A Creative Odyssey Blog Hop - My creative goals for 2011

Haha not really. But having starting this blog and my Etsy shop in 2010, I must admit that there were quite a few mistakes made, that's normal for the beginning of any business right? :) So one of my aim was to not repeat those mistakes again, and do better next year.

So here in this post, I would like to share my creative goals for the upcoming 2011! Unlike some people who wrote about their goals in a more philosophically grey area, I am the type that like to lay things out loud and clear. So that towards the end of 2011, I would know for sure if I achieved them or not. I have a rather long list, so bear with me okay? :)

I had the ideas for PaperJuice, my second Etsy shop, for a good long while, and was actually planning to launch it in September. But of course life gets in the way and I didn't get around to do that. During that period up until now though, I had brewed quite a few more ideas to help grow PaperJuice, and truth to be told, I really can't wait to start PaperJuice!! If only I had more time!

This is definitely on the top of my to-do list for 2011 - to finally launch PaperJuice. I even had the name already reserved on Etsy. Now I just need to improve the products until I feel they are ready and define a clear direction for the shop. PaperJuice will be all about paper products and wall art. The alphabet cards you see in the picture above is just a small part of the entire shop. :) I definitely won't repeat the same mistakes I made for Skyejuice with PaperJuice!

My ideal work space - Found via Papernstitch blog

If only!! Currently my bedroom is my workspace, and I can tell you, it's quite messy and unorganized. With my growing amount of supplies and the supplies gathered for PaperJuice, I would definitely need more storage space and a more organized workspace.

My dad had agreed to help me reorganize my room, by getting rid of a few unwanted furnitures and moving more suitable furnitures in. It would definitely be a huge work in progress, and probably wouldn't be done in a short period of time. But it will work out eventually, I have faith in myself and my wonderful dad! It wouldn't be like the dream studio that I wish to have, filled with beautiful sunlight, since my room has no windows facing outside, (I practically live in a cave!) But I will make do with what I have right now and make the best out of it. :)

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I want to give the blog (especially the blog) and Skyejuice a total makeover! Well for Skyejuice is more content-wise, to make it more concise, more consistent, giving it a clearer direction. But for the blog, it will be a lot of work.

For a long while, I feel that I haven't been the true 'me' when I am posting on this blog. I want to fit in, to keep blogging about handmade crafts only. But I realized that the blog is about handmade, but it doesn't have 'me' in it. There were things that I have been refraining from blogging about; another side of my life, and I feel that one of the reasons I weren't successful with the blog was because I myself weren't in it! So with the beginning of a new year, there will be a new beginning to the blog. I am giving it a total makeover! It definitely wouldn't happen immediately, as I need to take things one step at a time, but slowly yet surely, it will happen. Thinking of moving it to Wordpress too, but we will see what happens. :)

Plus, I have a website - Skyejuice.com, and it is in dire need of a total makeover as well to reflect the business I am running now. Currently, Skyejuice.com still features my portfolio website that I made nearly 3 years ago, ahaha!

Last but not least, I want to draw more this year! Yes, this is the part of 'me' that I had been 'concealing' from my blog for all this time. I just feel like... it wasn't very 'handmade'-ish? (although I did painted this with my hands! I just used Photoshop!) But I just feel like it doesn't 'fit in'.

But running Skyejuice had drastically affected the time allowed for me to draw, and I am waaayyyy behind on my art to-do list! So next year, I vow to do more art than 2010. :) Plus with my trip to US happening in late June, I hope I will be able to finish all the art that I want to do by then. But that is another story to be told on another day.

So that's it, this is my entry for the Creative Odyssey blog hop organized by the lovely Jessica Van Den from Epheriell Designs! Thank you for the wonderful opportunity. :) Also please check out my blogging partner Pork Chop's Nest's Creative Odyssey post too!