Bloom. Peace. Wander.

Do you pick a word for the new year? Something to live by or to inspire you? With the new year approaching, I began to think about picking a word. I’ve done this in the past, but I haven’t really focused on the word. I wrote it on a Post-It note and kept it in my top drawer at work. Last year I attempted to do my #100wordproject with 100 words to inspire people, but I think it fell somewhat flat. Now that I’m living in a new city, in a new state, in a somewhat transition period, I was thinking a word might be beneficial. However, I had a hard time narrowing it down. A few years ago my word was “free” and honestly, I kind of wanted to use the same word, but when I really began looking for ideas, I found three great ones that I think will be perfect for my 2018.

BLOOM

I found a fun list on The Petite Planner’s blog. When I first saw bloom I thought, how perfect it was, especially with my recent dive into my passion for floral illustrations. Then I read Erin’s little explanation of the word:

Perhaps you are shy or aren’t sharing your talents with the world, but you want to. Set your intention to bloom and show the world, your friends, family, co-workers what you’ve been keeping inside.

I definitely feel this word will work for me in 2018. Not only about showing my talents, but showing who I really am. I have been sharing my art for a while, but I think I could be doing more. I’m sometimes a bit shy and anxious when it comes to claiming myself as an artist, but I feel like 2018 will be a great opportunity for me to grow into who I am supposed to be.

PEACE

Peace (n): freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; mental calm; serenity.

This world definitely could use more peace. I could use more peace in my life. I need to focus on peace, love, and resolving my anxiety. Drawing and creating art are two things that really help calm me and give me clarity. I also need to learn to say no and step away from stressful situations in my life. Having peace as my word I think will help me find myself and be at peace with who I am, and not let others’ opinions keep me from ME.

WANDER

If you’ve been following along on my blog or social media, you’d probably seen me talk about my love of the outdoors and hiking. My husband and I love hiking and we recently moved to Colorado to hike bigger mountains and to be able to enjoy the mountains more. We hiked A LOT in 2017, but we decided for 2018 to sign up for a few challenges to keep us motivated and active. We will be attempting 365 miles and 52 hikes in one year! I am so pumped for these challenges – getting outdoors really inspires me to create more art and it helps me stay positive and healthy. Wander seems to be a great word to help encourage me to get out, stay out, and explore my new state!

What do you think about the words I picked? Any of them speak to you as well? Tell me about your word(s) in the comments! I’d love to hear what your word is and why you selected it. Here is to a wonderful + peaceful 2018!