Happy 2020!
I got back home to LA a couple days ago after spending the holidays in Michigan and have been taking some time to reflect. This week I took stock of last year and wrote out the moments that felt the most meaningful to me.
2019 was the year I moved into my first art studio in LA, created heARTwork on a larger and more challenging scale and found bliss in the discipline of waking up at 6 AM each day (even weekends!) to workout and meditate. Scroll all the way down for a sneak peek into what I’m working on in 2020. Hint: It’s already blooming!
What were your most fulfilling moments from 2019? The ones you felt most proud of or happy about?
JANUARY Got the keys to my new studio in LA at Hawthorne Art Complex with my mate Nora Jorgensen right around the time of my birthday.
FEBRUARY Met the Backstreet Boys for my birthday with my best friends in Las Vegas. Such a memorable surprise lol. I swooned when Howie (my left) said he loved my perfume and I got to hug my fave Kevin (my right).
MARCH First Open Studio event at Hawthorne Art Complex where Nora and I unveiled our mural and over 500 people came through our studio door! I sold out of Joy Buddies pins and prints. :) My best friend moved away to Chicago and that sucked. I cried a lot this month. Miss you Abbs.
APRIL The best month of the year because my hubby was born. He and I kicked off his birthday month with an epic brunch overlooking Santa Monica beach. He’s my world and seeing him grow makes my life infinitely better.
MAY Reconnecting with old friends and making new ones in NYC and the Hampton’s. I feel like the best version of myself when I’m in NYC and I know it’s because of my people who are there. My husband and I went to Tony Robbins’ Wealth Mastery conference in Marco Island, FL and I learned about the latest in financial investment strategies. I used to be in Finance and I still love talking about investing and personal finance so this conference was really fun for me. I began volunteering at Westside Pacific Village a senior care center in LA later in the month, where made a new Joy Buddy named Eileen who I now consider a close friend (thank you Carol for connecting us!).
JUNE-JULY Created custom pieces for my heART collectors in Portland and Los Angeles - “Tears of Joy” and “Welcome Home, Joy Buddy!” Worked with fiberglass for the first time to make the teardrop shapes with master builder Alfredo Fernandez. Seriously, Alfredo can design AND build anything and he’s so fun to work with. This is the third piece we have worked on together!
JULY “Joy Buddies Go Government.” After three months of city council meetings, I won a bid for my first government-sponsored public art commission in Tustin, CA (in my old hood!). My studio mate Nora came to help and made things even more fun. It was hot as hell.
AUGUST Celebrated my fifth wedding anniversary and nine years being in love with my special muggle at Hogwarts. <3
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER Created content that took me out of my comfort zone with the wonderful ladies of Kingmon Creative Agency & my dear friend and talented marketer (turned model) Monica Fineis :) I still don’t feel comfortable being in front of the camera but it’s getting a little easier.
OCTOBER Explored Houston’s public art scene with my dear friend and artist Ragni Agarwal while I exhibited at Texas Contemporary. Produced my first art show in LA from scratch with artist Ernie Steiner, and some of my family and friends flew out for the show. Meant a lot to have them there! This month felt purposeful but I let my self-care slide by skipping meals and the gym a lot.
November I went to CTN Animation Expo in Burbank on a whim and I left feeling really inspired and grateful to live in LA! I got to see my former professor and sculpt in VR for the first time, plus I bought one of my favorite art books by Pascal Campion (he was a pleasure to chat with too!). I was the Artist of the Month at my art studio complex. You may have read my interview in my last e-heART letter! Thanksgiving at my sis' place in Sacramento and I took a digital break from my phone.
December: I tend to slow down in the winter time and really disconnect during the holidays with my family but this December was asking something different of me. I was part of an awesome group show at WhyRhymer Gallery, was asked to contribute to the Phase One Foundation Art vs. Cancer Benefit at Various Fires Gallery in Hollywood and finished a last minute pitch proposal that took much longer than I thought. I squeezed in a floral design intensive at FlowerSchool LA and flew my parents out to LA for my mom’s birthday as a surprise. This was all in a span of two weeks. THEN I headed to Michigan to spend the holidays with my husband’s family. I got to catch up with my high school buddies back in Ann Arbor, MI where I grew up and attend my best friend’s baby shower. December was a full month and I’m making January my month to reset and relax.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR: Classes on Design Theory, 3D Animation, VR and Contemporary Floral Design. I guess you could say I was well-rounded and far-reaching in my studies this year. :)
SNEAK PEEK FOR 2020: Bringing floral and metal designs together! Photo credit: Justin Gallagher
There were a lot of quiet moments and loving people that couldn’t be captured in a picture or in a list but they helped me stay strong in mind and heart. To my friends, collectors, people who I worked with, I want to say THANK YOU for being true Joy Buddies to me. For reals. You know who you are and I plan to make 2020 the year where I blow the fuck up and can spoil you loyal ones with my riches (or at least get closer to that goal). ;)
Excited for us to see what this new year holds!
Stay Mighty,
Mini
My e-heART crew is a special group of buddies that I keep up with regularly in the form of a monthly newsletter (that reads more like a letter than news) at the top of this page. If you’re interested in joining sign up at the top of this page.