On my way home from my Mum's I decided to stop at the reservoir. It seemed a shame not to make the most of this beautiful day and I like to grab opportunities.
Last summer the water was edged with vast borders of cracked earth, plant life had grown and the geese enjoyed the extra area to forage. But today the water was high. Underneath there was once a
beautiful 19 bedroom mansion that was demolished to make way for the reservoir. It was a magnificent house with wood panelling and a moat. It is reputed that in 1605 Guy Fawkes met here and plotted to blow up the houses of Parliament. If walls could talk we would have to go under water, for the 700 year old stone walls were used to build foundations for the dams. 11 cottages and 2 farms were also demolished. How sad.
Today I stood on the edge and scanned the water. I saw a seagull and zoomed in.... just as I clicked I heard noise.
A l-o-t of noise.
I looked up and saw a huge flock of coots flying towards me brushing the surface of the water with their wings. I quickly repositioned the camera and shot fast. The resulting image is slightly blurred, but I am happy with it. I have stopped needing to be picture perfect. Photos should tell a story and this captures the instant my attention was drawn to the noise and the number of birds landing.
And then, all was quiet again.
This post is part of Helena's weekly neme: ZOOM IN ZOOM OUT. I love trying out different photography challenges and this is fun. Thank you Helena!
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!
