A (new) meaningful year

Do you remember back in January when I told you I intended for  2010 to be a meaningful year? Well, it hasn't really been working out.

My purpose this year was to find time to get to know myself and what I want. I wanted to make time saying no to some projects so I could concentrate on the ones that are really important to me. I needed to make time to spend with those I love. I needed to stop doing too much and do more of the things that really matter. Instead, the first three months of the year have gone in a blur of wedding planning madness and crazy work hours.

I always see the beginning of Spring as a new start though, and this year, Spring also gives me a second chance to make 2010 meaningful.  I'm concentrating on writing and journaling and on taking photographs that tell a story. I'm loving Susannah's series on How to fall in love with yourself and I'm following her advice. I'm going to take this course, The Handmade Writer,  to get me back into journaling and writing. Because writing is the one thing I always come back to, what I've always wanted to do, what I've always imagined myself doing. So I think it should be a big part of my new meaningful year. 

A creative summer

At the beginning of June I took one of Rachel Denbow's art journalling classes. We had to think about how we wanted to make the most of the coming summer and do some art journaling about it. These are the first three pages I made (more to come soon!). This was the first time I did art journaling, so, please, be nice :)

Prompted by The Fragrant Muse, who also took the course, I've recently came back to them and been thinking about summer. When I was a child summer meant time to play, no responsibilities, no homework, nothing to do until September. Although I can't exactly recreate that anymore (I need to work, after all), at least, I want to bring back the fun, and that feeling of having all the time in the world that it's so difficult to experience once you grow up. As I said in my pages, I want to make things, I want to spend time outside, I want to go for picnics and read on the grass, I want to dance, I want to write, I want to eat strawberries in the garden....

So these are just some of the things that I've planned and I'm looking forward to this summer:

Latitude Festival! It's next weekend and we are ready for three days of music, film, poetry, literary conversations, alternative theatre and lots and lots of fun!!! We went to Latitude two years ago, when it was still pretty small and unknown and absolutely loved it. I've been reassured that despite the fact that it's quickly growing into a big Festival, it still retains its charm. I remember thinking after the last time that I had seen more cultural acts in three days than during the rest of the year. I seriously CANNOT wait!

Jewelry workshop: I'm taking another silver jewelry workshop with a friend at the beginning of August. It'll be only the two of us and we're going to the artist's workshop to make a piece each. I'm going to make a huge pendant!

Workshops at The Make Lounge! I've been wanting to go to one of their workshops since Rachel took a bookbinding class there. They are not organizing any more bookbinding workshops, but I'm going to learn to crochet better than this and I'm going to make bags! By the way, Decor8 blogged about The Make Lounge today.

And of course, I'm looking forward to many picnics and days in the park! I really need the so-called heatwave (We call 32 degrees a nice summer day where I come from!) to come back.