Welcome back after a bit of a winter break! We hope you are beginning this new year with some excitement about creative possibilities that will occur throughout the year and preparing your head and heart to be ready when those possibilities present themselves !
As winter days and the New Year begin to open up, we may feel an impetus to start something new or reclaim an activity we’ve set aside for awhile. That niggling voice of creativity is always with us! Something new may emerge as the sun lengthens the days and warms our hearts. We’ve had several months of darker, shorter days for reflection and contemplation- what now?
What’s your style for starting something new? Some of us jump right in, like doing a cannon ball into the pool; others are more comfortable with dipping a toe in the water first! Our book offers lots of helpful tips about this.
One of the most important is setting aside the time for exploration. There is an exercise on page 93 called, “Pencil Me In” that is invaluable. You are asked to lay out your calendar for the year, pencil in the commitments you’ve already made, and then take a hard look. Is there enough open space for you to do some reconnaissance or learn something new? Anything you’re ready to eliminate? Whether we start a project fast or slow, we inevitably run into the issues of time and resources. It is often hard to allow time for something new – what if it doesn’t work out, what if I’m a failure at it, what if I don’t like it after all? There is no failure – just learning!
When you’ve allowed yourself some time, then look at the resources required. This is not just about money –it may also mean a change in space, tools, equipment, supplies or travel. Perhaps your New Years Resolution can include granting yourself some time and resources for exploration and joy!
Ask yourself-
What’s stirring around inside me right now?
Am I curious enough to open up to it?
Am I a cautious explorer or “all in” starter?
What time and resources might be required for exploration?
Whatever your style, enjoy the delight of a new year that will unfold before you, and how you choose to live it!
Patty & Suzanne