About two years ago, I purchased a special issue of flow magazine dedicated to 19 days of mindfulness. The topics and exercises in the publication were things I was thinking about then, and I am still thinking about now: meditation, writing, slowing down, finding time to explore creativity. Many of the reasons I started writing this blog.

Unfortunately, the magazine has stopped producing its English version and I am glad I held on to this issue. This past week, I have been trying to incorporate some of the exercises into my daily routine, but rather than trying a different exercise each day, I’ve decided to focus on one for a longer period of time.

I’ve started with Morning Pages. In this exercise, you write about what’s on your mind right after you wake up, and before doing anything else. The idea is to write without editing your thoughts. It helps you clear your mind and get clear on goals. I’m really liking it, although I must admit, I have been typing mine. You are supposed to do this by hand and write three whole pages. I am not sure I will follow all the rules, but even in my imperfect version, I am finding this helpful. Had you heard about Morning Pages before? Do you write every morning?

Dig deeper: Julia Cameron is the author of The Artist’s Way and the person who created this approach to journaling as a way for people to unleash their creativity.
The flow website still has some pretty downloads and articles available in English.

Color Inspiration

I’ve been thinking a lot about color this week. I wanted to put together a palette for a few projects I have in mind. One place I am always certain to find inspiration is in beautiful illustrations. When I see a color combination I love, I save it to my Pinterest board. This week, I am loving the colors in Holalola‘s January calendar illustration and the cute matchboxes drawn by Danielle Kroll, which appeared in a previous issue of flow magazine. I can see I’m drawn to cheery pastel colors mixed with neutrals. I also love many of the colors Monet used in his paintings, like this one of the Garden of Sainte-Adresse.

Weekly Recap

I had hoped to finish at least one of my knitting projects this month, but they are all still a work in progress. However, I am super close to completing the second sock of my first-ever socks project, even after the yarn got into a huge knot and I had to spend about four hours detangling it. The second sleeve of the Bedford sweater is still under construction, (I’ve been in sock and sleeve island, apparently) and I still have to finish installing the zipper on the hoodie I made. The crochet squares I started some months ago are also on hold because I ran out of yarn and my order hasn’t shipped yet. So, there’s a lot to do. My daughter says I just need fewer projects, but I can’t help wanting to do all the things! I just signed up for Web Design III. I love learning all about making websites. This new thing on my list might delay all these projects even more, but there’s no rush.

Positivity

I am trying to stay positive by reminding myself of the good things that happen each day. Yesterday I went to my son’s baseball game and for the first time in months (years!) I completely forgot about Covid. It was a wonderful feeling. I was sitting on the bleachers chatting with the other parents cheering on our kids and having a great time. It wasn’t until I got back to the house that I realized I hadn’t thought about masks or getting sick at all. And today, after two years, I finally made it back to the swimming pool. I’ve signed myself up for a few more classes to make sure I keep going. I really want to get back in shape.

I have a feeling this year is going to be better. Until next week!