New Word for a New Year
Do you choose a word for the year: A word or an idea to hold in your mind to return to when you feel the need to focus your attention? Or perhaps an aspirational word fits better. Or maybe a word that will guide you as an artist?
For the last few years I’ve picked a word for the year as a way to guide my studio practice. It’s usually a simple decision, but this year, a word has not come to me as easily as it has done in the past. I’ve struggled to find the perfect word to accompany my thoughts as I navigate my art practice.
Fine words considered
Hours have been spent testing out in my mind’s eye the shape and feel of many fine words.
Paragraph after paragraph were written in a sort of stream of consciousness of self enquiry and reflection. I turned to researching online “word of the year” resources in my efforts to find just the right word to carry me through the next year.
At one point I settled on “ease”. Then “relax” and “clarity” had a turn. “Expand", “fearless” and “fun” were all cast off contenders for “word of the year”. None of these perfectly good words that I thought might fit, actually did fit.
A year ago, things felt very different for me. I chose my word quickly. “Assemblage” became my word for the year. It captured the sense of how I wanted to construct my paintings with other media (mostly collage materials) in addition to paint.
Last year, much time was also spent with another word: “Simplify”. It is an idea that is still resonant for me today in my art and in my life away from art. It’s a process about choosing and curating what is most important and meaningful to me and letting go of those things that no longer serve me.
Recycled word(s) of the year
I’ve decided that I’m not yet finished with last year’s studio word “assemblage”, nor am I ready to let go of “simplify” just yet. Choosing between them, and settling on just one doesn’t seem right either.
And so, I’ve decided that these two words, “assemblage” and “simplify” will be my dynamic duo of guiding words for my art practice this year.
Are these two words in opposition to one another? They might be but they don’t have to be. It’s up to me to explore these ideas in the studio and find out. I’m curious to see if and how they will influence the work yet to be made.
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