Resolve to do the things you care about

Today is the first day of the new year - a time that always seems to be ripe with possibility, the promise of new beginnings, and the chance to make changes. A time when someone will inevitably ask, “what are your New Year’s resolutions…?”

For many of the people with whom I spent New Year’s Eve (and from many of the facebook statuses I’ve read over the past few days), 2011 seems like a year that could have been better. For myself, I was fortunate to find 2011 rich with opportunities. Not only was it the year that I finished and defended my master’s thesis, but I also received my first teaching appointment, and became the most recent writer-in-residence at Latitude. Each has come with its own set of challenges which have helped me discover new things about myself and made visible those that were latent. The richness I found this past year came, in part, as the result of seizing opportunities as they came and taking the time to connect with what mattered most to me. Last year I didn’t bother to set any resolutions per se, instead I chose to think about the things I wanted to do rather than make changes I wasn’t really committed to.

The problem with resolutions is that typically they’re a series of self-imposed restrictions, and undefined in terms of how and when they are to be achieved. Beyond that, the self-improvements that fill resolutions could be done any time of year. If we honestly wanted to drink more water, eat healthier, quit smoking, save more, or whatever, then why would we wait for the first of January?

This year I challenge you to do something different. I challenge you to put aside the typical resolutions and make time to do the things you care about. Since you’re reading the Latitude 53 blog, perhaps this might mean visiting more of the great exhibitions that roll through here. Or maybe it means checking out a talk offered by a visiting artist and participating in the dialogue surrounding their practice (Latitude, the U of A, and the AGA are just three examples of places that run these kinds of initiatives). Or it could mean getting involved in any one of the arts related festivals that have earned Edmonton its reputation.

I offer you this challenge as I have taken it myself. Last year I wanted to connect more with what was happening in Edmonton’s diverse visual arts community, so I made the commitment to check out more exhibitions of all stripe. Those I attended included everything from the major exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Alberta to the Garage Show (which, for those of you who missed it, was literally held in 2 garages), and everything else in between. I was part some interesting conversations about the history art in Edmonton (and on the prairies), the role of artist-run centres, and community engagement. In addition, I had the opportunity to attend an international conference, where I was able to share my own research about the visual culture of eugenics on the prairies - which has led to collaborative initiatives with some amazing people.

I will again resolve to spend time doing things that actually matter to me this year. And just maybe start that blog I’ve been contemplating for quite some time…