Things that inspired me in 2024
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See you in January!
Hi everyone!
This is the LAST newsletter of 2024!
In this newsletter I’m going to do a lookback at the things that INSPIRED me this year.
Things I read
This year I’ve rekindled my first love for fiction books - and have LOVED it! From Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series to Kirsten Miller’s EXCELLENT book Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books (her The Change is also EXCELLENT!), from good old Stephen King to books by Robert Goddard. I added them up, it’s over FIFTY fiction books!
But I did manage to squeeze in some non-fiction books as well (albeit that some *might* have suffered from never having been finished this year).
I want to call out ONE: Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen. Recommended by a friend it was one of those books where I frantically took notes and where now - more than EVER - I am convinced that art is not only a ‘nice-to-have’ but absolutely ESSENTIAL for brain health and learning.
Read about my Top 5 non-fiction books here: My Top 5 books of 2024
Things I enjoyed doing
Painting and drawing
I’ve really been into learning new things this year! I learned about neurographics and zentangles, painted portraits, but also clouds. I drew a Workbook to go with my Career Freedom coaching programme (more about this in 2025!) and have drawn cartoons for ALL my blogs (yes, that’s OVER 100 cartoons, I must be MAD!)
Things I’ve watched
Artist of the Year Masterclasses
I LOVE people paint! It’s why I SO enjoyed the Artist of the Year Masterclasses this year, in which winners of Sky’s Portrait and Landscape Artist of the Year winners showed THEIR tricks and tips on how they painted a variety of faces and objects.
You can find it all here: Artist of the Year
A diss track
I learned a new word this year. It’s called a Diss Track, a rap in which you - literally - diss people. Not for the faint-hearted this diss track was made after a LOT of aggravation and legal quarrels.
What I like about this is how you can channel and translate your emotions into art. Imagine the art YOU can make, the things YOU can make happen if you could channel your anger, your emotions into your paintings, music, poetry or book!
Things that made me laugh
D and M
OK, here's a funny story. You know I paint on weekends, right? Preferably portraits. And sometimes someone gives me a nice commission.
So I painted a portrait. Two people, a couple. I showed it to them. They LOVED it.
Literally the NEXT day, when out for a walk, she came over and cried 'We've broken up!'
The thing is, this is not the first time this has happened. I painted a couple before. THEY broke up too! Which means that I'm now on a 100% hit rate.
Not long after this happened I saw an advert for a freelance opportunity. 'Become a LIVE wedding portrait painter!', it said. 'Paint portraits of the happy couple for a long-lasting memory of their special day', it said. Which made me think: Should I?
I really got into it and thought maybe this ⬇️ could be my USP? 'Your witchy best friend: Hire me at your peril. If your relationship survives being painted by me you'll survive anything' sort of thing. I could stipulate that I only paint on Friday the 13th. Wear black only - you know - to celebrate the happy occasion. At which point I decided that I should probably leave well alone.
That made me laugh. I posted it on LinkedIn, on a sunny Saturday morning. Just to entertain you. Because I thought all of this ⬆️ was funny.
Except for the breakup. Obviously. That was sad. And not my fault. OK?
(P.S. It turns out that’s not even the end of the story! I am currently painting my mum and dad.
It’s not without peril so far. Because the restaurant I took the reference photo in was a pancake restaurant in a place called Ede, the Netherlands. A pancake restaurant in Ede burned down literally this week AS I WAS PAINTING IT!
I checked. It wasn’t the same restaurant, although it WAS on the same road. A lucky escape. So far. The power, people, the power!)
What made YOU laugh this year?
Things that inspired me
The Artist’s Way Group
This year’s The Artist’s Way Group was AMAZING as ever. Women taking themselves onto Artist Dates. Women doing glassblowing, learning to play the piano, setting up their businesses. All the while unblocking their creativity and learning to embrace their creative self. I can’t WAIT for the 2025 Artist’s Way Group!
Positive Intelligence Group (x2)
This year I ran not one but TWO Positive Intelligence groups. The Positive Intelligence programme is a NEW offering. I decided to invest in this IMPACTFUL programme, because of its enormous potential to access your intuitive and creative brain. To help you access your inner wisdom and start TRUSTING yourself again.
We laughed, we had major insights, we talked about our experiences. And we found the power of the programme such that we will continue our learning next year!
Client journeys
This has been a difficult year for jobseekers. No doubt about that. But despite that my clients had the confidence and clarity to move forward and create their happy careers.
Here is some of the GREAT feedback I received:
And for my visual coaching session:
Things I’m looking forward to
My new Change Artists Community
I am looking forward to opening the doors of my NEW community Change Artists - a place for women who DON’T want to stay still, who are creative, maybe even multi-passionate. Women who want MORE out of life.
We’ll get started in January with Ideas Club and Book Club. Want in? Subscribe to the Career Freedom newsletter for £5 per month in January!
GROW
GROW is my ongoing learning GROUP for women who have been in my Positive Intelligence programme. We’re looking forward to building our mental fitness, unlocking our creativity and being HAPPY by APPLYING the operating model we learned about in our day-to-day activities!
Positive Intelligence Group
The NEXT Positive Intelligence Group will start early 2025. If YOU want to participate and grow YOUR mental fitness and resilience, then send me an email on info@tineketammescoaching.com or express your interest here:
Career Freedom programme
Do YOU want to get clear on your career direction? Are you SURE there’s more out there for you, if only you could figure out what that is?
Let 2025 be the year where you make it happen!
I can’t WAIT to meet new people, women who WANT to make positive things happen in their careers.
Is this you? Book your call now and you can get started in January!
The Artist’s Way Group 2025
Ah, The Artist’s Way Group! I LOVE the Artist’s Way - for its transformational impact, for its positivity, for its capability to change lives.
I’ve got a forever-growing waiting list for The Artist’s Way Group and I can’t WAIT to get started in March next year!
That’s IT! I’d LOVE to hear about the things YOU’ve enjoyed this year, and wish you happy holidays!
🔴🟡🟠
Tineke Tammes is a Career & Creativity Coach and supports professional women in making successful transitions. Besides that she is also a lifelong feminist, part-time portrait artist, never-only-read-one-book-at-any-time reader, and obsessive doodler.
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I love your painting! And cartoons. It's been quite a year. All the best for 2025!