Goodbye, 2023. Hello, 2024!
At our Intention Setting Workshop this past weekend, we said our goodbyes to 2023 and hellos to 2024 together.
Here’s the template I made for the practice because you know how much I believe in lists!
I also believe in taking the time to reflect on the past year. Here we are! 2023 in review.
You know that saying:
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
2023 asked a lot of questions.
The only answer I could give was ART.
This past year was filled with creativity and growth.
My life turned upside down a bit because I focused on healing parts of me that I had been holding back. The good news is that I have quite a few things to show for the work I put in.
Building my life and career around food online has posed a lot of challenges for me. 2023 was spent contemplating this space and how I want to inhabit it. My word for the year was NOURISH and I spent a lot of time working on what that means for me.
I focused on figuring out what nourishes me…how I nourish others…how I nourish myself… and how I don’t. I was also battling a bit of an identity crisis here on Shutterbean. What I learned is that coming up with a new recipe every week contributed to disordered eating. It wasn’t sustainable when I needed to focus on healing my relationship with food.
In 2023, I lost a total of 60lbs. I wrote about that here.
Part of that process included switching over to a gluten-free lifestyle. I shared what I like eating.
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Gluten-Free Breakfast Ideas
Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas
Gluten-Free Dinner Ideas
Out of 52 weeks, I did meal prep 27 times this year. That’s a lot of practice. It also kept me nourished!
New headshot for the year. Fresh start!
I turned 44 this year. I love a double-digit.
In 2023, I started The Handwriting Club Substack.
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I shared how I was able to FINALLY make an exercise routine happen.
I kept on moving throughout the year! Here’s a whole year’s worth of workouts I tracked with my monthly template.
This year I added two daily habits that have stuck:
Duolingo (Italian!) and flossing every day. I had a 4-month streak of doing morning pages. Hopefully, I’ll get back to that practice again.
I like it when it’s part of my morning routine.
I worked on my body of work and offerings!
I fell in love with my typewriter again.
I leaned into the idea of having a work uniform. I lived in coveralls all year. They’re from Duluth Trading.
I committed to working on a daily art practice this past year. I used a hobonichi techo to play.
I plan on sharing more of my pages on The Handwriting Club later this month.
IT IS STUFFED AND I LOVE IT!
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At the beginning of the year, I helped friends make a YouTube show.
I remembered how awesome it feels to do good work with others. Community is a powerful thing. Being in a circle of women is a powerful thing. I am grateful for my wolf pack.
MC’s Book Club was a huge catalyst for a lot of healing this year. I unpacked a lot of trauma while reading her book- Unbroken: The Trauma Response is Never Wrong
I am grateful for our friendship!
I learned so many lessons in the pain.
My dad got married this year. It brought up a lot of grief and feelings. I am glad he is happy.
I recharged my creative battery at the Forage Retreat with my friend Emma.
That’s where my morning pages practice began.
I started a YouTube Channel for The Handwriting Club and started making videos.
This year I pushed myself creatively to be in/edit more videos! I SURE DID PLAY and I am proud that I pushed myself creatively. Past Tracy would be pretty happy with Present Tracy.
I manifested a bike (THANK YOU, JANE!).
My mammogram was good. YAY.
I gave a meal prep presentation for my friend Tammi’s Ray of Light Community.
I taught a meal prep class on my own!
I hosted a few live ZOOM calls where we worked on our Currently Workbooks together.
I hosted a Meal Planning/Prep Workshop with my friend Helen Jane!
We also taught a Thanksgiving Prep Workshop!
I added two new prints to the shop-
I designed the Currently Workbook for 2024 and changed a few things this year.
I fulfilled my dream of making collage kits. They sold out really fast.
They were so fun to make!
I made a LEO kit too!
For all of us LEOS!
Tammi inspired me to make a personal universe deck!
THAT WAS FUN.
I worked hard on making binders of things I can teach.
That led me to release my meal prep pack.
I also put together a time management pack so we could play with time together.
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This past year my child graduated from 8th grade!
I watched him play so much baseball!! Including a tournament at Vanderbilt!
My child is now at the high school I went to. It’s been a real trip parenting him in my childhood home. It’s made me miss my Mom like crazy.
He turned 15. Time is a wicked beast.
I have been enjoying watching him turn into a young adult.
We went to visit family. I got to help make a family Thanksgiving. It was cathartic!
I went to silent disco a bunch of times and HAD A BLAST.
Dancing saved my life this year. I am grateful!
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I did a bunch of lettering commissions.
I started recording a podcast with MC about grief.
(Coming soon!)
This year for Halloween I was Wednesday Addams. My hair was finally long enough!
I surpassed 7777 orders in my Etsy Shop this year. You know how I love numbers.
Alcohol has been less appealing to me so I spent a lot of the year without it!
Here’s what I like to drink instead.
I had SO MANY ART DATES. It filled my heart. I’m thankful for my creative lady friends!
I shared my favorite things!
I made an outdoor oasis for the warmer months.
I jumped in the bay and relived parts of my childhood.
I brought new light & life into my home thanks to my friend Reese.
I started hiking again. It’s good to have that part of me back.
I have spent years learning about grief and how to work with it.
With all of the questions 2023 asked, I am ready to share what I’ve learned.
Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024.
Let’s do this.
