2012 Word of the Year: FOCUS

Apparently, I’m so focused, I forgot to talk about my Word of the Year and my goals for 2012.

If you haven’t already guessed, I chose FOCUS as my word this year.  It’s been a journey to get to this point; doing LESS in 2010, HONING my skills in 2011, and now trying to FOCUS on the things that will help me to be most successful.

I’m not sure I ever shared this with anyone except a few close friends, but I think it’s time to declare my intentions to the universe.

You see, Ebony Love is going to be a household name.  Ummm… not THAT way.    A household name in the kind of households that quilt.  It seems such a waste of a fabulous name to fritter away in obscurity, wouldn’t you agree?

So that’s part of the thinking that I was doing at the CMQG Retreat last November; part of what was bugging me was working on stuff that didn’t seem to have a purpose, and not really making noticeable progress on anything even though I seemed to get a lot done.  A friend of mine (well, several friends of mine, in their own way) kept telling me that I needed to focus somehow, to figure out what it was that I wanted, and to do the stuff I needed to do to make it happen.

What I want is to be a resource for quilters, to be a recognized expert in the areas in which I apply myself, to get my designs and ideas out there where they can inspire and influence the quilting world.  In my head, that’s all possible, if only I apply myself.

This year, every time I pick up a project, or start working on something, or get an idea, I will need to consider whether it puts me closer to my goal or pulls me further away.  That’s not to say I will make the right decision every time, but by putting it in those terms, it brings FOCUS to the front of mind.

As far as my goals for this year, I want those to be focused as well; when I look at the goals I set for 2011, they were a mixed bag both in terms of what they were and which ones I actually achieved.  This year, I want to call out the things that are most important; not that I don’t have other things going on, but these are the things that MUST get done this year.

Goals for 2012:

• Publish a book about fabric die cutting.  If there’s anything to say about this industry, it’s that you’re not taken completely seriously unless “author” is one of your accomplishments; but aside from that, I really honestly believe that I was meant to write this book.  It’s tentatively scheduled for a late April/early May release.
• Attend Spring & Fall Quilt Market.  I have plans to meet with fabric companies, publishers, and distributors.  Spring Market is in Kansas City this year, so if anybody is going and wants to share  room, let me know.
• Release a line of designer dies.  I have so many ideas for quilt designs that would be much easier if there were dies to accompany them! If you don’t have a die cutter yet… maybe you’ll consider getting one when you see what I have in mind.    “How” to get this done is the million dollar question, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out.
• Raise my profile through writing and teaching.  With a book coming out, I’ve got to make some appearances!  I’ve already got a lecture & workshop designed (contact me if you know of a guild who’d be interested in learning more about die cutting.)  I’m also writing a regular column for an awesome magazine, and continuing to make videos and TV appearances, in addition to publishing my magazine.
• Publish 4 patterns.  Last year’s goal was pretty aggressive, but by making a few changes in how I write them and by combining them with my teaching and dies, this should be totally achievable.
• Let other people do the things that anyone can do, so I can do the things that only I can do.  This is sort of a general principle for the year, but it’s starting to help me let a few things go.  It enables me to reach out for help where I need it, and be more OK with not doing everything myself.

There’s nothing on here explicitly about making or finishing quilts, which is kind of funny for a quilter, right? Rest assured there are quilts to be done – I can’t very well publish a pattern or release a die without a quilt to go with it!

I’m hoping that by declaring my intentions, it will help to cause the things I want to happen, and hold me accountable for achieving them.  It’s certainly a lot, but I am super-excited about the things I’ve already been able to do in the first 6 weeks of this year.  My only problem now is feeling pressure to do all of this NOW, all at once.  I’ll try to pace myself but it’s hard to contain my excitement!