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It seems impossible that it was exactly two years ago that I last met with my various writer's groups, weekly drawing classes, and my illustration groups. Two years! Since then I've done everything in my power to believe the situation was only temporary and that one day we would all go "back to normal."
Today I realized I won't be doing that any more. And that's not such a bad thing. In fact, it's fantastic!
Moving away from my hopes and dreams for "normal" means that I can be open to change and new beginnings. Best of all, I can do it my way without fear of getting it wrong. In other words, I can experiment. Hanging on to "normal" means being stuck. This year I want to run with scissors.
At the same time, I do want to put my scissors to good use, cutting out a new path of possibility and creative endeavor. Some of the projects I'd like to work on this year with a renewed sense of joy are:
1. Update my website to include my beaded jewelry for sale.
2. Publish The Abyssal Plain.
3. Submit my novel, Ghazal, and my novella, The Seaweed Collector, for publication.
4. Finish the first draft of one new manuscript (not entirely sure yet which one this will be).
5. Continue painting and drawing, but with more focus on working within a specific series. (More about this in my next post.)
6. And of course, continuing with this blog.
2022 is going to be my year of
optimism with no looking back. I'm letting
go of both the good and the bad experiences from the last twenty-four months and I'm looking forward to the future, whatever it brings.
Tip of the Day: Vision boards have always been my go-to way of establishing my goals and plans for any given year. For 2022, however, I want to change things around a bit. Instead of putting together a vision board, I'm going for a vision quest. Rather than searching out a dozen or so magazine cut-outs to represent or symbolize things I already want, I'm going to let the images search for me. I want to discover things I had no idea I wanted or that even existed.
Starting with a blank journal, every time I come across a magazine photograph, headline, or article that speaks to me for even the most trivial or surprising of reasons, I'll cut it out and paste it on a page. I'll let the journal develop like a mysterious road map inviting me into unexplored, but much-needed territory. I can't wait to see what happens--I can't wait to see where I go. Happy New Year, everyone!
4 comments:
I think finding a path is something we all need to do at this point, and I love the photo you used for your post. It's just the sort of snowy path I'd like to walk down! Your ideas for moving on are great, and I was happy to read your post. Normal is overrated! Happy New Year to you and your readers!
There is a group you can join for less than $50 and receive hours and hours of conference material by everyone from Jung, who started the group 70+ years ago, to a guy I met who did the 8 directions of vision quests. https://www.fcrp-quaker.org/ The group began with the darkest times during WWII. Friends Conference on Religion and Psychology
Inspiring inner journeys for change in the world....
I went to the conference 4 times. I met Alan Briskin and Mary Hopkins (not the singer which sounds similar).
I quit going because they never saw me as someone they could use, and that is a problem. I wrote a murder mystery before the real murder. I am educated and ordained and trained for crisis intervention. Do you see a problem? I do. People don't know a prophet when they see it. They knew me after 4 years. I remember the chairwoman's mouth dropping open when she first heard me sing. I made all A's in voice in grad and undergrad. If you do decide to listen to these people, the man you will look for is after Alan Briskin. I will be joining after my birthday, I hope! I was tested for Covid on Tuesday. I have been sick since Sunday.
Oh, Valerie, it is supposed to snow in Atlanta area on Sunday. We have 2 shovels. One is a sort of plow with no lifting, and the other is a large shovel we have used for horse manure in the past! Stay warm, and look for the article on Benadryl and lactoferrin! (Milk) and the University of Florida study that these help stop replication of Covid by 99%.
Happy 2022 ~~!!
Lovely to read yet another inspiring blog post and as always to find you inventive and positive and creative!
Lots of love
Pam
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