Hello friends,
Happy New Year!
Who knows what this year will hold? After the past couple years of pandemic life, we’ve all learned to be more than a little skeptical about making plans for the future. As someone who loves to plan and prepare, that has been super challenging for me. But I inadvertently asked for it when I set my intentions for 2021.
As you may know, I have a tradition of choosing a word every January to clarify my intentions for the year ahead. I have been doing this for many years now (“Trust” for 2012, “Alive” for 2013, “Fly” for 2014, “Space” for 2015, “Thrive” in 2016, “Awakening” for 2017, “Devoted to Intuition” for 2018, “SOAR” for 2019, “Quality” for 2020, and “Receive” for 2021). Last year I wanted to focus on staying open, being flexible, and looking for the opportunities in the darkness. I did my best to stay open to receive the opportunities that came up - even when they arrived veiled in discomfort or challenge.
For me, fluidity and flexibility have been the name of the receiving game. Turns out, these are not my strengths. They are not even close. They are big fat challenges for me. So leaning into the unknown constantly has felt really, really uncomfortable. Thank you, universe, for giving me so many opportunities to receive! (Previous statement to be read dripping with sarcasm.)
Moral of the story: be careful what you ask for.
So, when I sat down to choose my word for 2022, I quietly asked the universe to bring forward the word that would best set the intention for the year ahead. And I’m not sure if the universe is mocking me, but the word that came forward was…
CLARITY.
So, there it is. Clarity is my word for 2022. I am craving it. Not necessarily just with regard to the future, but in many different ways. With everything being turned on its head over the past couple years, it’s easy to feel uncertain about the path you are taking in all aspects of life – family, business, relationships, spirit – all of it. So this year, I am inviting in more clarity.
And just to be completely clear with you, Universe let me say this: while I know clarity can come from life-threatening events, I lovingly invite clarity that comes from me and my family staying safe, healthy, and grounded. Thank you.
When I think about finding clarity, I think about connecting with my authenticity – my intuition. And there are some tricks that I know to help myself get there. I know I need space – in my schedule and my mind so I can get quiet enough to listen. Making things with my hands lets my mind get quiet and gives my heart a chance to speak up. I know that spending time in nature or moving my body every day is critical. And time with my girlfriends talking and processing brings me clarity and fills my heart with love. These are the places where I start.
So what does that look like for how I will serve you? I want to get clear on where I can be of service in my most authentic way. I will be paring down my offerings to get to the heart of my most valuable gifts.
Here are a few of the projects I am working on manifesting:
- New art -designed to remind us of the gifts we have – Available NOW!
- Children’s books! This has long been a dream of mine and it is finally coming to fruition! Hoping to see my first book illustrations in print this fall!
- Summer camps for kids – just two weeks this summer! But they will be in person and super special!
- Adult classes – focused on fostering creativity and connection. There will be fewer of them, but more focused and meaningful!
- Selling originals and doing a few shows in person again this year!
- Expanding my reach through collaborations with like-minded people and organizations.
- And of course, staying open and receptive to the opportunities that present themselves through connections with people like you!
Thank you so much for following along on my creative journey. I wish you a year full of healing, inspiration, and powerful restoration! If you hold any ceremony or tradition around the new year, please share in the comments below.
PS: As often happens this time of year, I am writing this as we approach Martin Luther King Jr. day. Over the past several years, I have gained some clarity the racial injustice that is rampant in our country and my privilege, upbringing, and denial. This is the kind of clarity that I am so grateful for and welcome more of in the year ahead. I want to face this with clear eyes. I am committed to gaining more clarity so that I can make choices and actions that start to correct this wrong.