2012: a year in review

This is a long post, so grab a cuppa and pull up a comfy chair with me.....

2012 has been an amazing year of great change for me.

When I set my goals and aspirations in January I had lots of hopes for what I wanted to do and how much I wanted to change my life but didn't realise just how much I would really accomplish in those 12 months.  

Here's my vision board which set my intentions for 2012.  A bit faded now as it's been on my studio wall all year!  The figure half way down the right hand side is a much younger self, she's drawing with pastels.

My word for 2012 was CREATIVE and in my visoning session at the start of the year I set three main intentions: 

• be creative every day
• start my blog
• start my creative business 

Importantly, I also wanted to give myself TIME: time to be me, time to be creative, time to paint.

At the beginning of 2012, I was teaching holistic therapies, running my training business (Amethyst Holistic Training) AND trying to be creative every day.  I was crippled with back pain and running on empty; I knew that something BIG had to change before I crashed completely.  So, after much agonising I decided to give up teaching.  This was a major life change for me - I had been teaching therapies for 13 years, but I also knew that if I wanted to be creative and give myself time to do this, it had to happen. So, at the end of April I stopped teaching and gave myself time.

By March I had started my blog (you're reading it now!) and I had a steady routine of running my training business in the morning and painting/journalling in the afternoon.  Woohoo, two objective achieved!!

Starting my creative business took much longer and this is fine.  I wanted to give myself time and this is what I did.  I enjoyed painting and being creative; there was no hurry.  But during October, my guides and angels started hurrying me up.  They told me, in my little planning journal, that I could get the party started!! 

I think there was a general speeding up for lots of us as we got nearer to the big energy shift on 21.12.12.  In October I started to get enquiries from people interested in buying my work or prints of my work. October and November became a bit crazy as I spent more time on product development (cards and prints) rather than on creating (although I realise now I was creating but in a different way). 

And out of the blue, my goddess guides decided I should create a Yearbook!! For the last 3 years, I have written a monthly newsletter for my training biz.  I was writing the newsletter for November and a voice whispered in my ear, 'This could be a yearbook'............. Mmm, a yearbook I thought and then spent the next 6 weeks writing and creating it!!  

It became an entirely different creation to the Amethyst newsletter idea, with the goddess guides moving in and becoming the major focus.  You can read more about it and buy it in the shop!!  This was something I had not planned or thought about - so when you are doing your vision boards and setting your intentions for 2013, leave some space for unknown and amazing things to happen.........

I've come such a long way since January:

• In February I started painting again, largely thanks to the amazing Flora Bowley's Bloom True ecourse.
• In March I started my blog.
• In April I stopped teaching. I also went to see the utterly wonderful and inspiring David Hockney exhibition 'A Bigger Picture' at the Royal Academy in London.
• In May and June I took time to adjust to my new routine, painting and journalling.
• In July, my partner, John, and I took a much needed holiday in beautiful Northumberland.
• In August I started a new way of working thanks to Tracie Hansen's class in Connie Hozvicka's 21 Secrets Art Journal Playground.  Using this method as a starting point I have created my 'tribe' paintings featured on my blog and posted on FB and IG.
• In September I was a guest on Teresa Robinson's blog Rightbrainplanner. 
• In November, I started writing my Goddess Inspirations Yearbook & Planner, and opened my shop on the website with prints and cards.
• In December, I published my Yearbook and Planner! 

I have also: grown a supportive online community of friends and fellow creatives on Facebook and Instagram; taken part in Louise Gale's HeArt Exchange and Creative Color Challenge; joined The Art Journaler online community with Mandy and Teresa; gained new friends and lost some old ones as my energy and interests changed. I have experienced some heartache but SO much joy.  

I hope your year has been as full as mine.  I am truly grateful to the Universe for putting all these wonderful  opportunities in my way and my being brave enough to take part in them.  

What about 2013?  I'll be doing my vision board for the year and posting it here.  To begin with I have in mind more painting and getting back in the creative flow.  I'd like to do more regular blog posts and there are some Goddess oracle cards in the pipeline.

I haven't yet decided on my word for the year, though I have several floating in my head.  Have you chosen your word for 2013?  Have you set your intentions?  I would love to hear what you have planned or would like to achieve.  And if you have done a review of your year on your blog, please share a link in the comments below as I would love to check it out.

Wishing you all you wish yourself for a wonderful 2013

From my very grateful heart to yours

Rachel xox