let’s all judge ourselves harshly.

nah, just kidding!

This time of year the gym is packed. People are making grand declarations. It’s a fresh new year and often a time of reflection and goal setting.

Not for me.

note: the projects shown are ones made for my Art Journaling course starting next week. For more information + to register click here.

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I’m a year-round type of personal growth and work gal. The thing is, true change and growth happens with a million tiny steps. Big gestures and grand declarations aren’t action. Also, this time of year it can be really overwhelming to go adding a bunch of new ideas and activities and worse? Failure can really send you to a sad place.

So what if you’re wanting to reflect, make some adjustments, add some positive habits, and improve some things? How do you judge yourself in a positive way that will promote happiness and positive stuff?

Obviously I can’t tell you exactly how to do this – everyone is different. But I can tell you what I do.

Find some things I’m doing that are GOOD. For example:

  • All my ink pads and paints are 100% where they belong and I clean them up all the time. This means I’ve got good storage system and of course am actually putting them away
  • Frequent use of my art journal – even if to jot a note or quote I’ve got it out several times a week
  • Have my photos printed + organized from my last vacation and have begun filming videos for that class!
  • 100% of layouts are in albums

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Then, I look at what I wish for or what I’m not especially happy with.

  • not many scrapbook/memory keeping projects being completed
  • studio remains a mess and no end in sight
  • not happy with my blogging or on-line sharing overall. Not sharing enough, not writing enough.
  • not trying enough products/new things
  • not walking dog enough on long walks and not doing enough at gym

I’ll stop here because I don’t want to pick and attack every little and big thing – and I have plenty to keep me busy! The plan of attack has been simple. I’ve been writing more. Scheduling blog posts ahead. I made a trip to the CHA tradeshow work out so I can check out the latest and greatest and get fresh inspiration. I went into the flooring store and picked out my new studio floor.

Some feel big – but really it is 100 tiny steps. It is deciding to do good things each day, to make choices that better my situation, and to keep the focus on positive things being done and NOT dwell on what I’m not doing or where I’m not at yet.

I’m in a constant state of growth, change, and improvement. I believe that is simply how life is. I’m excited though, and in drafting up this post I came up with a bunch of topics and things I’m excited to chat about here on my blog in addition to sharing actual crafty projects. In fact- just today I recorded a podcast that ties into so much of this stuff it felt like cosmic timing. Fantastic.

I’ll share a link when that is up, and you should stay tuned for so much more. 2015 is off to a great start – one day at a time.

If you’re interested in my story of personal creative journey, the creative journey category has all my posts. A few I recommend (in order of when they happened) are:

My scrapbooking before there was much of an “industry”

Feeling lost

Tim Holtz to the rescue

thoughts on creative insecurity/jealousy

creative health + Play event part 1  and part 2

8 thoughts on “let’s all judge ourselves harshly.”

  1. Wow, great post! One of my very favorites. So thought provoking, and you’re right. A “million tiny steps”. So true. You are such an inspiration to me. Thank you for that. Michelle t

  2. Thank you May for being real. I went back and read your post about creative insecurity and jealousy. I am in the same boat and it’s nice to know I am not alone in this. I was just talking to my husband about it this week. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one of my kind because I don’t have any crafty friends and no one to talk to about these things that understands. Reading your post encouraged me that there is some one out there that has been down that path and has had the same feelings to deal with. Again thanks for being you and being honest it has made a difference.

  3. Happy 2015, May! Here’s to a year of judging ourselves lovingly, celebrating our accomplishments, creating beautiful things, making happy memories, loving our families. Have a super time at CHA — can’t wait to hear about what’s trending.
    ~ Laura

  4. Love! Love! Love! I think we always feel we have to sprint to where we want to be and forget that change will never end. It’s time we embrace that fact and learn to live in the moment and find something to smile about.

  5. The paragraph that begins some feel big is pure gold.Copied and pasted. Feel like someone slapped me up side the head-in a very,very good way. Thank you for turning alight on.

  6. Heading over to listen to PRT. Wondered if there would be an episode this week and so glad to see the topic…and some of my favorite guests.
    As a scrapbooker of just three years or so, I have been finding my way in the ocean of information, blogs, classes, shopping available. What I have concluded is that I must choose the voices I listen to, classes I take, styles that resonate with my goals for scrapbooking and most of all I must limit the number of voices. I can’t listen to or follow them all, otherwise I never actually create anything myself. This also implies that I must think about my own creative journey… While it’s good to have unstructured creative play times, it’s helpful to have an overall journey direction in mind…and then enjoy the journey!

  7. 2015 is going to be an amazing year, May. I hope those steps will help you reach your goals. Enjoy the journey!

    And I have to ask….what is that luscious orchid color on that page? It’s Gorgeous!

  8. Just walk the dog, May. Seriously, there’s nothing better than a long walk to buck you up and get you in the mood to tackle whatever needs tackling. Do it for Scrappy, sure, but mostly do it for YOU. If you want to get the full benefit of a nice long walk, leave the ear buds at home and don’t forget to keep talking to Scrappy as you go — it’s therapeutic and Scrappy will enjoy it.

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