let there be light

2016 has come (and almost gone) and I took my time to make myself at home in this new year. I've been savouring time and gathering my thoughts, slowly, not rushing through minutes so the hours fly past at light speed. And that is my first goal of 2016 – slow down and enjoy life.

At the end of last year, I walked around in circles – possibly literally – wanting to find a creative project for 2016. I felt uncreative, unmotivated, and quite frankly bored and was hoping a creative project would make it all better. Turns out, feeling all those things is the reason I end up not being creative and there's no number of creative projects which will cure that!

When I read my goals for last year I realised I was exactly where I am now, a full year back!, minus the insight into the reasons. No wonder none of those goals were achieved (apart from the 365 photo project, pat on the back). 

**insert lightbulb moment here**

Why do I have this impression I can't be creative for love or money? Why am I so unmotivated? Or bored?
Yes, why Joey?

Burnout. Time management. Clutter and mess. 

There, I said it. 
Seeing it like that, in writing – the new set in stone – already feels liberating. And healing. 

Burnout. I've simply had too much on for far too long. And that wasn't helped by the fact that I refused to admit it and therefore pushed through will all.the.things I wanted to do. What a totally unrealistic approach to life! 

Solution: Take a step back. Chill. Have a truly relaxing break. Regroup. Define new priorities.

Time management. We're into that annoying snowball effect. Too much on, failing to admit it, continue as normal trying to do way more than hours of the day allow, failing, repeat. I'm laughing now, how on earth did that make sense at all, ever? 

Solution: Take a step back. Be realistic with what fits in a day. Move on.

Clutter and mess. Ah well, yes, we all know what the solution is.

Solution: Physical clutter needs decluttering. I'm on it. Today, evidently not this minute, but close enough. Mental clutter, see above. 

And this brings me to…

 

LIGHT.
my one little word for 2016.

I had one little word in 2013 and in 2014. I chose change and choose then and both had a depth I couldn't have foreseen. Whilst I enjoyed the focus of having a little word, by 2015 I had had enough of the weight the word ended up carrying. 

In 2016, I'm bringing the one little word back, because this word found me. Seriously. Like knock on my (metaphorically speaking) door and make itself at home. My one little word for 2016 is LIGHT. 

Light represents my approach to life in 2016.

I want to take a lighter approach to things this year.
I want to be lighter this year, both inside and out (bank account excluded).
I also want to see the light, whatever that means as long as it's a good thing.

 

Blimey, writing really brings healing – I already feel lighter about everything. Yep, everything! 
Now on to decluttering followed by extreme use of my awesome Creativity notebook, the perfect Christmas present!

 

Photos: all mine. all on iPhone 6. First two of my glorious hometown of Porto. Last one is a view through our backdoor at a spectacular fiery winter morning in Oxford.