So just before January whooshes past, I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year!
The Full Moon that started the year is back again with a once in a blue-moon, two full moons a month, show off supermoon. Did that make sense? Well tomorrow there's a full moon, and it's going to be big!
I have stepped into the year feeling big and bright. I have spent some time reflecting and using the Dream, Plan, Do planner from The Design Trust. It asked me some uncomfortable questions that I wanted to stick my head in the ground and ignore - mainly around direction, and purpose - but I persevered, partly because I had a creativity workshop planned, 'Rest with Nature'. With attendees coming who had been before I needed to bring something new to the day and with feedback from last year wanting more focus on creative process and self understanding, I designed the day to help find our creative aspirations and direction for the coming year. In doing this I had to ask myself those same questions and fortunately I found some fulfilling answers.
We're all tied in to society's demands that we work hard and earn money and that our self worth is attributed to our achievements. But what about our purpose? Our values? Our growth? It frustrates me that society has a distrust of creativity, and creative thinking, it devalues our innate abilities. I would like to add value back in to who we are.
In an exercise to understand my own values (from the Dream, Plan, Do planner) I highlighted,
-Celebrating creativity
-Sharing community
-Spiritual creative
-Expressive, colourful, joyful
And so this year I want to align my business more closely with those attributes and invite you all to go on a journey with me! I have set up a Facebook group called 'Helen Hallows - Creative Courage' that's a forum for all of us courageously creating art and a life of colour to be able to advocate for all creatives and inspire each other.
Feeling brave enough to share isn't always easy but I have been hugely inspired by seeing 'The Greatest Showman' about the life of PT Barnum. The overwhelming message of the film is acceptance of self and others. The soundtrack is epic and I dance around the kitchen singing its anthem, 'THIS IS ME'! If you need a lift to get you through the back end of winter I highly recommend it!
