What makes a year good?
How I lean into the tiny things...
I lit a candle early in the cold crisp morning of the first day of 2025. I sat on my couch, my pug Midge snuggled into my side, as the sun crept up behind the mountain. A burst of light kissed the tops of the trees in my front window. My new bird feeder visible outside my window where I work, had sat undiscovered since Christmas - the day before I went and sprinkled bird food on the ground below it - to welcome them. Come little birdies and show yourself.
We spent the last week deep-cleaning our entire home and filling bags for Goodwill. A yearly ritual we both crave. There is a bit of magic when you release the things you don’t need and know exactly where to find the things you do. It saddens me to consider all the time I waste looking for things or shifting through an overstuffed drawer. To see everything in its right place is delightful. I’ve been untangled from it all and have set myself free. I wonder why I get to a point where I can’t slow down to keep it that way.
My husband surprised my daughter with tickets to a New Year’s Day game. I didn’t mind. I had the day to reflect and dream. I felt overwhelmed too often last fall. It is not easy to make transitions in life. They come with instability and doubt. One must conjure up faith in yourself consistently. Back when my daughter was born I transitioned from a full-time employee to running my own freelance design business. It took years to build a stable client base and retire my concern that I would not make it. Here I am again, building a new art business. Nothing comes overnight. I know good things take time.
I always look for signs from the universe to encourage me. I see the number 11:11 on the clock just as I doubt myself. A stranger sends me a kind message about my art or my work ends up in a magazine I love. The tiny things always remind me to be present and tap into inspiration daily.
It is my favorite time of year for long walks. There are always new blooms under the winter sun. There are trees shedding bark that feel like sheets of felt. Sometimes I have the urge to carry it home with me and see what I can make of it. Just like when I was a kid in the fields behind my house. I want to follow my creative impulses every day and tune the rest of it out. But as adults, we have to-dos and responsibilities. But it does not mean we can’t take an hour a day to play with our creative impulses if that is all we can afford. For me, it is as simple as a walk and a sketchbook.
It was around 10 am on New Year’s Day when a tiny brown bird landed in my feeder. My daughter had just walked into the room, “Mom, look! He has a mohawk.” And there he was. His big brown eyes were oversized, and indeed a mohawk crowned his fuzzy little head. He felt so silly. I pulled out my Smithsonian Birds of North America book. A book I discovered I owned when cleaning out my home last week. I didn’t remember buying it. But I did - over a decade ago. Do you ever find things you bought years ago but stumble upon them one day like a hidden treasure?
My new bird friend is an Oak Titmouse. I have to sit completely still when they land. A reach for the camera and they fly away. But he will be on the next page in my Magical Creatures Sketchbook - my favorite place to draw. My dream for the New Year is to be present enough daily to hear the tiny whispers of the universe telling me where to go next, to create space to dream, and to be open to all the possibilities.
Tiny Things. I think those will be my words this year.
I will leave you with someone who is not shy about me taking his photo. Our interloper…
Have you heard the term BRUTIFUL? This word would perfectly encapsulate the new animated film Memoir of a Snail. It is not a child’s tale, but one for adults who know that pain can’t be avoided in life and some of us get more than we deserve. I attended a screening and the filmmaker Adam Elliot answered questions afterward. Elliot said, “Without the dark, the light has no meaning.” Did you know that snails can only go forward - not backward? All the little threads in this film are insightful and the imperfect construction of the world is delightful. It is a beautiful tale about the things that break us - and how we all can find the light again.
For the past ten years, I have joined a 30-Day Yoga Challenge on YouTube. They are hosted by Yoga with Adrienne. This year, she has done a free 7 Day Prana yog challenge. She creates so much free content as well as some paid programs. I have bookmarked all my favorite classes to play all year round. It is a wonderful way to start the day.
Until Next Time ✨
Kim