The new year is always a time for retrospection, but the human tendency toward lofty goals can sometimes lead to hollow promises and a sense of incompletion in the end.
A down-to-business-y sort would tell you to make SMART goals and break things down into manageable pieces. They're not wrong. We should take all matters in small bites, savoring each step, each blink of an eye, each fleeting thought.
Lately, my thoughts have been lingering on exploring. I'm longing to place my feet on unknown paths, to tread where the sky is wide and the land is wild.
Last year at this time, I was working on publishing my debut novel, putting all of the many pieces into place. One of those pieces was a map of Artnaus, a literal continent that sprang from my own mind.
My book map was made by the brilliant cartographer Fred Kroner at Whiskey n' Ink. It will have to be modified a bit for Book 3 (my main character can be a bit destructive on the landscape), but, for now, this is just how I envisioned Artnaus.
I'm not going to lie, looking at this map makes me feel giddy. Very giddy. I can't believe how beautiful this make-believe world is! I created it! But, somehow, someone else was able to envision it, too. It blows me away. It takes me away.
(No Calgon jokes, please. And, yes, I know that I've dated myself here.)
I love meandering through those farm lands, canyons, and mountains so much, I printed out this masterpiece and hung it on my wall. I couldn't just frame it in a basic frame, though. This work deserved to look like the fairytale that it is, full of mystery and magic. I styled and decoupaged and wood stained until I had something just right (for me).
Now, I can stare into this chart of many possibilities and muse over where my characters are and what adventures they might have. I'll be traveling with them. I'll be exploring the outer reaches of my own brain. It's not a bad place to be, really.
This year will be devoted to Book 2, but I will also be nose deep in other worlds. I plan on spending a good deal of my time reading, supporting my interests as well as supporting other indie authors.
On top of that, my family will be going on our own quests. Camping is our thing. It's natural for us to explore.
So, perhaps I'm being a bit lazy by saying my new year's resolution is to explore. It's something I am guaranteed to do—no Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound goals needed—though there are surely going to be side quests. Whether my feet tread on foreign ground, or I daydream in fictional lands, exploring is for certain. I look forward to these many side quests. They'll be taking me on a greater journey in the end.
Happy first days of possibility, everyone! Let's see where this year takes us.
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