It’s the last Monday of the month, which means it’s time to check in with how my various creative projects are going! (Not sure that really deserves an exclamation point, but whatever.)

First off, my 52-week photo project is still going strong. The photos have been enough of a challenge to keep me interested, but (usually) not so difficult that I get frustrated. And it’s doing what I’d hoped: giving me a reason to think about photography every week, even when I’m not feeling particularly inspired. I’m starting to think I might do something even more ambitious next year. (Though it’s still early… we’ll see how I feel forty-eight weeks into this thing, and after I’ve tackled some of the really tricky prompts.)

As far as drawing goes, I’m back to practicing nearly every day, but I’m also in another one of those phases where what I want to do doesn’t quite match up with what I’m able to do. I’m mostly fine with that; it’s frustrating, but I know it’s just a matter of sticking with it and figuring out what my next step is.

That said, the big projects this month have mostly been about figuring out my goals for the year (and beyond) and changing the way I work. The office is finally starting to feel like an office (I love the white walls so much), and less like a storage room. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it won’t be too long before I can start working at my desk again, rather than the dining table. (I love my desk. I miss my desk.)

I’ve also been putting a lot of thought into what I actually want to be doing with my time and with my work. (The existential crisis I’d been expecting since the beginning of the year finally hit, though it was more of a slow simmer than a middle-of-the-night panic attack.) I’m setting firm goals for the rest of the year, surprising myself, figuring out ways to track my progress, and generally starting to feel pretty good about things again.

So, yeah. It’s been a good month.