I was restless on New Year's Eve, feeling the need of some ritual to see off 2010 and call it done. So I started my new journal and wrote a few words about the year behind and the year ahead. I raised a glass with some of my family. It satisfied the need, but it also set the ball rolling.
I wanted to review my photos for 2010 and I wanted to write a few notes along side that to take account of the year. I was fooling around with folders and tags and I suddenly realised that the easiest way to do it would be to drag favourite photos straight into a photo book. Light bulb moment! I think this may become a tradition. My photos tend to sit in the computer in chronological order, by season (thank you Stacy Julian!) and key events have their own folder. Such a simple way for the chronologically challenged like me to remember when things happened. And I certainly don't scrapbook everything that happens in a year, plus some little moments never make it onto layouts. My hope is that this will allow me to shed more photos with a light heart, knowing that there is a record of sorts. I can't wait until it arrives. One tricky thing was choosing a title, something warm and friendly, without being pompous or corny - hmmm.
Looking ahead to 2011... I'll be doing the Best Year Yet exercise sometime in the next couple of weeks. I'm preparing for Ali Edwards One Little Word class over at Big Picture Classes (more about that later). For a variety of reasons, we have been fine-tuning our diet, so I'm following Cathy Zielske's lead and Moving More, Eating Less and writing it all down to keep myself accountable, especially as I am trying to monitor my intake of certain food types.
Tonight I was reading through my favourite blogs and an entry of iHanna's really inspired me. Take a look and you'll see what I mean (but come back...) so begging her forgiveness, I would like to pinch her headings and share my creative intentions for 2011.
More art journalling
I've slightly lost my way with this lately. It comes from having to keep a sketchbook during 18 months of art courses in part, and in part from over exposure to 'the pros' and losing my own voice a little, as I explained in my last post. I really got my voice back in a big way with my angry, sad journal in November and now I'm raring to go.
the Mr. gave me a cute, teeny Moleskine in my stocking with a challenge to doodle, scribble or scrawl something each day.
I am in the middle of tidying up my display of art journals (more on display for me than for visitors)
I am setting up my journalling station for ready access
I want to audit my recent journals in the sense of checking what's on the go, what each one calls for and having them ready for when their moment calls out
I want to art journal every day in January, along with the fantastic Julie
I want to share more pages with you and stop getting tangled up over it (I'm seeing my word in action here...)
My art
I will start making books again, both blank journals and artist books
I will subscribe to the Blue Book and get signed up for some artist book fairs
I will finish the rest of the limited edition of Things which last a heartbeat or a lifetime
I will organise my Gocco station and start printing with it again - precious is wasted if it isn't treasured (and with art equipment, that means used, people, not just stroked)
I will continue my printmaking sketchbook
I will set up my inspiration books (inspired by Lotta Jansdotter's easy way with pocketed display books)
I will start carrying around a little sketchbook again (I've missed it)
Textile arts
I will finish knitting those blue socks
I will work on my Nova Scotia blanket so that it has the chance to be finished one day
I will do at least three pieces of experimental embellished felt work (again, the supplies are there - don't waste the precious!)
I will make a skirt
I will buy one other pattern and adapt it to my shape (because I know how to do that and I tend to forget that I do!)
I will use that beautiful sari silk yarn for something - probably a journal cover or binding
Finding my voice
I will blog more often, for me and for you (more for me)
I will experiment with instant photography and record the results in some orderly fashion
I will use my own images more in my journals
I will try and overcome the shyness that makes me risk losing new friendships out of fear
I want to show you my ridiculous collection of cameras
I will meditate most days
I will take charge of our home's personality again, poor neglected thing
I will be open
Which leads me to a story I've been struggling with whether or not and how to tell you. It's how a little tweeted comment shut me right down. It wasn't mean, it wasn't to me and it wasn't about me. But it touched a nerve, the way only the things that we judge harshly in ourselves can. It was about blogs doing one little word, and if the person who said it reads this, they may recognise it. If so, forgive me for bringing it up, it's not you, it's me (really!). It made me feel ashamed and twee and it took me a few days to turn it around and remember that a) I enjoy reading about people's words for the year and I don't think it's twee, so why feel embarrassed that I was doing it too and b) to paraphrase my last post, we can't be cool and clever in everyone's eyes, we're lucky if we can be cool or clever in our own, never mind anybody else's. Something similar happened several years ago when I met someone at a cool art event, and they asked me "aren't you a scrapbooker" in a friendly way, not a judgy way, and I squirmed and said "well, yeah, sometimes, kinda, a little, but not really". All kinds of stuff going on there, and I still feel a little ashamed that I responded like that.
All of which just shows how perfect my word for 2011 is for me: voice.
There are many reasons I chose it, and I will share those when I put up the first page from my One Little Word album, once my supplies come.
Thank you, Hanna for the inspiration and the headings!