It was a deeply meaningful year, full of insights, truths, and watching a beautiful boy named True grow. It was also a significant year in business, too - an entrepreneurial playground where some of life's biggest lessons come to play. I have learned so much this year...
My word for 2012 was innovate. Of course, innovate became innervate as I wrote about last week. I will never forget the power of one little word (thank you, Ali, for birthing this brilliant concept!) Before letting you go, 2012, I wanted to answer a couple of more questions that my dear friend Andrea Scher introduced me to many years ago. I also want to feature a few of your highlights and lowlights.
1. What do you want to acknowledge yourself for in regard to 2012? (What did you create? What challenges did you face with courage and strength? What promises did you keep to yourself? What brave choices did you make? What are you proud of?)
Mostly, I want to acknowledge the courage that it took (and is still taking) to not only look inward, but to travel inward, down into the belly of brokenness, where feelings feel a little bit scary, and a lot a bit uncertain. I want to acknowledge all the places where vulnerability met courage along the way, where mini celebrations were plenty, and where new ways of journeying were paved. I am proud of the soul work I've done in my personal life, my marriage life, and how both have deepened my awakening to life. I am proud of all the ways I have stayed committed to balance between mama life and work life, always allowing myself to lean into the desire to be with True and my family above anything else. I am proud of letting the creative journey frustrations come and go, and ultimately trusting (letting go) that it would all unfold just as it should. I am proud of the partnerships I made in business, that my work continues to reach people. I'm proud that I made the decision to get a studio outside of my home, a decision that proved to be a smart move in the department of boundary creation. I love that I am doing what I love, and that new seasons of growth feel straight ahead. I'm also proud of all the realization that it's time for radical support, and that creating that in my life is 100% okay, even if 100% unconventional. I am crazy proud of my connection to my motherhood journey. It has been transformational in every way.
2. What is there to grieve about 2012? (What was disappointing? What was scary? What was hard? What can you forgive yourself for?)
In previous years I tend to grieve being too hard on myself, or not having enough balance, but this year feels different. I look at 2012 and am incredibly grateful for the deepening and the awakening, and the permission I gave myself to just be in it. All in. That said, I forgive myself for not recognizing sooner the inner work I needed to do. I forgive myself for all the times when I could have treated my body better. I forgive myself for the countless times when I missed or forgot or spaced or was late. And for all the times I came to a thought that was based in fear vs abundance. It happens :)
3. What else do you need to say about the year to declare it complete? The next step is to say out loud, "I declare 2012 complete!" How do you feel? If you don't feel quite right, there might be one more thing to say...
I just want to say thank you for being the year when I got my big break in breaking open. Major freedom and truth and clarity and joy. 2012, I declare you complete!
Some highlights and lowlights include...
- Admitted that the creative life is a lot like having a boyfriend. Sometimes it drive you nuts and sometimes it's all rainbows and unicorns (the best)
- Watched hundreds of iPhone videos like this one and this one of True and marveled at the sweet and tender adventure of motherhood, over, and over.
- Watched hundreds of iPhone videos like this one and this one of True and marveled at the sweet and tender adventure of motherhood, over, and over.
- Got a brand spankin new logo!
- Lots of house projects, including building a wall of bookshelves in our dining room, a plate wall in the kitchen, and happily rearranged the living room once, or twice.
- Took the leap and moved into a big, new beautiful studio space outside of my home. It changed everything.
- Realized that our dreams don't belong to us, really. They belong to the world.
- Was featured in lots of kind press and launched a few happy blog projects.
- Wrote my favorite blog post of the entire year. It's about the afterglow effect.
- Launched Art In Motion where I show how I make paintings, start to finish (love this!)
- Delighted in the little things, like finding hearts everywhere, discovering feathers in my path, True's love of painting, vintage oil floral paintings, and spending a couple of days with one brave mama and daughter.
- Launched new releases of products in Jan, including a couch, the very popular cuff bracelets, and lots of other goodies and treasures. Launched another release in July as well (mugs, home decor, and more)!
- Struggled with trying to do it all.
- Launched Hello Soul Hello Business to some pretty amazing reviews with a pretty amazing collaborator (Beth Nicholls). This collaboration created a community of entrepreneurs where I (and others) could safely share the hard mistakes and lessons I've learned on my business journey as well as the triumphs. Really grateful.
- Cried when I watched her play the song she wrote about me.
- Felt lost from time to time, and leaned into my soul sisters for support. Gathered with some soul sisters throughout the year. And even went to a cowgirl art camp
- Outgrew my brand new mama wings and continued to be amazed and in love with True.
- Collaborated with my good friend and brilliant speaker/writer Brene Brown
- Navigated the pitfalls of being online
- Did a major website renovation, and on the home front, we completed major front yard renovations (including curb side veggie boxes!), and back yard renovations (deck! grass! garden cottage!)
- Witnessed my best guy friend's wedding
- Co-hosted a delicious day of conversation and food at the remarkable Teahouse Studio in Berkeley, CA with my good friend Andrea.
- Launched the How Cute Is That Series which I love, love, love.
- After years of having them closed, I opened my comments
- Guided hundreds of fellow flyers through Flying Lessons: Tips + Tricks To Help Your Creative Business Soar, my ecourse that I'm pretty sure has changed my life as well as those who take it. The community always astounds me.
- Put a little free library in our front yard. Best community building move ever.
- Started making green smoothies, joined bootcamp, and started getting conscious about changing my habits.
- Celebrated living with a little love note to life.
- Continued to be amazed by him, every single day.
- Shared a couple sweet videos of True here (15 mos), here (17 mos) here (19 mos)
- I made an important promise.
- Went on an adventure to Maui - holy smokes, the beauty.
- Discovered Hulu which means I discovered awesome TV shows, like Parenthood and Scandal. Also discovered the best jeans ever (NYDJ brand).
- Had a photoshoot and got my first professional business video made. I love, love, LOVE it.
- I cleaned out my actual closet, but it seemed more about cleaning out my emotional closet (a very good thing). And as I moved furniture around, it seems as though I was doing some soul/spirit/emotional rearranging too. It all matters, no?
Thank you 2012, for all the abundance, lessons, safety, health, and grace.
ps: I'm a big believer in recapping our years - to look back, to relearn, to rediscover, to celebrate, to grieve, to realize just how far we've come. I've been recapping my blog posts by years for the last seven years. For those of you who may be interested, here are my yearly recaps:
Up Next: My word for 2013! Hope you guys are celebrating the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013.
