Writing Challenge Day 20
Photo: Libby Derham www.libbyderham.com
The Artist's Annual Review
The aroma of chai tea drifts past as my friend Libby pours hot water into two cups. We’re in her beautiful studio beneath her Queenslander, overlooking an open garden surrounded by stunning, majestic trees. Her walls are dressed in vivid and expressive watercolors of landscapes and florals, which she painted en plein air in various locations. A built-in wall of cabinets holds an array of watercolor tubes, neatly organised on clipboards. Cups overflow with pens, brushes, and feathers, while the end shelves are lined with art books and visual diaries, each filled cover to cover with her creations.
She places the cups on the large wooden table, where two laptops, notebooks, and a box of Quality Street chocolates await. Her dachshund, Maple, is curled snugly on her lap, her head resting on Libby’s arm. We’re about to embark on something we’ve never done before: The Artist’s Annual Review.
A few weeks earlier, I stumbled upon the Art Biz Podcast while scrolling through Spotify. Hosted by art business coach Alyson Stanfield, the episode was packed with insights. At the end, Alyson mentioned that the Artist’s Annual Review would be emailed to you when you subscribe to her website. It was January—a perfect time to reflect on 2024. I thought it’d be fun and motivating to do it with someone who understood my journey, someone I trusted completely. I asked my best friend and fellow artist Libby if she wanted to join me on this quest. We share many parallels in life and art, and I couldn’t imagine anyone better to bounce ideas off and hold each other accountable.
The review covered four areas: Your Art, Learning and Teaching, Business and Marketing, and Looking Ahead. Libby read the first question aloud as I unwrapped a Quality Chocolate, mmmm, Toffee Finger. “How would you rate your general level of happiness and satisfaction for the past year?”
And so, we began.
Quickly, I realised this exercise was trickier than I’d anticipated. To get a clear overview, we had to be brutally honest—acknowledging the highs and lows, celebrating successes, and confronting areas for improvement. That last part wasn’t easy, especially with an ADHD brain like ours. Living in the now, struggling to recognise achievements, and planning for the future—it’s a constant battle.
Thankfully, we did this together. We acknowledged each other’s wins and challenges, shared ideas for improvement, and even surprised one another with fresh perspectives. Libby’s answers often brought angles I hadn’t considered, helping me see my life, family, and art practice more clearly.
By the end of the day, we’d only made it through the first two sections, but the revelations were invaluable. We both realised we’d done far better in 2024 than we’d given ourselves credit for. The wins we’d overlooked started piling up, and it felt good—really good. I drove home that evening feeling stoked and proud of us.
We are meeting in a couple of hours to tackle the final two sections. What had started with some reluctance in early January had now transformed into excitement. I couldn’t wait to see what else we’d uncover and how it might guide our next steps.
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