GETTING BACK INTO BLOGGING + NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
I guess I
better start off by saying: HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone had a great
Christmas and rung in the New Year with fun, festivity, and loads of
glitter, fireworks, and turkey!
I should
probably follow up with a huge SORRY for being AWOL and leaving the blog
alone for such a long time, I’m never in the best mindset around this time,
with the mayhem of Christmas stirring up a lot of anxiety. I’ve also been
reluctant to engage with the blog for number of personal reasons, ones that
have made me feel uncomfortable posting on any of my social networks. I put the
blog on an unannounced hiatus until I could get myself back into the positive
mindset I had previously regarding this blog, as well as the prevailing
anxieties surrounding it. It’s taken a while and a lot of soul-searching, but
I’m finally back!
I am
extraordinarily happy to see the end of what has been one of the most
difficult, but also most rewarding and validating years of my life, and welcome
2017 and everything that it will bring. I’m going into 2017 with a mostly
positive attitude, and have decided 2017 is the year for self-improvement and
wish-fulfillment; 2016 made it undeniably clear that life is achingly short and
I need to try to make the most of it.
So, to
start off HOLY CRAP! for the new year, here is my list of resolutions for 2017:
GET MY
HEALTH IN ORDER
It comes as
no surprise to anyone who’s read this blog that my health isn’t always in the
best shape, having problems with anxiety, depression, insomnia and asthma. I can usually cope with
these things decently day to day, but my final year at university, then
post-grad life have taken their toll and I’m finding it harder to manage my mind
and body.
I spent a
lot of 2016 holed up in my room as an exhausted, emotional wreck, meaning I
didn’t enjoy my final months at uni like I should have, missing out on some
really fun times with some really cool people. I’ve been neglecting my health for
so long without realizing that, by choosing to ignore how I have felt, I was
making things worse, creating an
extremely toxic cycle I’ve been too scared and ignorant to break.
I’ve
finally decided to break this vicious circle and get my life and health on a
good track for 2017, I think I owe it to myself to be able to reach my true
potential, which I know I can only do if I take a step back to look after and
nurture myself. I urge anyone reading this to take care of yourself, self-care
is one of the most important actions you can take when you suffer from any form
of health issue, whether mental or physical. Take the time to cherish yourself,
with or without professional help, and become the strongest you you can be.
ENGAGE WITH
MY CREATIVITY
Since
leaving sixth form back in 2012 I’ve struggled with tapping into the artistic
side of myself; I couldn’t find an adequate avenue to express my creativity at
university until my final year when I enrolled in two creative writing courses.
It was the best year of my academic life creativity wise, and my passion for
poetry and short story writing hasn’t diminished, though I’m still horrendous
at writing science fiction, (sorry Matthew!). Since I've graduated my
writing has petered off as I’ve struggled with inspiration, finding I can only
form ideas at indecent times of the night when my brain and arms cannot
coordinate, so I’m left with indecipherable scribbles in the tatty notebook I
keep under my pillow.
As someone
who has always been intensely creative it has been exceedingly hard not
exploring this part of my identity. I want to be able to reclaim the
titles of writer and artist, so this year I’m making a conscious
effort to engage with my creativity again and build up my portfolio again. I’m
setting up an art/writing studio area to my room and making an active promise
to myself to carry on with the projects I’ve pushed aside for far too long. I
want to be able to exit 2017 saying proudly that yes, I am a writer and artist
and this is my work.
(Essentially
this means dragging my boyfriend and family around art/stationary shops and
making them wait as I try to take obnoxious photos of leaves. Sorry guys~)
SET UP MY
SHOP
For a long
time now I’ve wanted to run my own business, and being a creative I've wanted this shop
to focus largely on my homemade items and artwork. I’ve wanted to gather my
interests and hobbies into a store for a long time, and had planned to do so in
2016 before life, inevitably, got in the way. I’m hoping to set up my shop
within the next few months showcasing my jewelry, artwork and home accessories
that I have made and/or curated.
If anyone has any experience running their own business, particularly in the creative sector or on Etsy, I'd love to hear from you!
CUT OUT THE NEGATIVITY
Part of my aim for self-improvement in 2017 is accepting that there are negative people in my life that I need to cut off to truly feel better with myself, and my life as a whole. I need to accept that, no matter who they are, if they are detrimental to my happiness, I am within my right to cut them away. This isn’t something I’ve taken lightly, having made some tough decisions last year regarding people I struggled to recognise as being toxic and manipulative for a long time. On the whole I feel better having made this decision, but I know I still have negative influences in my life that I need to 'sort out' and minimize as best I can.
If anyone has any experience running their own business, particularly in the creative sector or on Etsy, I'd love to hear from you!
CUT OUT THE NEGATIVITY
Part of my aim for self-improvement in 2017 is accepting that there are negative people in my life that I need to cut off to truly feel better with myself, and my life as a whole. I need to accept that, no matter who they are, if they are detrimental to my happiness, I am within my right to cut them away. This isn’t something I’ve taken lightly, having made some tough decisions last year regarding people I struggled to recognise as being toxic and manipulative for a long time. On the whole I feel better having made this decision, but I know I still have negative influences in my life that I need to 'sort out' and minimize as best I can.
Just because
someone is family, a long-term friend, or a partner, if they make you feel
awful and have a negative effect on you, you are under no obligation to keep
them in your life; always put yourself and your well-being first. The same applies
to fellow employees, even random strangers, no one should be allowed to have an
impact in your life if said impact is wholly negative, demeaning, or unhelpful.
This year I’m making I've decided to make a conscious effort to remove or ignore the negative people or influences within my
life, I want people who can encourage and support me, people who can help me
grow as opposed to people who will hold me back. I want healthy relationships and a healthy environment, and I implore you to attempt the same. Positivity is a powerful thing, hold onto it and foster it as much as you can, and keep those who fill you with it close to you, always.
And that is
my list of resolutions for 2017; a mission to improve my health, well-being and
become the creative I strive to be. So, do you have any New Year’s
resolutions? Do you have any input or advice you might have for me going into
the year? If so, I’d love to hear from you!