Word of the year for 2024
Every year for the last few years I have chosen a new word that embodies my goals and aspirations for the year. I try to choose a word that covers most aspects of my life. I am always afraid to choose words like growth or reduce because I’m afraid of what will grow (my waistline??) or what I’ll actually reduce (fabric stash??)
Last year I chose “Learn”
I wanted to learn more quilting and embroidery techniques. I took some wonderful classes from teachers at Koosa Mountain Lodge. I learned thread painting, sashiko and custom longarming with Pro-stitcher. I can’t thank MK at MKQuilts and Heidi Pridemore of Whimsical Workshop enough for coming to Dahlonega and each spending a weekend teaching here. I learned so much from these ladies.
I also learned a little bit about painting with alcohol ink. Nicole with Von Thorne Art Emporium came several times and taught painting classes to my guests. Her techniques are so fun, and once she taught us how to do it, everyone created beautiful artwork. We got to use glitter AND set stuff on fire! So much fun!
In addition to learning new ways to express my creativity, I learned more about my family. I was fortunate to spend two weeks in Wisconsin helping my siblings take care of my mom. I had a lot of one-on-one conversations with my sisters and learned so much about their childhoods. I’m the youngest of 12, and some of my siblings were adults by the time I was born. Their childhoods were quite different than mine. It was very cool to get to see Mom and Dad through their eyes.
Travel was a big part of 2023. I missed traveling for the last few years, and I was so glad to get to take several awesome trips this year. I traveled to the Czech Republic and learned that both of my dad’s parents were from that area. I also learned that one of my ancestors is considered a national hero in the Czech Republic because he stood up for the farmers when the landlords made unreasonable rent demands. We traveled to Munich for Oktoberfest, and I learned that I was completely unprepared for that kind of crazy fun.
I listened to a lot of self-help and spiritual books. I found podcasts that focused on home organization. I used journaling and meditation apps. I learned a lot about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, my values and my goals.
I learned so much in 2023.
Now it’s time to Practice.
In 2024 I am going to focus on practicing what I learned in 2023. I’m going to practice the creative techniques I learned in 2023. Just because I know how to do sashiko doesn’t mean I’m good at it. I need practice. The same applies to custom longarming and thread painting. I am excited to practice these skills because I truly enjoy being creative and I’m looking forward to improving my skills.
I’m also going to put into practice the things I learned about myself. I know what I need to do to keep my sewing room organized. I know what I need to do to keep my creativity flowing. I know what I need to do to develop my longarm business. I know what I need to do to improve my mental health. I even know what I need to do to improve my physical health. In 2024 I am going to put as much of that into practice as I can.
I’m even going to practice writing more blog posts. Stay tuned to see how I do.