It's Personal

2023 was a year like no other, and it's coming to an end. Career and personal life combined, the good, the bad, the ugly. Let's say goodbye to a year that's ...

This is my last publication in 2023, and I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a quiet, relaxing time, regardless of whether you participate in any festivities in December. I also hope that you will have a great start to 2024, full of love and creative fuel - two things that make this world so much better!

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2023 was weird

If anything, this year has been a learning experience. I didn’t plan it, but it somehow happened on its own, and in the end, I’m happy with the results. It’s been a year where I had various opportunities to reflect on my career, to think about what I liked, what I disliked and what I wanted more and less of for the years ahead.

Self-Observation: I spent so much time examining my own work, analyzing and deconstructing it, and simply thinking how to make it better, more attractive and more diverse -not just to others, to my clients, but especially to myself. Every single project I worked on this year was an opportunity to observe my workflow and my process. Some projects flowed effortlessly, fueled by my creative energy. Others required more creative effort and discipline, feeling a bit more bumpy. This helped me to see which projects I wish to have more of and which ones feel less challenging and spark less creative energy.

Staying Focused: As it became clearer to me which projects I wanted to engage in more and which ones I’d rather leave behind, keeping myself accountable has been equally important. Knowing what you want from your career is crucial, but at the same time, it’s only the first step. I needed to clarify what kind of work I wanted, not just to myself but to everyone, especially potential clients. Now, before starting any new personal project (I hope you remember from my past publications how important these are!), I ask myself if it aligns with my goals. Sometimes, creating a beautiful piece without a clear purpose of how it could be integrated and implemented, simply isn’t good enough. This is one of many many reasons why I permanently closed my shop. A video explaining my decision, along with my learnings and recommendations, will be on my YouTube in early 2024. Until then, enjoy the oldies; they’re perfect to watch over the Holiday break: www.youtube.com/asiaorlando

Final Presentation: I also revisited my website and the presentation of my work. Believe it or not, but the presentation of my work has always been my least favorite part. At the university, I loved the process and exploration behind each piece, the raw “ugly” sketches on torn pieces of paper with coffee mug stains on top. I felt a huge satisfaction appreciating the final finished piece and adding the last polishing touches. But when it came to presenting everything together attractively, I felt a strong urge to finish that task as quickly as possible. Just so I could move on to the next creation, eager to bring to life one of so many ideas lined up in my messy head. It goes without saying that how you present your final work is the most important part of it all. I’ve seen so much awful work that gained everything from a well done final presentation. And so many outstanding art pieces lacking this final step sadly got rejected/omitted/unnoticed.

That’s one of the reasons why I redid my website three times this year(!). You can check it out here: www.asiaorlando.com

Rest is productive: This is so vital that I’ll elaborate in a full size article below. “Rest is productive” is the best phrase I came up with, and it resonates deeply. How many of us freelancers have the mindset that whenever we don’t work, we don’t make money, and therefore we lose money? Quite a few!

And let me tell you, burnout is not fun. It makes things soo much harder, slower, less efficient, less productive, less enjoyable. So go ahead, and remember to take care of yourself! Organize time to do something you enjoy, spend time with your loved ones, and forget about art for a while. Once you do, when you’re back at your desk, things are gonna be so much easier! I’m writing this for you, but also for myself, to remind us all how important it is to give ourselves a break for our self-care. Read more about burnout and seasonal depression below.

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Burnout, F*ck Off

Did you know that November is apparently the month that psychologists receive the largest influx of new patients? That’s what mine told me. And I’m not surprised at all. As a creative person, you are more prone to all the external factors, aesthetics, mood, and energy - they all affect us. And if a person, who is supposed to have a great sense of color and a creative, imaginative mindset is expected to manifest all this creative energy daily, working in post-3PM-darkness, under clouded skies, and around sad, bare trees, it gets challenging.

If you add a personal dislike of the autumn and winter seasons, which some of us share, then you’re walking on shaky ground.

Did you read my previous phrase, “rest is productive” and all that comes with it? Well, let’s just say I ignored my own advice AGAIN, and as we speak, I’m recovering from a minor burnout, 2023 edition. Not respecting and enjoying my own free time, coupled with seasonal depression gloom, some personal matters and a significant change that I’m gonna share with you after the new year, led to me being overwhelmed HARD.

So, while dealing with the above, I very reluctantly decided to force myself to leave my warm house more often and venture into the cold darkness, almost out of obligation. I organized activities that would draw me away from my desk far behind and require me to be at a certain place at a certain time so that I wouldn’t get consumed by my warm-home-work-bubble world.

And it was fun! To compensate for the dreary sky as my daily view for the next few months, I went to cinemas, had meetings with friends, attended concerts, and enjoyed solo or duo coffee dates. I established a special event called Sleepy Saturday—a full day of watching movies or rewatching series with special snacks—held at my house for my husband, dog, and myself only. This event occurs every first Saturday of each month until the outside world becomes inviting again for spending more time outdoors. 

I was even gifted a Raccoon Onesie, as a perfect Sleepy Saturday attire… all of this with a common goal: to get some good energy but also allow yourself to rest! And it’s something I really recommend if you have a hard time coping with the seasonal changes.

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Bye Bye 2023

This is my last publication in 2023, and in retrospect, we can all share a tiny bit of how this year treated us. I’m curious to know if this is only me.

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