2009! Oh how I love to make lists of my intentions. I'm turning over a new leaf this year and trying to take manageable steps towards my goals, rather than leaps and bounds that end up fading away by mid February.

1. Re-vamp my website. (Hopefully in the next month, to help with promotion for The Secret Circus, and Clover Twig.)

2. Get even a little bit comfortable with public speaking. (Gulp. I can't believe that I'm going to be speaking to groups in a few months about these books. This is very scary to me.)

3. Get better at time management (so far, so good 2009! I have a new system that involves a lot of push-pins and a giant cork board, that really seems to be working for me.)

4. Complete YA novel that I've been trying to complete for three years. (This is the year, I feel it.)

5. Increase income, and accept that the way I make money is weird. (Money comes to me in chunks, and I am grateful for that. I just need to accept that that's how it happens, and plan accordingly with what I've got.)

6. Finish artwork for Bandits!

7. Work on new really tough dummy idea that I have. (It seems way beyond my skills, but I'm really excited about it, and want to give it a shot.)

8. Work on a new manuscript/dummy about person or event from history (This feels like a good challenge.)

9. Infuse fun into every possible place! (yeah!)

My year ahead

"Stop trying to give us [art directors/editors/others] what you think we want to see. Just be yourself."
-- Chad Beckermann, Harry N. Abrams

I don't know where this year is going to take me but I love the idea of surrendering to the Universe and letting be what will be. If one, or some, or all of the following things happen along the way, then that would be simply wonderful!

• Letting go.

• Receiving positive feedback about some submissions that I sent out in 2008. (I have learned to believe that rejections can be positive also).

• Revamp my Web site.

• Experiment with my artwork to see where I can take it next.

• Figure out how to generate some income. Being out of work again is tough, but I truly believe I will find a way. hmmm, maybe an Etsy store!

...and finally ...

• Slow down. (We'll see!)

Intentions for 2009

Design and create a new website using Dreamweaver
Learn how to color work digitally (Photoshop class starts next week!)
Write at least four manuscripts (11 ideas!)
Submit Dummy Book (I'll be able to submit to four closed houses after Feb.)
Attend SCBWI Summer Conference (DUH!)
Update Portfolio quarterly
Create a promotional mailer (I have an idea percolating...)
Compile a relevant publisher’s mailing list and send mailer (Already started)
Participate in SCBWI online contest (Competition is good for the soul, right? *snort!*)
Continue to create personal artwork (Nothing inspires me like creating for the pleasure of it!)
Maintain activity with local SCBWI chapter (I jumped in with both feet in October!)
Create an artist’s statement (More for myself than any high-falutin' reason)
Figure out how to more efficiently connect all social networking (Seriously, Facebook, Myspace, Blogger, Twitter...there's gotta be a better way to run all of these things!)
Mick Jagger (Kathi Appelt calls doing what you were put on this Earth to do the MJ Philosophy of Life.)
Continue to learn, learn, learn and grow, grow, grow!
(A personal intention: get a really, really big tattoo!) (he, he, he...)

*I have an insane timeline set up to accomplish all I want to in 2009 that I could share, but I think this is less mind-boggling. What do you intend for 2009?