THE MOST MEANINGFUL HOLIDAY GATHERING THAT I ATTENDED

The most meaningful holiday gathering I went to this season was the end-of-the year meeting of Creative Conversations. This is a group of women visual artists and writers that I helped launch almost two years ago. We get together every month or so to explore different aspects of being women artists, and take turns facilitating the meetings. It is a fantastic group of women; everyone is supportive of everyone else in a totally genuine way.

Two women facilitated the first portion of the evening and called it 2010 in Review. There were three parts to the Review. They were as follows:

1. A look back at this past year's accomplishments. Each woman was asked to list accomplishments she was proud of in areas such as creativity, business/career, family/friends, finance, and adventure.

Some items I listed were sticking to a stretch routine and going to pilates classes; year one of marriage; putting together a great gift for my mom's 70the birthday; collaborating with friends on an art party; getting a job that I love; staying in touch with my great aunt.

2. What am I thankful for? Who? What?

We each wrote out a list and mine included my new job at PS 29; this group; my husband who is kind and funny; hot running water; episodes of Shean the Sheep ; nice neighbors; and The New York Times.

3. Looking to 2011: What do I want to achieve? What do I want to try? What do I want to do differently? What do I want to keep on doing? What old goals can I let go of?

On my list of wants was a fitness routine that I love in the company of friends; seeing friends more often; a new art form to explore; a second form of income that has some room for creative expression; a way to learn how to cook different dishes.

After each woman shared some of what she had written from these three items, we moved on to the Gift Exchange. Each woman had brought a wrapped gift which symbolized something that had given her creative strength or inspiration. Each of us took the wrapped gift which most appealed to us. Keep in mind that we did not know the content of the wrapping. Amazingly, each woman received a gift which in some way related to her goals/wants for the year 2011. Talk about serendipity!

This gathering was the perfect way to celebrate all the wonderful relationships we had built with each other over the course of the year.