Ho-Ho-How Do I Make Artwork at The End of The Year

Clarify seems to arrive at the end of the year, when time has flown by and you feel like all you have done is watch it pass. At the end of the year, it suddenly feels obvious what a whole year could hold. But that idea ignores the inconvenient truth that when time is passing, you actually have to be present to take advantage of it.

Most people struggle to understand time in the moment and instead distract themselves. I am as guilty of this as anyone else. So when December hits and I look back at my year, I feel a slight guilt for not having enjoyed every moment. That guilt is part of the artist’s sensory experience, the doubt and dissatisfaction with what you have done. But in reality, what counts as time wasted is also a lesson learned, if you apply it correctly.

Clarify comes at the end of the year because you get to evaluate how you spent the last twelve months. For me, that clarity is realizing that I have let fatigue win too often. For a few years now, I have been working on staying strong through my toughest days. As someone who struggles with lupus, many excuses come up. But I do not need to be sick to hear these excuses, because I hear them from everybody else too.

In the end, we are all the same. It is just the amount of pain each person can tolerate. We are all in the same boat. If there is one thing I want to bring into next year, it is this: I need to apply myself even when my body does not fully cooperate. That does not mean ignoring my health. It means understanding it and pushing forward when I can. You cannot punish yourself for being sick, but when illness is chronic, life will feel frozen if you stay in a negative and stagnant mindset.

This December, I am thinking about how to improve my workflow, my mind, and how I use my time. I want to bring back my first habit as an artist, but with less intensity so I do not burn out. In my first year, I was creating about one painting per weekday, and that discipline helped me excel in acrylic pouring and turn myself into a specialist.

Slowing that process down by creating more complex abstract work within the pours meant less sharing, since the process became exponentially longer. Old habits crept back in, like perfectionism and only posting work that looked good. That separated me from my original goal, which was to post everything, even when it was bad. That is how you learn and get better.

This year, I want to challenge myself to create about one to two paintings per week, share all the work I do, and engage with other artists and art-driven companies. I want to fully commit to each process and stop half-doing things. It is easy to post something half-finished when you do not care. When you start applying love to your work, even when it is hard to love, and you know deep down that this is what you need to do, then you need to do it harder than anyone else.

Point blank, be the best version of yourself. When you need to rest, respect that, but do not let it slip into a loop of bad habits. That is a cycle I am guilty of and one I do not want to return to.

This year, I worked primarily on one painting, and one painting only. I understand now why I did not create much else. This piece is teaching me the visual reality of growth. From a blank canvas to over one hundred hours of work, you can see the timeline and progress of your mind and environment. At first, this painting seemed easy. In reality, life is hard, and so was this piece.

It is still not finished a year later. I hope to keep it for myself unless someone is willing to spend over ten thousand dollars on it, which still does not feel fair for the amount of time and self-expression poured into it. Until then, it remains mine.

Yes, I created other pieces. If you feel stuck, try something else. But if you always return to the same work, it is probably because it is unfinished.

Unfinished Artwork - Untitled - The piece that has taken me over year

In 2026, I will center my attention on bringing my artwork online, sharing my progress, and building real connections and sales. How will I do that? I will learn, like anything else in life. Every step of being an artist is a step closer to growth, and I am excited to push myself.

Camille B.