CREATING YOUR OWN 2020 VISION

Hey my sweets, welcome to my last blog post of the year! Wait...WHAT??? Already closing the 2019 chapter to start a new one for 2020...where did the time go? I swear 2019 felt as if it went by like a blink of the eye. 

Last December  I wrote a post about my guiding "Word of the Year"  and I picked "FULFILLED" which means  to be satisfied or happy because of fully developing one's abilities or character - to do what is required by (something, such as a promise or a contract) : to succeed in doing or providing (something) : to succeed in achieving (something) : to make (something, such as a dream) true or real. 

As an artist, I can say that I've been blessed over the years with projects that made me feel fulfilled, projects that exceeded my expectations and were above and beyond my wildest dreams starting with the book deal I signed a couple years ago with Page Street Publishing Co. and is now thanks to you a Best Selling Title in the "DIY/Craft" category. 

And how about my beautiful paper Gardenias featured on the 2019 Canada Post Flower Series Stamps which by the way won GOLD in the Print Materials at the SUMMIT CREATIVE AWARD - Other category! (This is an international competition and this year they had over 4,500 submissions from 27 countries! Only 11% of submissions earned recognition. Kind of a big deal!)

I had the pleasure to have a part in the MADE/NOUS Movement at this year Gala Prix Gémeaux by designing a special paper flower: the emblem to highlight and celebrate Canada’s wealth of creative talent. I produced 3000 paper flower corsages for the artists to wear during the gala. MADE | NOUS that celebrates the works of Canadian creators in film, television, video games and digital entertainment, both here and around the world. It's here to shine a spotlight on the achievements of Canadians who bring exceptional stories to life, and encourage audiences to discover and celebrate their work.

I also had the honor to be apart of the @hhcmoncton Happy Hour Club Faces Features for the 1st Happy Hour Club - Moncton event last September - a unique event for women in Moncton to make connections, be inspired, & enjoy happy hour(s)!  

How about  when I was the world famous tea brand Harney & Sons official "Teafluencer" for the whole month of October!? (read the full interview on their blog here)

Looking back, as an artist I think the word "FULFILLED" was reflected throughout the year but as a person,  I only fully grasped it's full meaning recently....Let me explain...

For a while now I keep stumbling upon posts about this new trend called  "self care/challenge/checklist" - why would you need a self-care checklist to start with? - of course you'll  often see these posts accompanied by stunning photographs of your favorite "influencer(s)" in perfect settings like at the spa or at a little café indulging a fancy dessert or outdoor by a lake with a book...

I have nothing against this self-care-awareness-trend-whatever-you-want-to-call-it ...It's more the idea behind it that troubles me...I recently came across a short but  powerful read about this very subject and one phrase stood out to me: 

"A world in which self-care has to be such a trendy topic is a world that is sick. Self-care should not be something we resort to because we are so absolutely exhausted that we need some reprieve from our own relentless internal pressure. 

True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from. (...) It is becoming the person you know you want and are meant to be. Someone who knows that salt baths and chocolate cake are ways to enjoy life – not escape from it.”

-Brianna Wiest

Wow! Right!?

To built a life you don't need an escape from. Now...That's food for thoughts don't you think?  It's because of this very realization that I now feel completely FULFILLED. I'm feeling whole again and in charge and that is why for 2020 my guiding word of the year - the word that encapsulates what I need more of, what I want to focus on, or what I need to improve on is:

BLOOM (noun): is a beautiful process of becoming -We evolve once we stop holding on to the many petals of our past selves, learning to open ourselves up and wholly embrace our tender magnificence.

BLOOM also means: 

"to mature into achievement of one's potential"

"to become more apparent or fully expressed"

"to appear or occur unexpectedly or in remarkable quantity or degree"

BLOOM because your life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change. BLOOM because personal growth is not only about reading and listening to advice, it’s also a LOT about taking action. BLOOM is about the desire of becoming a better version of ourself on all fronts. It’s about improving our habits, behaviors, actions and reactions. For example, for me especially, it's overcoming procrastination, changing my mindset and learning how to deal with my emotions.

Don’t wait for the perfect moment, the first of the month or the new year. You can start blooming at any moment. Don’t postpone the changes you want to make. Just start!

With that said...I'm ready to Live Life In Full BLOOM!!! 

And YOU? 

P.S. The handmade Paper Dahlia featured in this post are available here