I’ve spent the past few years removing a ton of external inputs like podcasts, to give myself some space to breathe, sit with silence and think thoughts – rather than constantly stuff my head with voices.

I think the experiment had the desired effect but I’m now taking a less hard-line approach (to hopefully everything) and occasionally letting new things in. So when IINRL Friend Carmen mentioned the (NOT) A Real Artist podcast, I decided to give it a listen.

I have no absolutely pretensions of being an artist, but I do love to make things – and a few lines from from Episode 2: Is Inspiration a Myth? were definitely what I need reminding of on an almost constant basis.

+ To begin, begin.

+ You can’t think yourself to brilliance. Don’t take that as me thinking that thinking doesn’t have a place, because I love thinking, I do a lot of thinking, but I feel like it’s a dialogue between thinking and doing. And I say this fully transparent as a person who used to only think, and I used to only like kind of dream about what I was going to do and I would never do it and it’s a very stagnant place, it doesn’t actually change. Whereas if you start doing, then it informs your thinking and then your thinking changes, or it doesn’t necessarily change, but it adds to it and you come to more conclusions and then you have those feelings or flashes of brilliance, like “oh, I never thought about that!”, but it does occur, at least not as quickly, or not at all when you’re just thinking.”

+ Which is extremely seductive by the way, to just think or plan, it’s so comfortable and you really think you’re doing something.

Ahhhh – the thinking and planning. So many times I’ve thought about and planned a project for months or years – and when I eventually get to execution, I find that often what I’d envisaged isn’t really workable. And I would have greatly benefitted from having hands on much earlier in the process. It really is about the dialogue between thinking and doing. I like that description a lot.

As is the way with these things, the best bit is knowing that it is not just me. I’m thinking to make a list (of course) of the many projects bouncing in my head and work out what a small first “doing” step would be for each. And, well, do them.

It’s Joe/Frank!

2022 review

1. Learn a form of independent transport
Nope – I suspect this is never going to happen

2. Make plans for a big holiday at some point in the year.
A bit vague, but I did get ideas going. It’s still not booked yet

3. Make 12 new dishes this year.
Started off well but tailed off a bit late

4. Start participating in a form of sport/exercise activity.
Does going back to the gym count? Probably not

5. Start making plans for independent living.
Another vagueish one – don’t think I made big plans here

And for 2023

1. Make plans to do grow the nest egg
2. Travel more. Aim for a trip of at least a couple of days bimonthly (so once every two months)
3. Start making a plan/guideline for independent living
4. Engage in some more hobbies
5. Improve general fitness base/do more exercise that isn’t just the gym

♥

Joe/Frank’s previous not-resolutions:

2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011

And next up … Bessie!

She was a tiny baby of 14 when we first did these! Time. It goes fast.

2022 review

1. Embrace Analog (take film photos, journal/scrapbook, crafting, etc)
Partially achieved – did take some film photos, took a ceramic and earrings class, and continued to hand write out my recipes but not as much as I would have liked.

2. Move apartments
Achieved – moved into a beautiful apartment in jan which we love dearly.

3. Go on a holiday that’s longer than a weekend (I haven’t had one since 2017)
Went on a lot of small holidays (Melbourne 3 times, Tassie, Sunny Coast and Gold Coast)

4. Learn some more dairy free baking recipes
Achieved – did a lot of dairy free baking and cooking in the start of the year, and a lot more experimental regular baking towards the end of the year

5. Actually go to the doctor about different issues I’m having instead of just dealing with it
Not achieved – I went to the doctor once in 2022

And for 2023

1. Find ways to be creative in a non work context
2. Use the craft supplies I have saved up (don’t rainy day them)
3. Bake on a regular basis, and try new recipes
4. Nourish and keep my plants alive
5. Take more photos

♥

Bessie’s previous not-resolutions:
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011

As is traditional in January, it’s time for the family not-resolutions! Now in the 13th year!

Explainer: At the beginning of each year, I coerce everyone into nominating 5 things they’d possibly, maybe like to accomplish in the coming year – no pressure. They are definitely not any manner of resolutions. It’s quite fun to track these across time.

I did suggest that perhaps we could stop doing them this year if everyone was no longer vibing it. There was consensus that we should continue – and that 13 wasn’t an auspicious year to end on.

So first up – Joan!

♥

2022 review:

1. Become a cat mum
Not yet 😔

2. Reach B1 level in German
Work and lack of motivation got in the way of this

3. Find a job
I’ve had a job since February 🥳

4. Take a nice trip for my first anniversary in August
We had a city break in Riga in September which was cool. It made us want to explore more of the Baltics.

5. Sort out my photo library
Complete fail

And for 2023:

1. Cook one new dish each month
2. Paint my nails more often
3. Fill our apartment with more art and soft furnishings
4. Become a cat mum
5. Sort out my photo library

♥

Joan’s previous not-resolutions:
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011

messing about with book binding off-cuts

I’ve been feeling less than optimal for the past couple of days (not covid), so indulged in one of my favourite self care activities – watching way too many cosy, crafty youtube videos.

The Universe appears to be once again speaking to me via the YouTube algorithm. I was watching a new-to-me creator^^ and really sat up and took notice when she said:

If you are interested in weaving, I encourage you to explore that and to not wait until some future date when things are perfect in your life.

The thing that bums me out is when I hear people say they’re waiting until when they retire to do X thing and it’s something they could be doing right now.

Cos it’s like, well, life is short and you don’t know what’s going to happen so, I don’t know – unless you truly can’t fit it in or whatever, I would just … you want to weave? Start weaving now. There are lots of ways to get into it …”

Misty Pursel: Flosstube 78 at around 26:00

Such a helpful and timely reminder – and gave me a well-needed nudge in a couple directions. Though I’m not about to run out and buy a loom – incredibly tempting as that is!

♥

^^ I was initially there for the cross-stitch (which though very sweet, was not quite to my taste), but the weaving hooked me.

affordable art fair 2022: when your jumper matches the art

I usually take dozens and dozens of photos on my phone over the course of a month. I periodically copy them over to the computer, periodically being weekly or monthly – on the more frequent side if I’m blogging regularly. Before a holiday, I’ll remove almost everything from the phone so I have more space for the billion shots I’ll inevitably take while away.

Imagine my dismay to discover recently that very, very few photos from June 2022 are on the computer and are definitely long gone from my phone. What I imagine happened was in the excitement of preparing for the trip in July, I deleted from the phone before I confirmed I’d backed up to the computer. And I hadn’t backed up with any sort of regularity because I wasn’t really blogging at that time.

This is one of the only photos I have from June, which I retrieved from WhatsApp. If I could only have one photo^^ from that time I’m glad it is this quite pleasing one – rather than a screen-grab of some ridiculous and eyerolly LinkedIn post.

Back up! Your photos! Your blog! Your documents! All The Things!

♥

^^ I do actually have more than one – but you get the idea.

Worth reading: these wonderful 2023 intentions from Swiss Miss

♥

Alas, I did no crafting or craft planning today, but I did buy myself a giant A1 size cutting mat, which I’m wildly excited about. #treatyoself

♥

I also bought a real actual diary to note down mundane and other daily happenings in bullet point form. A pragmatic accounting, rather than a thoughts and feelings journal.

I’m hoping this will help with memory and also to remind myself that I do things. I’ll slot in the health observations too.

Fortunately it is a day to a page – because I seem to keep thinking of more data types to include.

♥

It was Don’s first day back at work today after the Christmas break. I still have another 5 (including the weekend) glorious days remaining.

Over the break, we’ve been doing a heap of small maintenance and improvement tasks around ThePalace(OfLove) – this will hopefully keep it standing for a while longer and also make for a pleasant 2023. No longer looking at an unpainted window frame is more exciting than you’d suppose!

There are more tasks I could crack on with tomorrow (indeed, there are enough tasks to keep me occupied for the next 6 years), but I think it’s time to kick off some creative projects.

I’ve gridded some aida for my next cross stitch (the wave ball), but I hope to have a mix of crafts on the go at once to keep the brain challenged.

I’ll report back.

• my grey linen scarf – Sydney Airport International Terminal
• my very favourite hat – Basel
• my cat-shaped hair tie – Basel
• my distance sunglasses – Berlin

I like to imagine they’re living very nice lives in exotic locations.

I’ve never chosen an over-arching word/theme/idea for the year, being much more given to extensive annual lists. But the idea of the word came up recently and as a thought exercise I pondered what mine would be – though having no real intention of selecting one.

I considered and discarded many, many words that were almost-but-not-quite right. And then the flash of inspiration hit: my word of course is Penelope! And so my over-arching theme for the year is to be more Penelope – who is everything I aspire to be.

Much of this list is about my attitude and mindset, so is therefore completely subjective and mostly un-measurable. Definitely not SMART. I am very focussed on not choosing items that are about restriction and abstinence – it’s time to bring in the good.

♥

01. BE MORE PENELOPE!
The over-arching theme! WWPD?

02. Half arsed is better than no arsed
The eternal quest for a cure for Perfectionisting. I miss out on quite a lot because of this. 60% good can often lead to 95% satisfaction.

03. Disrupt the routine (monthly)
I default to doing the same thing over and over. I would benefit from getting out more and mixing it up.

04. Choose the loving action (be kind to self)
Quiet that Inner Critic!

05. Financially support creators I believe in
Carried over from 2022. I find this very satisfying.

06. Share more of what I love or find interesting
I get a huge amount of benefit from what others share, maybe you might like what I’ve liked?

07. Use the things or let them go
Be realistic about where I’m at now and what I like to do now. Pass on what no longer serves me.

08. Morning experiments
Assuming I continue with the thyroid medication after mid February blood test. I have 30 minutes between taking my meds and being able to drink my morning coffee. I spend this time mostly doom-scrolling. There must be a better way!

09. Monthly hike (or equivalent)
Loving the recent hikes! Would love to build to a multi-day hike!

10. Yoga with Adrienne in January
The daily video release time this year is not terribly convenient for me. It will be interesting to see if this makes a difference.

11. Build physical strength
I am as weak as the proverbial thing that is weak. My skeleton carries me around. I need some muscles and to use them properly.

12. Complete 5 items from the 60before60 list
Another list?! Yes, another list … within a list.

13. 6 films at Golden Age Cinema
It is the coolest tiny cinema, they play a wonderful mix of films.

14. Read 12 fiction books. Limit all self-improvement books
I have really enjoyed the books I’ve read recently. Sometimes hard-line positions (on Amazon, for example) really get in the way of enjoyment – and don’t actually achieve anything.

15. Achieve next big financial goal
It’s big.

16. Wean self down to 1x coffee per day
Not for any withholding of Nice Things. My innards aren’t really entirely thrilled with 3 cups per day.

17. Travel: 2 overseas trips + 1 local trip
Europe, here we come! And maybe Adelaide?

18. 1x new craft class (that isn’t book binding)
I’m thinking weaving, if I can find a weaving class. Penelope would definitely weave.^^

19. 3x book binding classes + 1 open day session
I have a long list of 7! I don’t think 3 will pose a problem. The open day session, might be slightly more difficult.

20. 1x skillshare class
This is one of those instances where Past Me had such belief in Current Me by signing up. I’m going to repay that faith.

21. Blog every day in January
I’m enjoying being back here. And I offered to keep IINRL** Friend Carmen company on her 31 days of blogging challenge.
And there is no point in hoping for a personal blogging resurgence if no-one is blogging.

22. Spend money on myself without guilt #treatyoself
Another ongoing battle. I will buy All the Penelope-Blue garments immediately and not dither over them until they are no longer available.

23. Bring in more joy!
Do my very best to sprinkle some magic and fun into my days.

♥

** Imaginary Internet Now Real Life

^^ you see what I did there.