t's a new year, filled with creative opportunity and ideas. I get a bit excited at the start of a new year, because it gives us a chance to really set in motion new things we've wanted to do, it's amazing what a simple flip of a calendar page can do for inspiration or motivation.

I'm leading, for the 3rd year now, a creative journey with hundreds of other creatives called @lightbulbproject. It's a year long prompt filled creative endeavor that will allow us all to explore our own imagination and creativity as part of a community. The first weeks prompt was "Exploration" and this image to me, shares that excitement of entering a new year of possibility and imagination and ideas!

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When I was a younger, the only thing that I truly wanted to be was an artist. I didn't know what that meant, I had visions of someone standing in an empty studio, with a canvas and paints and a bowl of fruit but that wasn't quite where I thought I wanted to be. I wanted to be an animator at Disney, I wanted to tell stories and make people dream and show people that magic lives in every cloud, every tree, behind every door. .
And I tried, but drawing didn't feel entirely natural. Nor did painting, or sculpture, or any other medium. Until I picked up a camera. And then I realized that was the key to unlocking all my stories, that was how my inner artist would emerge, through the mirrors and the buttons on this little box. And that little childhood dream of being an artist, well it came true in way I never saw coming. .

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The last few weeks have been a lot of swirling thoughts and emotions. Traveling back to Canada from the UK and the stress of that, the 2 weeks quarantine kind of left me feeling uninspired. But having been back in the mountains for a week, breathing the clean air and the seeing the stars has sort of given me back a bit of inner freedom of thought.
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I've started to work on new images, thought about where I want my work to go and what I want it to say and have enjoyed the process of slowly getting back into rather than diving headfirst. For me, being in nature always feels like freedom and let's my mind be free.

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Did you know that today is International Self Care Day?
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Self Care is so important and a necessity in managing our mental health. Often we look at it like a luxury instead of something we need to prioritize. The idea that we can't pour from an empty cup is a perfect reflection on why self care is important, we can't give to others if we haven't had the chance to give back to ourselves.
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My idea of self care is usually running or cycling or time in nature (plus a good coffee and cinnamon roll).
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I think it's safe to say that most of us are ready to draw this year to a close and open the door to a new one. That's certainly the inspiration behind this image, drawing it to an end so I can step through and enter a new chapter and year.
I have some creative goals fluttering around in my mind, directions that I'd like to take my work in the next year, projects I'd like to start (and maybe finish), new tools and resources to develop. I'm looking to the new year with a calm sense of purpose, ready to walk through the door and see what's on the other side.
What are you hoping is on the other side of your door? Any goals or specific plans you're ready to start working on? I'd love to hear.

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