Haiku, chronicles, OLW and LET IT LOOSE

Hi there dear ones, I’m glad you found my blog again today. First of all, I have to appologize for not visiting the other participants of the Haiky my Heart circle last week – life got in the way… I promise I’ll make it up to you and visit you all this weekend!

Here’s the haiku I wrote today

Friday haiku

The photo was taken on the last day of 2019 by my friend Lena Schreijenberg

I submit this haiku to Recuerda Mi Corazon where our lovely hostess Rebecca brings us all together to share a haiku on Friday: Haiku my Heart.

We’re in the second week of 2020, this new year is on it’s way, and every year again the same question pops up: “Did you make New Year’s resolutions?” People who know me longer don’t ask me that anymore. Instead, they are curious for what word I chose for the New Year. Yes, I choose a word. Do you know that tradition? It started with Ali Edwards, an American artist (especially Memory Keeping related projects such as “December daily” albums etc.) In 2006 she began a tradition of choosing one word for herself each January – One Little Word – and pretty soon, a whole lot of people followed her in that tradition. I learned about it in 2009 and got fascinated by this idea, so I chose my first word in 2010 – “a word to focus on, to live with, to investigate, to write about, to craft with, and to reflect upon as I go about my daily life.” That year, I found out how powerful that one little word can be. Therefore, I treat this tradition with care and think about it carefully before I make a choice.

In December, I always take a moment to reflect on the word I chose in the past year: what did it do for me? Did it influence me in any way? Did I ignore it and did it come back to hit me like a boomerang (that happened to me once… like I said: one little word can be pretty powerful!) I also think about a new word to select. What do I want to focus on in the year to come? What do I want to learn?

My word for 2020

Last month the word “Prioritize” came to mind when I thought about my word for 2020, but bleh… I don’t like that word! Way too cold and business-like… but it does sound like something I need to focus on, now that I have a job and my days are filled with new impressions and inspiration and less time to spend in my atelier. I need to prioritize and find a balance in… oh, hey: BALANCE. Now thát is a nice word. It sounds much more friendly and usable and applicable in many areas: work vs. play, privacy versus public, balanced eating and drinking and so on. I like it! What’s more: around the corner where I live is a beautiful, little courtyard with a fountain, where I walk past when I go to work … what it’s called? “Balans” (balance.)

Like all years before (since 2011) the first page of my new Chronicles art journal is used to create a page with my ‘one little word’. My ‘Chronicles’ is my weekly art journal so it’s on my desk every week… the word is never far away. I bind a brand new “Chronicles” art journal every year, and here’s how my 2020 journal looks

I am happy with the size of this journal, with the first page I created in it and with my word “Balance.” This word has also a lot to do with “letting go”… there simply are only 24 hours in a day and although I can manage with little sleep, I can not work on all the creative projects that are on my wish list. In fact, working at “Zeeland Archives” brings me more inspiration, so the wish list is only growing! Fortunately I have learned to let go – although the ‘letting go’ had more to do with the way I make art. I even taught an online workshop called that way and – now for the good news – I offer this online workshop again next month!

Online workshop “Let it Loose”

This online workshop starts on February 20: six weeks – 12 lessons. Available in English and Dutch.

Did you just dipped your toes into art journaling and are you insecure how to prceed? Do you see so many examples, techniques and materials online that you don’t know where to start? Are you getting a little intimidated by all those wonderful pages that people post online, and does it make you wanna quit? Did you make some art journal pages but feel ‘stuck’ right now?
In short: do you want to break LOOSE??? Then this workshop is for YOU!

DUTCH go HERE and ENGLISH go HERE for more info and registration.

My online workshops take place in an online community that was especially built for this purpose. Lessons are uploaded twice a week and there’s a clear structure in the assignments. The community is where the students and the “teacher” (I) come together, where you can chat and where additional information is shared. You can also upload photos of your work.

I chose to work this way because I feel that jointly attending a workshop gives a boost to self-confidence and brings a lot more inspiration than when you get some lessons by email to work with ‘home alone.’ Being able to login to a save and private group, where you get feedback and encouraging comments is so much inspiring and rewarding!

Pfew, this was a pretty long blogpost… did you read it all? Thanks for that, and have a wonderful weekend!

Je t’embrasse