30 while 30
“You have to live spherically - in many directions. Never lose your childish enthusiasm - and things will come your way.” - Frederico Fellini
I used to think that this was a line that was made up for “Under the Tuscan Sun,” which I have watched approximately 50 times, but it turns out Fellini did indeed actually say this. I recently saw it pop up in Madeleine Dore’s newsletter, and it came to mind again after spending the most perfect day in upstate New York with friends last weekend for an early birthday celebration. Both the quote and that day embody my hopes for this next decade of my life: that it be full of playfulness, art, joy, and laughter.
As is expected, I’ve had a lot of conflicting feelings about this particular birthday but now that the day has arrived, I’m feeling hopeful and (mostly) at peace with stepping into this next chapter. When I turned 29, I came up with a list of 30 things to do before 30, but I soon realized that this only heightened my anxiety about leaving my 20’s behind. It felt like 30 was some sort of looming deadline for doing all of the things I wanted to do. Instead, I want this birthday and this year to be a celebration and a reflection of my hopes for the years to come. One of those hopes is to continue to grow as an artist by following my curiosities, committing to my creative practice, and surrounding myself with art and artists that inspire me. To encourage myself to make creativity and artistic growth a priority, I’ve come up with 30 creative goals for this next year. I don’t imagine that I’ll cross all of these off before next April, but I’m going to do my best!
30 creative goals to kick off my 30’s:
Complete at least one figure modeling session.
Make a ceramic vase using the kit I ordered last year.
Put together a kickass Halloween costume.
Complete all of the digital art courses I’ve purchased over the past couple of years.
Start a newsletter.
Go to the Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit at the MoMA.
Try sumi-e ink painting/Chinese brush painting.
Make a set of valentines for 2024, either to sell or for personal use.
Try needlepointing or embroidery. (see my first embroidery project here!)
Go to an NYC Urban Sketchers outing.
Design and complete a passion project.
Make a collection of New York postcards/prints.
Fill 3 sketchbooks.
Go on an art retreat (either with a group or just on my own).
Try block printing.
Take an in-person art class.
Keep a travel sketchbook on our Italy trip.
Make another piece of art to hang in our apartment.
Take at least 12 dance classes (so basically one per month, but want to give myself flexibility). (3/12)
Try riso printing with Liz.
Go to the ballet.
Host an art party for friends.
Do pottery painting with a friend.
Make a super short animation.
Finish working through The Creative Habit.
Perform an amazing dance with Sid at my sister’s wedding.
Publish 40 blog posts. (4/40)
Make the painting that I promised my coworker to decorate her cubicle.
Cook 30 new recipes. (6/30)
Apply for an art residency.
My feelings leading up to this birthday were a mix of nostalgia, anxiety, sadness, and excitement, but coming up with this list really helped me lean into the excitement. No matter your age, I think birthdays are opportunities to think back warmly on the memories and wisdom you’ve collected and dream new dreams for the years to come. I’m excited to see how my 30’s unfold, and how I might unfold as an artist and as a person!
Posted on April 7, 2023
