Ruffle Collar Top with Pearl Buttons (only $49 — also comes in cream) / Satin Midi Skirt (only $32 — also comes in black) / Black Leather Clutch / Rosegold Bracelet / Black Ankle Strap Heels / NARS Matte Lip Pencil in ‘Damned’
1. Creativity
One of the reasons why I didn’t blog as much in 2017 was the creative juices just weren’t flowing for me. I know I keep blaming the neglect due to continual focus on my new job, but I also just didn’t feel inspired. I wasn’t leaving any time for myself to find joy and explore new things through my blog and once the excitement of nurturing a creative outlet begins to feel like a chore, my mind immediately wanders off.
That’s why this year I want to set some time for creativity. That might mean opening up a blank word document and just typing whatever’s on my mind (note to self: do more “brain dumps”). That might mean really pushing the bounds of my personal style since it’s been moving in this direction of more neutral colors. That might mean taking an impromptu trip, unplugging my devices and experiencing everything just for the sake of experiencing it and not for blogging. Yeah, I really like the sound of that one! I’m hoping that setting aside sometime to explore creativity will result in more interesting stories to share with you!
2. Presence
Presence is another big thing that I want to work on in 2018 as I’ve gotten continually worse at it over the years. Addiction to social media is real guys and it causes me to scroll through my feeds on my phone first thing when I wake up, countless times during the day and right before I go to bed. I’m pretty cognizant about it and always try to be phones free at dinner and while I’m out with friends, but somehow it always creeps back into my life and into my palm! When I’m traveling, I find myself stressing about getting “the perfect shot” instead of taking it all in. I feel noticeably bummed if I don’t get the perfect food shot before digging into a meal. And for what? A couple of hundred likes on Instagram? I really want to work on being more present in everything that I do and stressing less about how it will look on my feed later.
Creativity and presence are just a start, but in a way I think they go hand in hand. Being more present will hopefully help me lock the ability to be more creative and vice versa.
If you had to choose one or two words for 2018, what would it be? Let me know in the comments section below!
Ruffle Collar Top with Pearl Buttons (only $49 — also comes in cream) / Satin Midi Skirt (only $32 — also comes in black) / Black Leather Clutch / Rosegold Bracelet / Black Ankle Strap Heels / NARS Matte Lip Pencil in ‘Damned’
There is an interesting balance between our enjoyment of something if we take a photo and if we don’t. On the one hand, we might feel disappointing if we don’t get the perfect photo, but in another sense, by taking the photo we are allowing ourselves to remember that moment more. The time we spend in anticipation of eating our food, and when we can look back on it months later and recall how much we enjoyed it. How often do you remember a meal you loved a year ago if you didn’t take a picture of it?
Same with outfits…
http://iamchiconthecheap.com
disappointed *
These are excellent guiding words! I’m with you – I didn’t feel very inspired last year and I think I should focus on creativity as well!
I relate to the words you chose for sure. I think mine would also be “creativity” (although it can sometimes be exhausting), but also “play.” I think the two are pretty related; if you don’t give yourself permission to play, instead of always working toward some kind of goal (that you inevitably don’t feel that great about once you’ve accomplished it, because there’s always the next thing), you won’t be as creative as you could be. I’d also throw in “gratitude.” Hmm…maybe I need a word CLOUD.
It’s so hard to narrow down to just one word! But I love the ones you pick and I can totally relate to the feeling of being bummed at not having the “perfect” pic while traveling etc. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead! xx
http://www.crystalchiffon.com/
loved this post. it left me with some good food for thought!