Stay Connected
I believe in order to improve my artwork and gain new insight to a perspective, I think it's vital to have a healthy community to keep thee brain afloat. So far, I've joined some online art communities and they've been pretty sweet. It's nice to feel that I'm not alone with the drawings subjects that I chose to draw with my current skill level.

I also need to start finding communities that are immunocompromised-friendly; because I feel like I can provide support for those who needs someone like me or Bern

Not exactly sure where to start, but I'll figure it out.

Ins & Outs

Outs:
-Hopelessness
-Endless doom-scrolling
-Avoiding situations
-Anxieties
-Complete Alienation

Ins:
-Take direct action
-Repost aids; engage; inform; educate your peers; learn to garden
-Solving problems
-No doomer mindset
-Call mom/ dad
-Talk to neighbors
-Be a warrioress; be strong

Goals I've achieved:
-No caffeine for 4+ years
-Pretty consistent with fiber intake
-No artblocks, just hoards of art projects
-Found an art community (it's like my personal dive bar like the one in Cheers TV)
-Improved my cooking skills
-Low consumption/ under-consumption