The Year of the Cat

Happy Lunar Year, everyone! January 22nd kicks off the Year of the Rabbit, or the Year of the Cat 2023. 

In my part of the world winter is still on, but days gradually get longer, and nights shorter, until the summer solstice in June.

A Year of Hope and Good Luck

In Chinese culture the sign of the Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity, so 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope – and I do believe Hope is what the world needs right now!

The Vietnamese celebrate the Year of the Cat. According to Vietnamese tradition the Cat brings good luck and clears away bad spirits. The cat is considered to be a friend and symbolizes strength and power. 

Those who know me, know how much I love cats – so I’m very excited for the year to come!

Artists and their cats
Artists and their cats

A Year of Exploring Creativity and Arts

I’ve also read somewhere that creativity and appreciation for the arts thrives in Rabbit years. So you might feel like exploring museums, music festivals and performances. I know I do.

In Vietnamese culture cats are a symbol of kindness, perseverance, patience, thinking ahead before starting to do something. Cats are considered to be open-minded free spirits ready to explore. Sounds familiar! 

Hopes and Plans 

New year always brings new energy and I hope and plan for this year to bring more time for creativity and playful exploration in my studio. My studio is my Happy Place which brings me joy and happiness and fills me with energy.

With my full time job, planning is essential and I try to make time for my creative art practice every day. 

My plans for 2023 are a mix of short-term goals I want to complete in the near future and long-term goals that will take months and years to finish. 

This year I will focus on 30 day projects, one project for each month. As a former project manager I have naturally made a list of challenges and possible outcomes. 

My plans contain both unexplored territory, projects in the messy middle and a few projects nearly finished. All in all, lots of fun and problem solving.

Plans also include recreation time like reading, writing poems and spending time with family and friends. 

Plan B or C

Like Rabbits and Cats I always have a plan B, because the most certain thing in life is that nothing ever goes as planned. Change is inevitable and it often brings exciting opportunities. 

To me, planning for project progress is a critical means to meet deadlines, and time management gives me the opportunity to focus on what’s important now. 

The best thing about deadlines is that they herald new beginnings. I love starting up and exploring new projects.

My mantra is: I wonder what happens if I do this, or maybe that?

But now, if you’ll excuse me; I’ll get back to my stack of interesting books. It’s recreation time, or “time to compost” as my gardening husband puts it.

See y’all next month!

artists and their cats
artists and their cats