Here we are…a new year awaits. Filled with hope and promise…or anxiety and hesitation…or perhaps something in between.

I’ve been giving quite a bit of thought of what the year ahead holds. I’m in a place where I know something needs to change, but am unsure of what that is. I don’t know what I’m doing and hope that something new does indeed crop up. 2022 was a transition year…I stopped doing outdoor art festivals or any art show longer than one day…I no longer had the strength or stamina for it. I dabbled with a few new ideas but nothing that really ignited my enthusiasm. After 20 plus years of my creative business had I run out of steam?

I’m a big fan of choosing a word for the year. Instead of making resolutions that usually exist to set a deadline or a goal that inevitably will be unattainable (and thus make you feel miserable), I like the idea of a word that serves as a guidepost, a gentle nudge to keep one moving along.

I hemmed and hawed…what word to settle on? Since I didn’t know where I was going, it seemed daunting to find a word that would guide me…until it came to me all of a sudden…

Navigate sums it all up nicely…I know I need to find a different path (maybe more than one?) And if I need to find a different path, most likely I need a different roadmap than the one I’ve been following. I need to break some routines and change familiar routes…and as much as I wince as I write this…maybe I need to get a little uncomfortable and try a path where I might be led astray.

To shake things up a bit, the Southern Man and I have an extended trip planned for the spring…at first I was rather ho-hum about it but maybe a travel jolt will change my perspective and expose me to different views. A friend in town has asked me to get involved with a community project that I thought was just not my thing…mmm, maybe it is and I just don’t know it.

The explorers of old were brave individuals, setting a course and navigating to parts of the world unknown. How did they know what path to take and what supplies to bring with them for the journey? I’ve always had a positive disposition, a belief in whatever was thrown my way I could figure out. I frankly don’t have a clue with where to start so a thorough cleaning of my studio workspace sounds like a great way to begin…toss those things that no longer spark me and possibly discover other items that set me on fire…or at least smolder! I don’t know what lies ahead…but that first step is an important start.

Do you pick a word for the year? If so, I’d love to hear your word and the story behind it - leave a comment below to share!