ASHLEY RONNING ARTIST + ILLUSTRATOR

In 2020, I had a hard time with my mental health, moved house, was away from family and found it hard to concentrate on work. I didn’t achieve any big goals, but I appreciated small victories – like learning how to skateboard! In 2021, I want to shake off a lot of that baggage and jump in with some positive energy. If I had to pick a theme song, it would be “Gold” by Spandau Ballet: “Gold (gold) / Always believe in your soul / You’ve got the power to know / You’re indestructible / Always believe in!” I need to learn to take care of my body and mind – not leave them at the absolute bottom of my list. I want to make work I’m proud of and improve my illustration skills. I’d also love to get confident enough with skateboarding to zip around town! This board looks a lot like the walls of my studio: total chaos. I’ve divided it into four categories: art and music, travel, friends and activism. I really want to throw myself into my art practice this year, and spend more time on the guitar and synth in my downtime. I’ve got a big Queensland trip planned, and would like to go to Canberra and New Zealand if possible! I want to spend more time working on my friendships and relationship, and really make myself available to the people I love. And I want to be a better activist by making art for causes I believe in and getting myself out to protests more often. I think I’ll keep this board on my desk at home. It’ll remind me what’s important at the beginning and end of each day, and prompt me to check in on my progress. Perhaps I can come up with some sort of reward system, too – like adding a big, shiny sticker when I tick something off!