Do You Make Resolutions or Intentions?

Although I celebrate New Year’s Eve and toast the New Year, I actually begin my celebration on Solstice – Darkest Night.  

That’s when I light candles in each room and on my small altar.  It is also when I choose my One Word – that one word that will inform my intentions for the year.  My 2015 One Word is: TransForm. Below is my mini poster for fridge, desk and wallet

Solstice is also when I consider and pen my intentions (not resolutions) for the lengthening of days that lead to Spring and earth’s rebirth.  I’m not going to begin them all on day one, but slowing work my way month by month through the 25 items on my 2015 Intention’s ToDo List.

1. I intend to stock my Etsy Store this year.  So when an artist friend in Sacramento challenged me to join in the 30 paintings in 30 days January Challenge,  I’ll finally stock my Etsy on-line store this year.
2. I intend to stick to my morning pages (read Julia Cameron’s Artist’s Way). I’ve been diligently doing since Solstice. 
3. I intend to keep up my Blog more consistently than I have this past year.  With this post being my first of 2015, I plan on posting at least 2 if not 3 days a week.

More to come – Happy 2015 y’all.

Have you jumped on the 'OneWord' BandWagon?

I jumped on the ‘One Word’ bandwagon thinking it would be easier than making a list of New Year’s Resolutions.  Well, it is not.  Choosing the word was a piece of cake; but living it remains to be seen.

My One Word is ‘Create’.  I’m an artist and a writer and a photographer, so it seemed a logical choice, until I realized that those things are not all I create.

By my every action, deed and word I create my home, my life, my opinions, my relationships, my health and so much more.  I create these things based on the actions I take, the friendships I make a myriad of things I’ve not identified yet.

Therein lies the difficult part – where to begin.  I’ll be pondering and/or meditating on that over the weekend.  What is the ideal life I want to create and what are the steps to the top of that stair.

More later.

Did you choose “One Word” for 2014?

Watching the Today Show on January 1, I was fascinated to find an author, Jon Gordon, touting an alternative to the New Year’s resolutions that I, along with many others, annually make and rarely keep.

Although you can buy his book at Amazon (I haven’t yet, but might later), he explained his ‘one word’ premise – I’ve inserted a link to a free copy of a worksheet (not the book) that will help you choose your one word and get on with your new year.  He also encourages us to make our own “One Word” poster.

I chose CREATE as my one word for 2014. 

Definition:Bring something into existence, produce, generate, make, fabricate, fashion, build, construct, establish, initiate, launch, develop…

I like this new approach to a new year more than making a lengthy resolutions.  Rather than resurrecting that old list of Must Dos and Must Don’ts, that hasn't changed much in many years, I chose one word, an active verb, that encourages me to Create the life I want in 2014.  The possibilities are endless.

Although Gordon encourages us to make our poster from his website's free downloadable templates, I made my own using using PowerPoint and a sunrise photo I took a few years back that I am particularly fond of.

It will be in the center of the 2014 Vision Board I’m working on this week.

The Book: