A fresh start and waayyy too many challenges
What?
Another January challenge…what am I thinking?
There’s the daily small stones challenge, Khara’s love my blog challenge, the Apartment Therapy January cure challenge, and now the lovely people at Folk Magazine have issued a weekly journal entry challenge.
Oh well, I must remember I don’t have much in the way of disciplined thoughts in my butterfly brain, and so refuse to feel undone if I give up on a challenge or if I handle things in my own time…so…in the wonderful spirit of “my way or the highway”… 🙂 (in the nicest possible way)…here goes:
The first Folk Magazine journal weekly entry:
Week 1: reflect on lessons learned in 2012
Ha, I can’t do it all…big, BIG lesson learned! I can’t be the best mother while switching countries several times/year, I can’t develop as an artist without painting/sketching several hundred canvases per year, I can’t develop as a writer without writing pages and pages, I can’t be happier while keeping toxic people in my life and giving up on doing things I love for lack of time…well, you get the picture.
Last year I decided to stop running out of time and start running into it instead, but I really thought I would be much further ahead right now with certain projects. The reason I’m not is the same reason why I still can’t play the piano…(something I’ve wanted to learn for about five years now)…it’s because I haven’t taken the time to do it.
So what to do about it?
Art: Get into that studio and paint! And, maybe by sharing with all of you lovelies a new sense of well-being and community spirit will develop.
To that end I want to finally finish opening that Etsy store, have give-aways here and get more art “out there”. Veronica’s OUT THERE art. I love it.
Writing: Well there we go…it all goes hand in hand, doesn’t it? I mean Sophie Storm isn’t going to get written without the images and the epistolary concept isn’t going to form out of thin air, so a daily amount of minutes dedicated to the story and art work is in order, but I probably already have enough images for The 10 Mile Project and just need to get over the “not good enough” hurdle. So wading thru the photo files and committing some to 10 Mile and weeding out the rest is also in order.
Photography: Yes…do more! Somedays, when I have my “I’m useless” head on, photography is the cure.
Skate: Yes, skate more. Figure skating for 14 years and then stopping physically doesn’t mean my heart stopped skating. So I will skate more. Skate at the cabin on the frozen pond this winter, skate at the public skating rinks, put on the in-line skates when the ice melts. Let my feet keep skating along with my heart.
Toxic people: Oh god…absolutely no idea here, so probably going to take it slowly and one baby step at a time, but protecting myself from toxicity is definitely at the top of my list and actively seeking out new and lovelier friends is a BIG goal for 2013.
This little ephemeral space: ??? Hmm, have to figure it out. I’d love, LOVE more interactions with all you who stop by. Won’t you come say hello so I can get to know you? I’d like to develop more how-to posts, especially creative, doing, crafts, art posts. I’d like to re-develop my creativity course into an on-line project, an e-course, and offer it free to anyone who would like to take it. And mostly I’d love to keep finding wonderful like-minded people to correspond with. What do you think my lovely friends? Would you like more of something?
Linking to Folk Magazine
Jeannine Bergers Everett
This morning I could use more coffee 🙂 All joking aside, this is my year of less. Less fractured, less stressed, less chaos. Creating space for new things to grow. Can’t wait what you come up with!
Veronica
Jeannine, less is so much better! Your whole comment is absolutely inspiring, (except for the coffee; I don’t do coffee, but a Venti Sbux chai latte isn’t out of the question). 😉
Gerry Wilson Wilson
I was just sitting here thinking about writing an anti-resolution post or an anti-challenge post! All that energy, all that planning, all that creativity! Where does it come from? Our last holiday guests left yesterday, and I’m doing laundry. The Christmas decorations need to be packed away. I have manuscripts for a workshop to read. So thanks for this post about doing what you can, when you can, and making time for what’s most important. Maybe I will write that post after all, but I won’t be curmudgeonly about it! And I wish you would bring your creativity project to the blog; I’d love to see that!
Veronica
Write it Gerry, I love it! I was just grumbling about the Christmas deckies too. Get out the boxes, pack it up, clean up the mess, then, a few days later, do that all over again in Vancouver! Flowers help. I always buy a nice fresh bunch of flowers and then clean up around them. I’m thinking tulips plus pussy willows. 🙂
Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm
“I can’t be happier while keeping toxic people in my life”…a great goal for all of us! Some may construe it as mean but I don’t keep toxic people in my life; they aren’t welcome and after a while, they get the idea and move on. Generally, after spreading lies and meanness about me but that’s their baggage to carry, not mine. After a while, all that horrible baggage will weigh them down so much, they can’t see me for the distance separating us as I forge ahead.
Oh yay!
Veronica
Hello, hello Sandra! 🙂 Thank you so much for saying hello. I completely agree with you and see your good point. The eventual murmur will dissapear and the empty space caused in my life by the removal of the toxic person from it will fill with peace and happiness. I’m so glad you’ve left your site addy because now I can hop over and meet you.
Becca
Hello, Veronica!!
What a lovely post! There are too many things I’d like to improve upon in the coming year. But I love your way of thinking: “can’t do it all!” I need to keep that in mind more often. Jeannine is right. I’ll do what I can and leave room to grow.
I ‘d love, LOVE, to correspond more with you and I definitely want to see more of Veronica’s “out there” art. 😉
Becca <3
Veronica
Nice Becca, thank you for the encouragement. Leaving room to grow…that’s starting to sound like the moto of 2013! 🙂
Sherry Smyth
I can`t do it all — the sentence that will hopefully set you free! More importantly there`s no need to do it all. Focusing on the most important things in your world is the wise way to move forward. And toxic people? As hard as it was, I managed to let those people go a few years ago and it was the best move I could make. Once you start saying “no” for the right reasons, it simply becomes easier and easier. Here is to you finding the way to have what you need and what you want in 2013!
Veronica
Hello Sherry, my new Canadian friend. 🙂 Thank you for leaving me the addy to your site. Goodness what a snow adventure you’ve had! I’m glad you were able to get rid of all the toxic people in your life; I’m really looking forward to doing that as well.
Sara v
All very good things to do. Especially getting rid of toxic people. Took me a long time to figure that out. Also, have to give yourself permission to do all those things. Can’t take credit for that one, it’s from “The Artist’s Way” 🙂 And a lot of forgiveness when you aren’t as far as you think you should be…I’m amazed at all you do, the art, photography, daily blogging-way more than I can do–you might be further along than you think 🙂 Happy thoughts to think of you skating! Enjoy!!
Veronica
Sara, I love The Artist’s Way, it’s a brilliant book. Haven’t re-read thru it for a couple of years now. Maybe that should be a goal for January. 🙂
Penny
It’s always great to have goals, as long as you don’t get too down on yourself for not achieving all of them. Because as you say, you can’t do it all! x
Veronica
Oh so true Penny. How’s the weather for you? I understand it’s supposed to be really hot just now. x
DogsMom
I am very glad you linked up to Folk. It gave me a chance to come visit again. My goal is to make better use of my time. Trouble is, I think I need hourly reminders.
Veronica
Hello Laura (Dog’s Mom) Isn’t the Folk link-up great? I’m having a lot of fun meeting people. Making better use of time is a good one! Maybe there’s an ap for that…lol. Thank you so much for visiting and leaving your web site addy. Now I can go visit you. 🙂
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