Ironic, Isn’t It?

I had planned in 2025 to embark on a new adventure over six months, experience jaw-dropping moments, and sketch as I travel…I just hadn’t expected to stay in Texas to do that.

My goal was to hike the entire Appalachian Trail this year, and I’ve delayed that momentarily until next year, in the hopes that I can see this art business bloom! It has been difficult to see some of my dreams get put on hold. I’m doing without…but in a different way than I imagined. I thought I would be pitching a tent each night, hiking fifteen miles a day with everything I would need in the upcoming weeks strapped to my back, and eating dried jerky during breaks. I am metaphorically taking some steps to see if I can build up my creative ventures into a financial success. Personally, I still love getting up with the sun, to start work at 6:30AM and stop work earlier so that I can exercise before it gets dark. I’m still working extra, but attempt to manage my time a little better, which includes making sure that I get times to read for fun.

There are a couple parks near where I live that remind me of hiking on the east coast. I keep my eye out for new walking areas each month so that I can document various aspects of my town through sketching! The other day I meandered to a nearby park to get inspiration and sat down for a while to read. Deer, birds, and squirrels visited, just a mile from my home. It’s not the same as hiking twelve to fifteen miles a day, but it is still something I enjoy, so I will embrace it.

One sacrifice I’ve made is to cut out some of my subscriptions as I pay back a loan (thank you!) for a professional development design course that I started in March. It will run for eight weeks. Though I’ll be busy during my work hours, the limited access to TV will give me more time to read, which is still a big goal of mine. Bonus, I will rewatch some favorite movies that I haven’t seen in years and become well acquainted with my local library. Every morning I sign on for a new lesson that trains me to expand my designs into functional art that I will be able to sell or license to companies. The first few modules of this PD course have already helped me immensely, and I hope to smooth out some of the *multiple* tasks I’ve been trying to accomplish, to aim for a more purposeful goal.

Running a business and writing full-time is a different type of job than I am used to. During teaching, I knew what was expected of me. I was able to plan and expected that everything might go wrong and I would have to deal with it. Over the last several years I got into a rhythm, and each year I learned to be better. Now I’m starting over. I am the one bringing in my income and setting my schedule. It means not having extra money for a while and really watching my budget. For someone with a creative brain, it is (mostly) difficult for me to stay focused and on track. I’ve written to my Instagram community about my new planner and how I attempt to schedule my days which brings me closer to my goals. But I don’t feel like I’m better at this YET. I’m learning constantly.

The other day in my writing group, I explained to one of my fellow authors that I was having issues with the dialogue in my historical fiction book. When I returned to this writing project in February, I recalled (incorrectly) that I had mostly written everything and thought that I would mainly be working on edits. Well, that is not the case. I am about halfway through my second draft, still filling in sections that only have bullet points and creating dialogue so that my readers can get to know my characters. It’s going to be a long road this year. It takes hours each day to see progress, and I attempt to treat my writing with as much respect as my art, which is more demanding 🙂

So my goal for six months this year to hike more than 2,000 miles up the east coast turned into six months to find a way to make more than $2,000 each month while in staying in Texas. Yes, it’s ironic, but also inspirational! I am learning to focus on one thing at a time. All. The. Time. It doesn’t come easily for me, but I have some pretty specific goals for what I’d like to see get accomplished this year, and I am working through each step one at a time. At this point, it’s hard to explain all in detail, but I hope to update you in a couple months on some of my successes and lessons from this spring.

One more step,

Hannah Marie.