Looking Back on 2020’s One Word Theme: Create

At the beginning of 2020 I chose a one-word theme for my year. I had been inspired by Gretchen Rubin and her sister Elizabeth Craft in their podcast “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” (read more here), but the idea has been around for at least a decade. 

My word for 2020 was Create. I wanted to tap back into my creative side again. I missed it. As a 3rd grade teacher I was able to be creative on a daily basis, but in the job I have held since 2015 there really is no creativity involved – I deal mainly in Excel spreadsheets and keeping track of investment banking transactions these days. It is satisfying work that involves a lot of problem solving, but it doesn’t require much in the way of creativity (there is an argument to be made that problem solving does require creativity, but that is a tangent I won’t take here, as it is not the type of creativity I was craving). For several years I had been wanting to start a blog, and I guess the group I started on Facebook, Nourish and Flourish, satisfied that sharing-of-my-writing urge. In 2019, though, I quit all social media save Pinterest, so even that outlet for my creativity was closed to me.

In February of 2020 I bought a laptop specifically as a step toward my goal of starting a blog. I learned how to find a host for my blog, Chris helped me establish my domain name, I figured out the workings and vagaries of WordPress, and on February 23rd I nervously clicked the “publish” button for my first post.

Because most of my favorite blogs all have lovely photography, I decided that I needed to include photography in mine. First I just used my iPhone (and nearly all of my “walk in the woods” and sunset photos are taken with my iPhone), but then I was able to borrow a “real” camera from Sam (this one). He had needed it for a couple of courses in college, but wasn’t currently using it. From my first day using the Canon camera, I felt like a switch somewhere inside me was flipped into the “on” position. I suppose it was a bit like the feeling of falling in love at first sight. At the time we had just discovered that hummingbirds were visiting our feeder, and I was captivated not only by the birds themselves, but also by the detailed photos I was able to take with the Canon. I got my first glimpse of a hummingbird’s crazy-long tongue, caught one in the act of scratching an itch, captured the individual iridescent feathers on a male ruby-throated hummingbird. 

I was, and am, hooked. And I feel like I’m just at the tip of the iceberg of all there is to learn about taking great photos.

I also chose the theme of Create for 2020 because I wanted to focus on creating a life that worked best for me. A life that reflected my priorities – keeping in touch with family and friends, reading and learning, nourishing myself, being strong – in tangible ways, such as writing four snail mail letters or cards a month, calling my mother every day, keeping track of the books I read in my bullet journal, keeping track of my healthy habits, etc. My success in that area was mixed. I do probably send out more snail mail cards and letters than the average person, my nightly calls to my mom are made no matter where I am or what I am doing, and I have made a conscious effort to create a physical living space (especially with the advent of Covid) that feels nurturing and cozy. There are certain areas where I feel I fell down – for example, I can go several weeks making really healthy eating choices and then one event will cause me to be derailed for several weeks. I have admittedly had a disordered relationship with food for my entire adult life, so this is an area that any type of New Year’s resolution or theme alone probably isn’t going to fix, but I think being aware of the problem and never giving up on it are important steps toward healing, and a yearly focus or theme can help keep those fires burning.

Which brings me to my theme for 2021: Tend. 

Which will be a post in itself.

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday!

Love,

Michelle xoxo