One Word 2020 - Flourish

Do you choose 'One Word' for the year ahead?

I did this for years and then life got busy. Last year my chosen word was not embraced and held close to my heart, as before. 

So, this year I am changing that. And the same word speaks to me:

 Flourish

It means: To grow or develop in a healthy way, to thrive and be in a healthy state, to be successful and do well.

And it feels right, because last year I focused on improving my health. I released 3 stone and have seen benefits that I had not anticipated. Like, having more energy, and feeling fitter even if I have not done any exercise to achieve this. 

I have a clear memory of walking up a long steep hill with a friend. We chatted as we walked until I suddenly felt on my own. Looking back I saw my friend way behind, pausing to catch her breath. What made this memorable?  Because once that would have been ME! 

I was the one who would call out to my husband and son that I'd catch them up. 
I was the one struggling to breathe as our walks became arduous. 

No more!

And the change has impacted on other areas of my life too. My GP always told me that I would find it more difficult to reduce weight because I have an underactive thyroid. We sometimes believe stories we are told and that feeds into our self belief. But it wasn't true!
So many myths and stories have been dispelled and while my body has reduced I have grown in so many other ways! 

So, here's to 2020! 

My year to Flourish and keep flourishing! 

JUST ONE WORD - 2015

Each January for the past four years I have chosen JUST ONE WORD. This is an idea of Ali Edward's and for the first time I signed up so that I receive monthly prompts and do with others. This seemed a good idea at the time but life has been busy and so far this has not happened, but there is still time!  After all, it's only March and we have another nine months in the year!! 

Joking aside I like to give time for my word to feel right and to be embraced as past years have shown my chosen word can be a powerful experience. And while I might not have shared my word as yet I chose it back in January and it sits very comfortable with me.  So before I tell you what it is, let me quickly recap last years word:  

CREATE

 

Now I mentioned that my chosen word is powerful and yet again this was so true.  In January 2014 I said:
"Yes, this is going to be a year of more action. Things I have started will be continued or completed and I have other things I want to fulfil. But it is not just about doing. 
No! 
This is about me putting my heart into it!  I will be taking more risks and challenges, and more time to create the life that I want".

AND I DID!!!  

The most profound action I took was to give up my full time career. Since then I have started to live the life I dreamed about and I have been running regular workshops and spending much more of my time being creative and doing things I love. I have taken risks and opportunities. Some have worked well, some less so, but it has given me the chance to think about what is important and where I want to focus my time and energy. And I have no regrets, only gratitude.

I am forever creating ideas but one that I took forward last year was a JUNK JOURNAL SWAP. It was huge fun and I plan to do something similar this year.  And I discovered one of the hardest things is putting myself out there. Not because I am shy or unsure but because marketing and letting others know what I am doing is hard work and time consuming! For months I posted on Facebook only to discover that unless someone was my 'friend' they would not be able to read my post even when shared on public pages.  There was a lot of learning to do, but I am getting there slowly. Setting up my own public page helped overcome that problem and gradually it is getting easier.  I am very grateful to those who have encouraged, supported and cheered me on in my first half year. My excitement of developing workshops and new ideas only grows and there are more exciting things planned for this year. Yay!!

But as much as I love teaching and sharing what I do, it is also important to keep learning and developing, so I signed up for an online course called 'Paperlove' run by Rachel Hazell. This small decision has lead to so much bigger things, not least, an amazing
new group of like minded friends. There are surprise exchanges of happy mail and lots of collaborative ideas and sharing and I'll come back to this shortly.

Another way of stretching myself was becoming a Design Team member for That Craft Place, a lovely shop near Eastbourne which stocks a wonderful range of craft supplies. I have had great fun using laser cut designs and sharing my work and I have sometimes pushed myself out of my comfort zone to try new ideas and techniques. One of my favourite makes is a clock which I painted using my Gelli Plate and I have shared a couple of tutorials. But I recognise that many of my recent posts have been photography-focused and that most of my creative work has been shared on Facebook. It's time to get more balance and to readdress this!

 

I also mentioned that some things were started and would be continued. I have enjoyed having time to make my home feel loved again and there has been more colour added, cupboards emptied and reorganised. Energy is flowing more freely. 

 

So moving on, and quite fittingly, my word for 2015 is:

 

 TRAVEL 

 



 

I have a much clearer vision of where I am going and what I want to achieve.  And what's more, it looks possible!!  Of course I don't expect it to be all down hill, and this road in Yorkshire is a reminder that even downhill can be unpredictable and sometimes scary. But exciting too!!  It's also a reminder that I want to revisit this part of the country, there is still lots for me to do and see!

 

I have already been away in the camper this year and lots more exciting adventures are planned. But one trip without the camper will involve a number of ferry crossings because in April I am going to the Shetland Islands with a friend to attend a book making course.  Remember 'Paperlove'?  Well, this course is run by Rachel Hazell so I shall be meeting her in person!  Am I excited? You bet I am!  What's more, we shall be making a brief stop on our way through Scotland to visit someone I met on the Paperlove course and who has become an online friend. This journey will be much more than miles and I look forward to staying in a lighthouse, exploring, and making more friends on my travel.

 

I earlier mentioned the focus on photography. That's because I enjoy taking 365 photos but got out of the habit of organising them. So this year I have taken a different tactic and to help me maintain motivation and routine I have started a weekly post 'A year in photos'.  I also want to improve my fitness, something that I started but lost momentum with last year as I was preoccupied by so many other changes taking place. So, to get back on track I have started to walk most days. Can you see how 'TRAVEL' is the right word for me this year?!  To give me more focus I started to pay attention to things I see on my way, and I decided to take photos each month as a record. Tree Following originated from this idea and has become another regular blog post. It helps me to maintain routine and structure both online and through walking. A good ploy!

 

I'm pleased with the changes I have made, but now want to make similar progress with other things important in my life. I have a habit of starting a blog post and then leaving it unfinished as a

draft. Last year was time to create, this year it is time to take ideas forward and to take more control. It's okay to take diversions or unexpected routes during travel, and so I am going to finish here with the photo I planned to use back in January. After all, there is much to celebrate and much to look forward to.

 

I mentioned at the beginning that this is my 5th year of

JUST ONE WORD.

 

Here are the others I have chosen:  

First year was 'INTUITION'.  I knew it would be a difficult time one way or another and sometimes to sit still and just listen can be what is needed. So it was a good reminder to do just that, and I learnt that I can trust my intuition. It has made me more relaxed,
confident, and more self reliant.

Next came 'PROGRESS', and again, how well chosen. So many personal, practical, and creative projects were started. It felt much was in progress and I wanted it to continue and for it to be a positive year with some of these things finally coming towards completion. 
And they did!!

Third year was 'TRANSFORMATION'. And TRANSFORMATION happened in many ways! I completed Julia Cameron's book 'The Artists Way' and I was really sad when the book came to an end. But then on the final pages Julia suggested to start all over again - and so I did. Only this time round I set up a Facebook group and invited others to join me. I truly believe this book has influenced and inspired me so much.

I also wanted to become more healthy and I set up another online group 'Fit For Fun'!  Two years on we are still supporting each other, cheering each other on and sharing ideas and motivation.
 
And last year was 'CREATE'... but you know that already!

Thanks for popping by and I hope if you chose your own word that it is equally inspiring to you.

JUST ONE WORD - 2014

Have you chosen JUST ONE WORD for 2014? 

This is my fourth year of doing this and each time I have found it a powerful experience.  

First year was 'INTUITION'.  I knew it would be a difficult time one way or another and sometimes to sit still and just listen can be what is needed. So it was a good reminder to do just that, and I learnt that I can trust my intuition. It has made me more relaxed,
confident, and more self reliant.

Next came 'PROGRESS', and again, how well chosen. So many personal, practical, and creative projects were started. It felt much was in progress and I wanted it to continue and for it to be a positive year with some of these things finally coming towards completion. 
And they did!!
And so last year I chose 'TRANSFORMATION'. And TRANSFORMATION happened in many ways. I completed Julia Cameron's book 'The Artists Way' and I was really sad when the book came to an end. But then on the final pages Julia suggested to start all over again - and so I did. Only this time round I set up a FaceBook group and invited others to join me. We are working through one chapter a month and I love to hear about everyone's experience and journey. I truly believe this book has influenced and inspired me so much.

I also wanted to become more healthy and I set up another online group 'Fit For Fun'!  A year on we are still supporting each other, cheering each other on and sharing ideas and motivation.
 
I was more confident and motivated to try new things and here's a few more that I achieved through 2013:

I ran another mini-book class
At a retreat I was asked if I sold copies of the mini-book and received 4 commissions. So I stopped what I was doing and put kits together while I was there!
I made my first video and posted it on YouTube
Began a monthly neme called '5 in 5'
I sold handmade notebooks in a Gallery
I went canoeing, on a solo three day Road Trip,  had sessions in a Floatation Tank, tried archery, drumming, and meditation.
And there were so many other things besides. 2013 WAS a transformation! 

And this year? I am going to:   CREATE


Yes, this is going to be a year of more action. Things I have started will be continued or completed and I have other things I want to fulfil. But it is not just about doing. 
No! 
This is about me putting my heart into it!  I will be taking more risks and challenges, and more time to create the life that I want.
 
And so 2014 sees me:
Decluttering and making my creative space and home into spaces that I love and want to be.
Creating more space and order in my life.
Making more time for doing things I enjoy. 
Regularly trying new recipes and inviting friends round.

I have so many creative ideas. It's time now to bring them out, including new ones such as Documented Life Project.

And creating new adventures! I have booked a day sailing, it is far too many years since I last went. But this is on a small boat, not a large Thames Sailing Barge like the one I spent many happy weeks aboard. So it's an exciting new experience. 

I want to create structure in my day so that I achieve more. This means less time on Facebook and browsing the computer. I'm sure I am not alone in whiling away hours doing this!!  

And I want to create focus back into some areas of my life. For the past 4 years I have done Project 365. Towards the end of 2013 a few days here and there got missed and I wondered whether to commit again this year.  I have 1000's of photos saved on my computer and I have got out of the routine of organising downloads into albums.  It is now overwhelming and I want to create a routine to get back on track. I also want to share my 365 photos. What's the point of them just sitting on a computer? And while revisiting a post I discovered
Project 365 photos for 2010. And do you know what? I got a buzz of excitement seeing them, recapturing memories and seasons, and a whole year of photos like a diary in pictures. And I realised this is the inspiration I need to organise my photo albums. So I will slowly work through and add all my Project 365 photos to Flickr. I think that's why I lost momentum. I stopped sharing them. If you would like to flick through my first year they are here. I hope there will be more sets added soon.

And if you would like to visit my other 'Just One Word' posts, click on the words below for the link:
'INTUITION'
'PROGRESS'
'TRANSFORMATION' 

So, DID you choose a word for 2014?  If you did I hope it brings you everything that you want. I am planning to make CREATE into a banner or bunting to hang in my study and craft space.  Hopefully I'll be able to show you it soon. Thanks for popping by!