I know, this is the time of looking forward and looking back. The days keep on coming so fast I hardly believe this year is almost over. So much has happened! For me, 2012 will always be the year my mother passed away. It feels strange to move on, but I can’t stop the clock. The new year is coming faster then I can handle. This maybe sounds a bit too dramatic, but I can also laugh a lot (thank God!) and I know a lot of good things happened in the past year. But it feels like I’m losing my mom a bit more everytime a new day starts. And with this new year starting that feeling doubles (or triples!). Here’s the thing: I don’t want to lose her! I want to keep her here with me, here with us. But she’s gone so I have to let go… 2013 will be the first year without her. The first of many. But I know this new year will also bring a lot of good and amazing new things…
I’ve started my own company! Whoot Whoot! My next door neighbor (whom I can’t thank enough for supporting me, thank you Arnold!), encouraged me so much to chase my dream. So I did and I haven’t regretted it since. I’ve started this blog and my Etsy shop. I made 30 drawings during the period running up to Easter. I went to ‘Meet the Blogger’, the Etsy starters day, the ‘Woonbeurs’ (Lifestyle Fair) and ‘Hello Etsy’, meeting so many lovely people. I’ve participated in several different contests (and came in second every time…) We went to France and started our ‘Project 365’. I did this event styling job for ‘Eva’ magazine which was so much fun. I put my first item on Etsy. And my second. And my third. And I organized #Creasint! How much fun was that?!
These are the drawings I am the most proud of making in 2012:
When I look back, I think that what I loved most about 2012 is that I discovered my real passion and how much joy and energy that has given me. And that’s even beyond the fact that I love getting to meet so many amazing people. People who’ve comforted me when I was sad, people who laughed with me when I laughed, cheered me up time and time again and encouraged me to go on. People who I’ve gotten to know through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and my blog. Some of them I got to meet in real life too. Others I have yet to meet outside of the social media world.
Thank you all so much! I am not gonna mention you all here, I am too afraid to forget someone and you all know who you are. What I do want to do here is thanking my amazing editor Mirjam, girl, you’re the best! Thank you so much for all you’re help and time and advice!!
To meet and greet and celebrate this new year I am hosting a ‘NWJRSBRRL’. I would love to see you there and chat offline. I invited some of you already, so sorry if I didn’t, my head is a bit messy nowadays. But seriously, everyone is welcome to join!! We will meet on January 6 (also my birthday!) in Utrecht at 4 p.m. If you send me (Imke Verhoef) a friend request on facebook I will invite you.
And for now! Happy New Year!!
The picture of me with the bottle of champagne is taken the day I started my own business for real.
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