Year In Review 2020
This past year has been very strange and hard. My business has survived, but I definitely lost clients and had projects stalled or cancelled. I am very thankful and lucky that my spouse's business has been doing well this year and that we live in a neighborhood where I can get anything I need within 15 minutes of walking. I also am thankful that I have a few good friends nearby, including one of my sisters. I've been able to see them on occasion in outdoor settings which has really helped me stay sane this year.
At the end of 2019, I decided to focus on art consulting as my main business and deemphasize in person craft workshops and craft design for events. Little did I know that COVID-19 would wipe out that business anyway! I'm glad I made that decision and thanks to being stuck at home I was able to get some projects off the ground, like my podcast.
Here's what I accomplished in 2020:
I launched a podcast: it's called First Coat!
I had been thinking about making a podcast for a while but this year I finally did it! Prior to making my podcast, I did not have any idea how to make one. I took a few classes (check out exactly which classes in my Gift Guide for Podcasters), did a lot of research, and spent a lot of hours on Premier Pro/Adobe Audition, did lots of interviews, and voila, a podcast. The first season features mural artists and I am very thankful to all my guests who lent their time and their amazing advice to other aspiring public artists and to clients commissioning murals. I'm working on the next episodes and figuring out how this works with my video series (or if it is just the same thing). If you have been loving First Coat, support my podcast on Patreon!
I started a YouTube channel.
In addition to the First Coat podcast, I started posting the video versions of the podcast on YouTube. This has been encouraging and now that I've started I'm excited to keep posting videos! I plan on sharing my knowledge about art in public space on my YouTube channel, and I'm particularly hoping to help real estate developers, marketing managers, and interior designers better understand how to commission and buy art for their new buildings, hotels, businesses, etc, while keeping equity and inclusion top of mind.
I started the Distill Directory.
I already keep my own directory of artists where I keep artists I love, but I wanted to let anyone submit themselves to the directory. I also want to be able to feature artists on my website. If you are an artist doing work (or wanting to do work) in public space, please submit your info. here.
I created new services.
Inspired by my husband, who has transparent and flat fee services, I also want to provide transparent and flat fee services for my clients, so I created new offerings. I am testing these so please let me know what you think. And better yet, hire me so we can start working together.
I curated and project managed 8+ creative projects.
Managing art and creative projects that require people to be physically present in some way (for installation or filming) was no small feat this year. I oversaw multiple site-specific art installations for CulturalDC/Jair Lynch and other clients, including this mural at The Kelvin by Priscilla Yu and installed by Kasey O'Boyle. Priscilla could not get into the US (from Canada) due to COVID-19 so thankfully we were able to hire Kasey to install Priscilla's design. I also helped artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya find locations for her Findings project and helped her get the first mural installed here in Brooklyn!
For another client, 9toFive, I was creative director and producer of their first mini video series, which you can now view on their 9toFive YouTube channel.
I collaborated with ICHS high school students and the Center for Urban Pedagogy on a booklet about wage theft.
Following a program I taught via the Center for Urban Pedagogy at ICHS (International Community High School) in 2019, I co-created Pay Up! a booklet about wage theft. We finished this project early in 2020 and I was able to be physically present when sharing the final physical product with the students.
I completed the National Arts Strategies' Creative Community Fellows Program.
It is so bizarre to think about now, but at the end of February I was at a retreat in Scotts Valley, California with 24 other Creative Community Fellows from around the world. We pitched our projects to mentors, got feedback, hung out in the hot tub, and got cozy around a campfire. It was one of the last times that I was in a large group of people inside or outside without a mask. I am getting teary eyed thinking about it because I have no idea when I will see these other amazing fellows again and I have no idea when I will be able to be in such a large group again. The program was crucial in guiding my business and keeping me focused on why I do what I do.
My artwork was included in five exhibitions.
One of my goals for 2020 was to spend more time in the studio making art and more time applying to art shows so people can actually see my artwork. I am lucky to have been included in quite a few shows this year, including the Live Wire exhibition at Form & Concept and In the Abstract at Site:Brooklyn. I'm looking forward to spending even more time in the studio in 2021 and making more artwork to share!
I sold some artwork and listed my work on my website, on Artfare, and on Etsy.
This year I sold a few of my artworks, mostly small work via Instagram. I decided to start getting serious about selling my work, so I now have artwork for sale on my art website and I also have work listed on Artfare and Etsy. I'm working on a custom commissioned textile work and I will be making new collections of works on paper and textile work monthly that I will share via my mailing list. If you would like to stay updated on my artwork sign up for my art mailing list where I'll share new work and discounts.
I had a minimony.
Yes, I got married. I tied the knot on a beautiful day in September in one of my favorite places: Brooklyn Bridge Park. My husband and I took photos on the roof of our office building, cut cake with a champagne toast in the park, and had a small group of friends (masked) celebrate with us on a boat. It was perfect.
I hosted Thanksgiving.
Which I ordered from Lassen and Hennigs because why would I cook for so few people?
I got more involved with DSA (Democratic Socialist of America) and my local Mutual Aid.
Being able to help organize and contribute locally has been amazing. Instead of getting frustrated at the craziness of national politics, I was able to make an impact by phone banking for Marcela Mitaynes, who won the seat for District 51 in the NY State Assembly (4 other DSA-endorsed candidates also won in NY state government races), or hanging door tags for the DSA Tax the Rich campaign (rich in this case is $400K+ a year), providing groceries for a neighbor via BHBH Mutual Aid, or having a Zoom call with DSA Latinos Socialistas (a group I'm helping organize). If you like AOC, you should check out the group that helped get her elected and that she is still a part of; if you hate AOC, but you are sick of not being able to pay health care bills, your public school lacks funding, or you're wondering why you still aren't getting a job, you also might be curious about DSA.
Here's what I learned:
This year was completely unexpected. Beyond the things we all experienced (COVID-19, Black Lives Matter Movement, a very weird presidential election cycle), I had my own unexpected set backs and health issues. The main thing I learned, or solidified rather, is how extremely lucky I am. Being stuck in my apartment with my husband and cat in Brooklyn was really not that bad, but it's because I am very privileged, supported, and lucky. So please, take these learnings with a grain of salt and know that I do not have kids so my reality was especially different than most this year.
I enjoy being home and NYC is my favorite place to be.
I usually spend a lot of daytime hours (and even nighttime hours) outside of the home, whether that's at an art class, on site for a project, or grabbing a drink. I also travel pretty often in a normal year. I found that being stuck at home was kind of awesome -- I was able to focus on my projects and still get coffee at my favorite cafe. I watched a lot of sunsets along the Manhattan skyline. I've lived in six major cities besides NYC, so knowing that I really prefer NYC and plan on staying here is a relief. NYC was not perfect regarding COVID-19, but it's been a lot better than every other US city and I don't have to drive. Ever. I no longer need to date cities. I know where I want to be.
I noticed some people still went on vacation or spent long amounts of time in places other than their homes this year. I never felt like I needed to get away and that was a good gut check that I am living a life I actually enjoy and love, even when I take away all the external things. I used to always be planning the next vacation or next move, but now that I'm working on my life goals and making real progress, I don't feel the need to escape. I also have found a life partner, so that makes everything better. Again, I am very lucky, supported, and privileged, but I also have worked towards the life style that I have to be able to do what I do and it is paying off.
(Good) friends will support you when you least expect it.
This year, my good friends really showed up. It's hard to keep in touch with people during normal times, especially when you live far away from each other, but it is even harder to maintain friendships when you can't even see each other. I am very thankful that a handful of my friends were there when I needed them, and there even when I didn't think I needed them.
You have no idea what is going on in someone else’s life, so be nice and do your part (or more if you can).
Everyone is fatigued from this year, but particularly Black, Indigenous and people of color for obvious reasons. There were days when I just wanted to cry and I couldn't even explain (to my husband or cat) what I was feeling. My experience is nothing compared to many others. I re-experienced trauma from past jobs and past relationships and am still dealing with a lot of this. Yet, I had a much better experience than, for example, my friend did at Pinterest. We need to change a lot of things and the least we can do is be nice to each other.
Facilitating an online version of an in-person thing takes at least twice as much prep, costs more money, and is at least half fulfilling.
and
You can learn (almost) anything online from your home, but you shouldn’t have to.
and
I don't want to spend my all time behind a computer screen.
These learnings have definitely helped me reframe how I want to grow Distill Creative and what kind of services I want to offer. While I had opportunities to lead workshops online this year, I simply didn't want to, or at least not for the budgets I was offered. Having to ship physical materials is simply complicated, expensive, and stressful. I miss creating in person and I don't want to give a subpar experience by doing it online. I love being able to learn skills via the internet and I took many art classes online this year, but it is not my preference and I'm excited to be able to be physically present with others again, soon.
Planning is sometimes a crutch.
I tend to overthink things, like what planner to get or how to plan my week, but this year any plans I had went out the window (my wedding, my art residency, my family vacation, my business goals, etc.). Instead of being sad, I tried to focus on what I could do--like sleep in, go on long walks by the water, and stay up late working on my podcast. And thanks to having no plans, I did quite a lot.
We have a lot of work to do and I don’t want to return to ‘normal’.
2020 put inequity, racism, and the problems of capitalism in center stage. We have a lo to work to do to make living in the United States a much better experience for most people. This is why I've become more involved with DSA and my local mutual aid as mentioned above. Sometimes things feel dire, but I do believe we can make it at least a little bit better. I want a new normal, not a return to what we had pre-COVID.
How was your year? What did you learn from 2020?