I notice that some of the bloggers I follow had done recaps of last year and I thought it was a good idea.
I have 3 rather different records of the year, the paper calendar on the wall, my journals which I started filling in at the suggestion of my therapist and my blogs.
I started this post by going back over my journals but actually, turns out that is a big job so I may make a post about that in the future, but for this post I will just do a quick summary.
The external big deals for me was going on 3 holidays (none of which I really wanted to go on but went because of family).
I survived all of these and actually enjoyed them so that was a good positive outcome.
I started seeing a therapist and learnt quite a bit more about myself, amongst other things, I don’t have food issues but I do have autistic and ADH traits (and so have a tendency to get fixated on certain things, healthy eating happening to be one of those interests, which being me, I can take a bit far at times).
I took up boxing, absolutely loved it, took it a bit far, so had to stop again due to injuries starting.
I took up the cello to accompany my piano learning and spent a large part of the year obsessed with playing, learning music. I’m still very much a cello beginner and doing fine but, being me, wanting my progress to go faster so often feeling frustrated.
Someone in the family has repeatedly asked me “what’s your latest fad then?” I pointed out to them that I don’t have fads, more like obsessional interests in things which I will pursue to the nth degree.
I finished Zine 5 which was all about my relationship with my absent father. It was tough revisiting stuff but really good to sort out my feelings, dust them off and then put it all back in the cupboard I tend to keep closed.
When I finished my zine I did some printing as something completely different. It has been easier having the press in my studio but I ended up mainly hand printing.
My twice weekly yoga and exercise sessions, monthly massage sessions, have been a constant, steady thread all year. I often don’t feel like going but am always glad afterwards.
Largely thanks to my therapist the latter part of the year I have got better at being true to myself, such as deciding what I want to do rather than fitting in with other people’s expectations. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m getting better at stating what my plan is, facing other people’s reactions, following it through and not being too racked with guilt. Accepting that laying down boundaries is uncomfortable. I still come up against that, but it is work in progress.
Workwise I've signed up for a short on line course (six sessions on a monthly basis) to help me progress my work with Zine 6. I'm 3 sessions in with that, it has been helpful although technologically a bit stressful.