2013 Resolution Recap and 2014 Projections

I don't know if anyone else was keeping track (besides me), but you might recall at the start of 2013 I challenged myself to read 52 books and paint 52 paintings in 2013. Well, here's how that worked out:

The Good News

The good news is I read exactly 52 books in 2013! A full accounting of thos books can be found here: Jeff's 2013 Reading Challenge Recap.

As I reflect on the year's reading I'm struck by the fact that I didn't really read a single OMG THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!!! book. Don't get me wrong, I read a lot of books that I really liked (The Rage, The Shining Girls, Colin Fischer, The Dog Stars, and Flora & Ulysses were among the standouts). I just don't think I read anything that was a real game changer.

I'm struck too by how few really popular adult fiction titles I read last year. Popular young adult fiction was pretty well represented (The Hunger Games, Unwind, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, etc.(Can you tell dystopian fiction is hot right now?)), but there's not much popular adult fiction on my list. I'll have to work on that this year.

The Not as Good News

The not as good news is I did not complete 52 paintings in 2013. The final tally came to 45. That's owing mostly to the fact that I didn't do much painting at all after my show at the Faculty Club went up on October 28. I think I just ran out of steam once I hit my deadline. A lot of the paintings I completed ended up in that show and in the end I was really happy with how it turned out (see below).

Also, I've come up with a handy acronym when people ask how the show went: ASFF (that's Aesthetic Success Financial Failure). It looked really good, but it didn't really sell.

So that's how my 2013 resolutions shook out.

Looking ahead to 2014, I'm staying the course. I intend to read 52 books in 2014 and paint 52 paintings. Beyond that I intend to exercise every day, eat more fruits and vegetables, write at least 8 reviews for Columbus Underground, keep up with my social medias, record with Jim Diamond in Detroit, take a Continuing Education class at CCAD, fix my scooter, rake leaves, get a new car, paint the living room, dining room and hallway, and talk my wife into taking me to Ireland. Wish me luck!

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