This is the third in a series of five navel-gazing retrospective posts celebrating my five years of blogging in which I offer my top five posts for each year. Click here for 2006, 2007 and 2008. Stay tuned for a celebratory giveaway on January 25th!
If you are still reading this series you are a trooper and I thank you! Make sure you pop in on the 25th for a small token of gratitude in form of a giveaway OK?
Significant changes stemming from 2008 continued to morph my world in 2009. I got married. I deepened creative practice and friendships made at Squam Art Workshops. I joined Facebook. I pondered a lot and made it a regular practice to list the many things for which I was grateful. I honeymooned in Bar Harbor, Maine, and felt deeply at a cottage by a lake two hours north of Ottawa. I submitted work to my first ever art show and one of my pieces got accepted, I displayed art locally at my hair salon and sold prints for the first time. I experienced enormous highs and peace followed by exhaustion and depression. I took two months off work for rest. I returned to basics.
And how could I forget! My Urban Living Experiment, which was much about healing past hurts and discovery, came to a close and I created a Creative Living Experiment, which was - and still is - about looking forward and creating the life I want.
dancing down the aisle after the I Do's (photo by Kirsten Michelle)
Here are some of my favourite posts from 2009:
Giselle - Because she is still one of the accomplishments of which I am proudest and in my mind, represents wild, creative possibility!
Word for 2009: Create - A powerful manifesto set out for the year that took hold and evolved into this blog. I didn't realize it had that much staying power when I wrote it.
Marriage: Challenging Old Patterns - In 2009 I married D. After failing at a previous marriage I was a little gun-shy and did much reflecting on the matter during the months leading up to the big day. This post documents an important A-Ha moment (thank you Oprah!) that brought me comfort. My wedding day was one of the happiest days of my life and I am forever grateful for allowing Love back into my life, in all its forms.
our honeymoon suite at the Bar Harbor KOA
Seeking: A Lighter Shade of Grey - Along with the emotional highs, 2009 brought its darker days. In September D. and I spent a blissful week at a cottage on a secluded lake and it cracked me wide open. When we got back I crashed hard into depression and didn't really come back up until December. I still don't know what happened, but I suspect that that cottage and lake have magical powers within. I felt it.
Bennett Lake morning mist
An Instance of Creative YES - But all was not grey! Short and sweet, this post sums up how I felt after a particularly stimulating conversation with an acquaintance of mine about his plans and vision for a non-profit organization. It could easily describe any one of my creative highs.
And a bonus post because I just couldn't leave it out...
Back to Basics - I go back to this post again and again. It serves as a reminder when life gets a little too unmanageable.
my first prints!
2010, coming soon...