Or are you even bothering with one?
So much contemplation for this New Year. What an odd way to begin it for a start??
I'm 43 yrs old now and since my teens I've never missed the 12 o'clock celebration. However, this year I just wasn't feeling it so much and didn't at all mind that I went to bed before midnight and didn't 'see in the New Year'. I guess I heard it in, I wasn't asleep so I could hear the fireworks popping and the light from them lit up my room in an array of neon colours.
(A couple of snaps from my walk today)
I'm still not entirely sure why I wasn't fussed to see the clock strike midnight, I think last year allowed me to remove a whole lot of expectation from my life. On previous New Years Eves I've put some expectation on them, or on the people I've spent it with, I've expected them to enjoy it as much as I do and when they haven't I've felt some disappointment. Last year showed us that things definitely don't work out the way you plan and anything can happen. Somewhere, I've taken this to a personal level and applied it to myself and my understanding of others. My happiness wasn't ever wholly based on 'good times' or on others but now I guess it's even less so. Don't get me wrong, it's lovely to be with family and friends if you're lucky enough to be but if I'm not, it isn't going to dampen my feeling of contentment or wellbeing.
I was lucky, I shared a meal with my partner, chatted a while and then came to my studio to have some quiet time where I reflected on the past year and looked ahead to the new one . Again, not having too many expectations, especially not in external events. It's always about the inner work.
Looking ahead to this year, I know it's popular to choose a word for the year which motivates or inspires you in some way i.e. flow, or a word to describe how you'd like to feel this year i.e. calm. It's not something I usually do as I find it really difficult! It's the commitment I think, how could I possibly choose just one word to last me a year?! And wait for it... it sounds like something I wouldn't usually say but - it came to me in a dream (hahaha)
In the dream, I was walking with my sister, meandering here and there, along the way we kept bumping into some of my partner's friends and each time I'd introduce them to my sister. This happened again and again, it was the 'introduction' part which stayed with me when I woke. At first I didn't think too much about it but later, I pondered the word and its meaning, and more importantly, it's relevance to me and my life at this point in time.
This year is a huge change for me. I left my day job in Nov 2020 to live my dream of becoming a full-time artist which means I'll hopefully be engaging in many new things this year. New relationships, new events (fingers crossed), projects, galleries (who knows?!), new situations, new tech (oh boy), new schedules, new patterns and routines. All of this newness will require some kind of introduction or will require me to introduce myself in some way.
So that's my word. What's yours?
Please let me know in the comments below - Id love to know!
SA x
My word was Anchor - stay anchored in my art and as I am a follower of Jesus to stay anchored in His Word.
My word for 2022 is FOCUS. I tend to hop all over, and want to attempt a better focus on some things.....spend more time there, dig deeper, and such. Love your art work!! Glad I found you through Art Tribe!!
Love this! Light but thoughtful and inspiring. My word this year is boundless - I want to expand beyond what I think is possible. I feel like it’s an exercise in trust. Like I want to take risks - a bit like when you fall backwards and someone catches you. ☺️