I love a good roundup post. I love reflecting on the year, or in this case the decade! Here’s some brief thoughts around each year of the past decade along with a bunch of images.
Tomorrow I’ll share a post of my favorite (and most popular) blog posts over the life of the blog.
2010
Apparently I didn’t take a lot of pictures this year. My marriage ended. I dressed up as a Glue Bottle for Halloween and made this incredible altered book which was in a show. Clay came to visit me that summer.
2011
Kim and I became inseparable. We went to 80s night and I killed it with a fantastic side pony and blue eyeshadow. I saw a fantastic Chihuly show at the MFA. Went to my 10 year high school reunion and decided that was enough of that. Made a bag out of my journals from high school and college. Had a fantastic “Independence Day” party as my divorce went final.
2012
Went to Denver and visited my brother. Learned about better boundaries. Ran a half marathon and a marathon.
2013
Got my masters. Travelled to California a lot. Did my first (and second and third) triathlons. Saw a lot of fantastic live music. Found some fantastic friends in Kerin and Lolo and Jas and Suzanne. Rode my bike 50 miles and hated a lot of it. Did a second marathon.
2014
Started a journey of half ironman training with two fantastic friends, Jaye and Suzanne. Felt powerful with power tools and destruction. Loved my kitty Zella pretty hard. Did two half ironman races in 8 weeks on completely homemade fuel. Completely changed my pedagogical method in my elementary classroom. Went apple picking for the first time.
2015
Trained for an ironman. Broke a pelvis in the middle of an ironman. Did a ton of swimming, biking, running, changing tires, falling, healing, and breathing. Learned how to be strong when the unexpected occurs. End of a relationship. Clay visited! Learned how to throw imperfect pots. Changed schools. Learned that my heart can love so big. Friendship with Timmary increased a thousand-fold. New traditions with my parents. Began making art again.
2016
A year of everything – highest highs, lowest lows. Lots of travel – San Francisco, Vermont, Hawaii, Portland, Chicago. Learned how to do encaustic. Brother got married. Clay Visited! Loved bigger and bigger. Learned how to love my students. Made a ton of cupcakes for Cheryl’s wedding. Released the ironman. Presented for the first time. Coached the best triathletes.
2017
Expressed so much gratitude. Made collages every day. Ashley and I. Moved to action. Art becomes more political. Tea shops with Patti. My students were everything. First AP group submits. Walked on fire. Swam 3 miles. Travelled to Savannah and turned the power everywhere we went. Fell in love. Had a collage show. Presented at the Symposium with Timmary. Talked about my art with the public. Watched students teach others. Patti had work in a show! Made progress to get out of my house.
2018
Loved my students more than I thought a heart could. UDL PLC with Jon Mundorf! My amazing mom came and blasted through painting. Sold my house. Bought the loft. My fave kiddos graduated and went to college. UDL Webinar. Florence and Rome. So much pain within such deep love. Clay visited! An afternoon with Cornelius, Jose, Mel, and dulce. Family wedding. Timeline begun.
2019
So much art made and seen. So much trust in me to facilitate. New job. So much travel – Georgia, Minneapolis, Vermont, Newark, NYC. Community expanded. Hamilton with Patti. Presenting with Kass. Presenting with Ann. Presenting with Jaimee. Presenting Nationally with a fire alarm ending it all. Awards for me and Callie. Relationships ending.
Expansion. That’s the word I would use to describe the past decade. I couldn’t have ever imagined that my life could look or feel like this. So full of love, so full of community, so fully of goodness. Looking forward to another decade of expanding into love, community, and goodness.
lizzie fortin 