one little word part 1

Create an ideal story of your future 
and tell it over and over again 
Danielle LaPorte 

I know, I know ... you're thinking well, d-u-h ?!? Seems like such an obvious word for an artist, illustrator, designer, photographer, blogger, maker-of-things - whatever it is that I am.

I've been doing this one little word thing for 4 years (I think) counting this new year. My first ever word was can a few years back when I'd decided to have a serious go at doing my own thing - my own art & illustration after being a designer of other people's visions for many, many years. I had a blog, I had an Etsy shop - I needed a word to help me make things happen. A simple reminder to myself that YES I can do this, I can do anything I want to do - turns out I was right.

In 2013 my word was ease. A word I had hoped would shelter & protect me from the big, bad  feelings of overwhelmedness that seemed to cling to me all the time. Growing a creative business, like growing any business, is challenging, there are many components and considerations aside from what should be the main one - being creative and you are the team, the boss, the employees, the advisors, etc. By the end of that year my word ease felt like a bad joke, that it's primary purpose the entire 365 days was to remind me how much dis ease I had in my life. 2013 was one of the most difficult years on record so that one little word ended up being a kind of reverse-psychology word, a lesson instead of a gift ... or maybe it was the gift of a lesson. A big lump of coal that eventually morphs into a diamond.

Every thought we think is creating our future Louise Hay

Last year after the hellish year of dis-ease I chose the word faith. I'll admit it was my white flag word. I give up I was saying, sort of ... not completely (because I would never do that) but I'd decided to try and wrap my mind around believing, having faith, that shit happens for a reason. So for 2014 I felt prepared, I had faith on my side so I could handle it all ... bring on les shit. Well of course, you know the end of this story. The sun came out, the rainbows appeared and all the shit rode off into the sunset. Good things arrived, followed by more good things and then even more good things. Hmmmm ... I can't help but wonder if that word faith might have been helping me to see things in a better light. All in all faith was very good for me and I've added it to my everyday toolkit.

This year I want to create in a bigger, broader, bolder & braver way than I have ever created in my life. Over the past few years, in the time I've been writing this blog and especially the last 4 years I've built a really solid foundation for my life & my future. In fact not only is there a foundation but the framing is up ... it's a solid blank structure waiting for me to create everything I've ever wanted. This year's word is all about the royal create, the big create. It's about applying the spirit of creating to all aspects of my life & of course especially to my creative business/life.

In the 4 years that I've been choosing a word for each year I've never felt this excited about my word.

It always seems impossible until it's done 
Nelson Mandela