Creative Goals

Happy New Year! It has been almost 5 years since I last wrote on this blog and a lot has changed in that time. I am now a mum to two little boys with bags of energy. My days spent travelling, cooking and sewing in France in 2015 feel a long time ago. 

I haven't had much time over the last few years to be creative but in 2018 on maternity leave with my youngest son I started a year long creative writing course by author Emylia Hall and the joy of writing and being creative and doing something just for myself because I enjoy it, came flooding back. Those fortnightly sessions were the highlight of my maternity leave (other than the cuddles with my gorgeous son, obviously!) and even when they stopped prematurely thanks to covid, I tried to find time to write whenever I could. The brief time to myself, being able to write and make some sort of sense of my thoughts in a very strange year, was very important especially when I was furloughed and nursery closed. It reminded me that I love experimenting, putting things together and trying to create something beautiful, whether that is with material, paint or words. Often they don't work and the finished articles are never perfect but the process makes me happy. 

I have been following Elise Joy on her blog and Instagram for a long time now and have found her willingness to try new crafts and learn as she goes really inspirational. Her book Big Dreams, Daily Joys was one of the many books I read on my kindle this year while trying to get my youngest boy to sleep (still a work in progress!), and the big thing I took from it was set a goal, break it down into smaller tasks and then start. Don't overcomplicate it.  

Next year feels like a fresh start but as we're all aware the pandemic isn't over and things won't be back to normal for some time. I think I need something to focus on that I can do at home, which is about the here and now, not dreaming about meeting family and friends or going on holiday. Something practical where I can see I am creating something tangible. Like Elise, I love goals. I like to have something to aim for and I enjoy seeing the fruits of my labour. 

So in 2021, I am going to do a different creative 'thing' each month. These will not always be new to me but they will all be different to each other. I have a list of things I would like to try but these might change as the year goes on. They will range from sewing to painting to writing. I am hoping that after a year of 12 different creative pursuits I will have a better idea of what I enjoy the most and I will have had fun and most importantly kept myself from frantically scrolling news updates. 

I plan to write at least a monthly update of what I've been up to and what finished product I have managed to create. Here's to a more creative and joyful 2021!