Annual Calendars and the Passing of Time

Annual Calendars and the Passing of Time

Since 2023, I have been creating my own art calendars each year. At the same time, I also turn my students’ artworks into calendars and share them with their families. These calendars have become a wonderful portfolio in themselves—a yearly archive of growth, effort, and the quiet stories that unfold in my studio.

​Each time I work on a new calendar, I am reminded of how quickly time moves. The passing days feel precious, and I often look back to see whether I wasted any energy on unnecessary worries or conflicts. Sometimes I regret not painting more, not giving myself enough space to create. Yet the moment I finish the calendar, I always feel grateful. Somehow, completing it helps me close the year with a sense of peace.

​December is always a busy month, filled with events and preparations for the new year. But beneath the rush, there is also a gentle excitement—a feeling of opening a door to the year ahead. This year, the greatest change for me as an artist was learning to loosen my grip on the work. I allowed myself to relax, to approach painting with a lighter and more open heart. I realized that if I feel joy first—if I feel full within the painting itself—that is enough.

As I fall more deeply in love with the process of painting, I also notice the things that once stole my energy: unnecessary relationships, expectations, and old desires that no longer serve me. Letting them go has given me more room to breathe. More room to create.
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Today, I am simply grateful that I could paint. That, in itself, is enough.