I’ve spent the last couple weeks enjoying a slower pace. Practicing silence. The silence I crave during busy times like the holiday season. I have a few rituals at the start of a calendar new year to sort of reset a bit. First I sign off of social media for a few weeks, which I’m only actively on Instagram, so not that difficult. I get back to organizing my studio, get old projects wrapped up and line up new ones. I tend to get back to blogging, or more importantly, writing, a thing I love so much but have trouble making time for. And catching up on a lot of reading, or in my case lately listening to audiobooks. I’ve already completed 4 titles this year.
I enjoy this slower time to get back to my creativity and rest. The rest helps with the creativity. As much as I am a summer child, I sort of enjoy the quiet, slower pace the winter brings. I’ve had a few days where all I could do was sit under a blanket with the wood burning fireplace roaring away. And I find it’s exactly what I need.
As in yoga, honor the body, also honor the mind. Honor the being. Be present and feel what is needed in that moment.
For the past 5 years I’ve downloaded and used Susannah Conway’s workbook Unravel. It’s a great way to look back on the past year and make some assessments, as well as ponder the next year to come. I often think about how the new year falls in the northern hemisphere, as we are in winter so there’s more indoor introspection going on. I wonder how different it must be for our friends to the south. I have a ritual of not looking back at the prior year’s Unravel until I’ve filled out the current one, as to not be influenced by my previous thoughts/plans/ideas.
In retrospect of 2017, there were a few things I didn’t get to and a few tasks still left unanswered. But my ability to assess grew better, I was more aware, I was better at practicing silence, I was better at working through emotions, I was better at weathering the ebbs & flows. And that is more of an achievement than I can ever hope for.
As I continue my self awareness journey, the journey inward, I can only hope and plan for more growth in 2018.
In addition to Unravel and choosing a word, I set up my new Bullet Journal for the year ahead. I was happy with my 2017 set up so I will continue the same style going forward, with a few adjustments as seen here.
Also, I started to dive into this guided journal from Meera Lee Patel Start Where You Are. I’m a fan of her cards and artwork.
I found a great pocket moon calendar for the year at Amazon here. As a Cancer, a moon child, I learned a lot more about how this influences my life this past year. I paid more attention to the phases & how it correlates to mood. I learned more about the cycles and their impact overall. Again, being aware. Looking forward to more growth in this aspect in 2018.
A few new things for the new year. I don’t like resolutions. And goals sounds too business-like. So they are just new ideas, new wants or new things to try…
I’ve been dabbling in the study of aromatherapy – I want to learn more about this from herbs to essential oils to the Ayurveda approach. I really would like to try to make my own soy candles.
There’s also organization to be done. Some things are just still unfinished. Others need a refresh. I always find a little organization refresh in the studio seems to jump start the creating process as well. Love that connection.
I have some professional goals as far as studying and taking a test for a certification I’ve been considering for a couple years.
I would like to make more progress on a physical representation of my ancestry and see the results of the work I’ve put into that research. This takes quite a bit of time and I still haven’t figured out exactly how I am displaying or publishing what I’ve found.
And finally, we are discussing the idea of pet ownership again, by maybe the end of the year. So something to look forward to.
I feel like I’m off to a good start. Here’s to 2018!
the Paper goddess 