'Word of the Year' anyone?

And if it's a 'yes', what word have you chosen?

“Unless you open yourself up to trying new things, you can’t find what you love.”

Anon.

And being open to trying new things also, hopefully, helps you find what works for you…

Here I am, starting 2025 full of good intentions, trying to give journalling another go - is this my third, fourth or fifth attempt? “Try going about it in a different way ,” I said, “Get yourself a nice journal, some candles and start writing,” I said, treating myself to this Mini Moments Bundle from Quietivity.

How did I get on? Well, I’d evidently mixed up selecting the 20 minute and 30 minute candle burn time when ordering, because on lighting a candle that first morning, it burned on and on and on, and my writing became increasingly nonsensical!

Oh, I can’t be doing with that every day I thought - that’s far too long and causing far too much angst…and making my hand hurt!

I then heard about the 750words app/website - at the moment I’m on the free 30 day trial - so I thought, ‘Why not give that a go?’ 750words is like the online version of Julia Cameron’s morning pages whereby you would fill three sides of A4 paper with conscious/random writing.

Being digital there are a few more bells, whistles and confetti sprinkles than if you were just to write in a notebook, but strangely, I’m managing to stick with this. Admittedly I’ve only done it for 7 days, but seeing the boxes turn green, not wanting to break the chain, is a motivator for me!!

It’s about finding a way that works for you… We’re all different, we’re all motivated by different things and in different ways; it’s just about what works for you.

Will I stick with the journalling? Thirty days is probably long enough to see if it helps, which, at the moment, I think it does. After that, I will see if it’s something I want to pay a nominal sum for, or just continue in Notes/or a diary - but typing is definitely quicker that writing for me!

And being willing to try new things leads me nicely on to my “Word of the Year”, which, for 2025 I’ve decided is going to be OPENNESS; open to trying new things, open to possibilities, open to saying yes. I’m going to write the word out and pin up in my studio, as well as schedule a monthly check-in to see whether my art/business/life focus is aligned to the spirit of being open.

Do you choose a word of the year, and if so, what is it? If you haven’t chosen one yet, perhaps you’re struggling to settle on one, then this post by Emily Charlotte Powell on her “While I Was Drawing” Substack might interest you; the knowledge that choosing a word doesn’t mean loud fanfares and fireworks - it can creep up on you…

Fragments of Wonder

Do you want to see what I was lucky enough to receive as Christmas gifts?

Here’s the links:

https://www.jacksonsart.com/etchr-panoramic-sketchbook-230gsm-4x8in-hot-pressed

https://www.jacksonsart.com/diane-townsend-artists-pastels-soft-form-damp-earth-set-of-12

https://www.jacksonsart.com/gelli-plate-gel-printing-plate-12x14in

I’ll let you know how I get on with the sketchbook and pastels, and as I said in the video, if you have any tips about gelli plate printing, drop them in the comments below…

The sun is yet to rise high in the sky. The fields are wet and muddy. The wind whips my hair across my face and brings tears to my eyes, but… The crows are cawing ever louder in their tree-top roosts, blackbirds are scurrying hither and thither on the path, gathering materials for making nests. Snowdrops are blooming in a nearby garden, and signs of more flowers to come are everywhere as bulbs rouse from their slumber. Nature is doing what nature does best; reminding us that from darkness, light will come. From apparent barrenness, shoots emerge. From winter’s stark beauty, abundance will flourish.

I walk through the gate, open to the possibilities of what lies beyond…

“When you become comfortable with uncertainty, infinite possibilities open up in your life.”

Eckhart Tolle

Until next time, happy painting!

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