Hello 2014! This is the year to COMMIT

Hello everyone,


First, let me wish you a Happy New Year! May your goals get accomplished and your wishes come true this year. 
Like many people, I'm not a big fan of setting resolutions that will get lost two weeks later. However, for the past 3 years, I've participated in ALi Edward's One Little Word adventure.  I find that choosing a word for a year really sets the tone for the year to come and you have the whole year to let it evolve, unfold, and surprise you. In 2011, my word was CHANGE, and man did I change that year. Last year, my word was HEAL. And I did, however in very unexpected ways. That word really led me where I had never thought I would go. This year, I decided to 


Over the years, I have found that the people I admire the most are those who can commit to their dreams and just work on them. Do the hard work. Sit down and get their hands dirty and show up for the work. I don't necessarily see the word COMMIT as only hard work, but more like a full dedication to something that is both important and meaningful. I have goals that will require years of hard work, but you can also commit to other things that require less "hard work", like building healthy routines (sleep, food, exercise…) and just commit to practice art or other forms of self-expression. 

ART is where I want to commit the most this year, because that's usually where procrastination sets in and where I flee the most. Why? Because it's where fear is. There's nothing academic about creating a piece of art and it's completely revolutionizing the way I usually relate to life and things in general. It both feels exciting and freaky. But this year, I really want to sit at my art desk and go through the fear & create. Every time I've done it in the past has been amazing (not necessarily the result, but the feeling). It also requires me to accept being a beginner, letting go of control, and perfection, hence the opening flower on the picture. I can kill quite a few birds with this stone, huh!

Last year, I registered to quite a few classes:
- Journal Your Life by Susannah Conway (by far, the best investment I've made in my life)
- Painting with your Muse by Petra Hansen-Adamidis (awesome class! A life-changer)
- Surrender, The Joy Up, and Spirits of Joy by Hannah Marcotti (made me discover the power of visioning, so very thankful!)
- Inside Out by Shannon Kinney (by far, the best class to open up to art journaling gently)
- 21 Secrets (an art journaling workshop by 21 different instructors)
- Her Story by Danielle Daniel (Learned a few things about drawing faces)
- Mondo Beyondo by Andrea Scher (so much fun to be allowed to dream like that)
- Writing in the Digital Age by Tammy Strobel (was a good class to take before Onward and  Upward)
- Onward and Upward by Amy T. Schubert (I still have a few lessons left, but it definitely helped me gain perspective and set goals)
- Self-Authoring (very powerful writing to make!)
- Winter Joy Retreat by Cigdem Kobu (as usual, Cigdem knows how to help us build momentum before the new year)
There were other mini-classes but that would be too long to mention everything.

Now that I've written the list, I committed to projects way more than I thought before writing this post! Overall, I've strengthened my writing skills, and eased into art journaling a bit, but I still feel too shy in that field. I registered to Life Book 2013 by Tamara Laporte last year, but was too scared to really plunge into it. But this needs to change.

This year, I've registered to the following, so far:
- Blogging from the Heart by Susannah Conway (well,  registered last year, but kept it for January onward)
- Life Book 2014 by T. Laporte
- Roots by Kristal Norton
- Root: a 30-Day Journal Project by Lisa Sonora Beam 
- Create.2014 by Karen Walrond
and One Little Word by Ali Edwards, as said earlier.

This year, I plan to write less than I did last year and create more art. I'm still a bit shy to share what I do here, but who knows, it might come sooner than I think… Of course, I don't plan to complete all these classes live, but I'll spread the lessons over the year, so I can grow organically. Anyway, I'm really excited about what 2014 has in store for me!

What are your plans for this year?

Sabrina S.

Comments

  1. I'm not one to do OLW, but I admire the one you've chosen for yourself. Good luck with all you commit to do in 2014.

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    1. Thank you Susanne! Have a nice happy new year full of scrapbooking!
      xoxo

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  2. Ooooh, that's a BIG word... I'll be interested to see how it unfolds throughout the year!
    Great list of courses - I'll have to check them out - thank you :)

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    1. Hi Claire, you definitely SHOULD! Some of these classes are really revolutionary. xoxo

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  3. I love this idea, Sabrina! You've inspired me to pick a word for my year too: PEACE. Whether it;s seeking it for myself or helping to create it in the world around me, I feel drawn to this word and the possibilities it holds. I can't wait to see the many and varied ways that I will encounter it in 2014.

    I am starting out the new year by taking a couple of online photography classes. It's been a love for a while and I'm excited to learn more. As the year moves on, I hope to travel and have a chance to try out my photography in new and exciting places. A trip to Europe would be a dream come true!

    May 2014 bring you much peace, joy and happiness as you practice the art of committing. I look forward to seeing more of your art this coming year. It's a courageous endeavor to create something and share it with others. Thank you for being both creative and brave -- it's inspiring!

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    1. Thank you Stephanie! Peace sounds like a great quest to embark on. I'm really happy to learn that you'll be taking photography classes. Yeah! I can't wait to see the result on Instagram! I wish you a lot of PEACE, exploration, joy, and happiness on this new year. And yes, a trip to Europe could definitely be a goal to work towards. Plus, you need to put your French into practice, right! ;-)
      xoxo

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