My Word of the Year~2011 & 2012~Create

 I have enjoyed reading the many blog posts out there about choosing a word of the year for inspiration and motivation in 2012.  It is a welcome new take on the good old fashioned challenge of making (and keeping) New Year's resolutions.  It also encourages us to look within ourselves to figure out exactly what it will take to create positive change in our own individual lives.  "Get organized, eat less, exercise more, take time to give back" are on just about everyones list and almost too generic and overwhelming to create lasting change.  I didn't "pick" a word last year but, as I look back on 2011, I realize my word was "create" and it came out of a process of renewal and change in my life that was long overdue.

As I settled into my 40's, I felt that something was "missing" in my life and couldn't quite put my finger on it.  Life was full with my kids, family, friends and an accumulation of volunteer commitments I had found over the years to keep me busy.  I had found the "me" time that mothers are told to hold onto so we can keep the balance in our lives.  My volunteering was my "me" time and was very rewarding.  Organizing events and raising my hand to do the jobs no one else finds appealing come easily to me and I enjoy being busy.  But, I really needed to slow down and evaluate if I was really fulfilled by my "me" time, or just keeping busy.

I was working on projects that required creative thinking, but I really missed the good old fashioned art of creating with your mind AND your hands.  I realized that, as a creative person, I needed to make more time in my life for actually creating in order to be happy.  For years, I  had spent time in craft and fabric stores, admired projects in magazines and online, yet never made the time to create anything of my own.  The years passed quickly, and the extent of my creative time had evolved into knitting on vacations and making my kids Halloween costumes.  In the Fall of 2011 I made a conscious decision to make more creative time for myself.  I cleared space, got my sewing machine out of the closet and made time to create.

 I surrounded myself with the things I had accumulated over the years like vintage linens, pages ripped from magazines and craft supplies.  And then I made stuff!  It was fun, challenging (nothing ever turns out the way you want it the first time) and the "me" time that I was able to squeeze in while keeping life going for my family, now gave me the balance I needed.



I am going to hold on to "create" as my word for 2012.  I still need to work on making this a priority in my life.  But, I am going to expand on my need to physically create something with my hands and mind and layer on the challenge to "create happiness" in my life.  Life gets busy and it is easy to pass over everyday opportunities to stop and appreciate the little things.  I am going to follow the lead of my five year old, who greets each day with a smile and sees every moment as an opportunity for happiness and fun.