Circles
Over the summer (and carrying into autumn..!) I have been carrying on with my new series, by releasing an updated version of my book Circles , chapter by chapter. I wrote Circles over the years when I first became a mother and was struggling to align motherhood, creativity, and faith. It first came out in 2019. For a while I have wanted to rewrite these chapters to be more universal, and accessible to everyone, with or without faith, whether parents or not.
Life goes in circles. We can feel that we are getting nowhere and that nothing is changing but sometimes the changes are so slight that we don’t notice them.
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As we approach the pivot point, where one year ends and another one begins, take time to reflect on your creative journey with this very simple process.
Look back over the past year
Make note of the things that you have stepped out in this year, and the things that have become less scary. Notice the things you have learnt - notice that the hard things (the failures) teach us more than the successes do.
If I look back over a year, I can see how my journal has shaped my work. It is there that I first dare to dream about things. Reading my journals back fills me with a renewed sense of purpose. There are things written on wish lists in there, that now I have actually done. My journalling has shaped my thinking and given me achievable goals. It is an ever-evolving to-do list that accompanies me through my life. There are many more things on the list and of course, there is also the great unknown, lingering in the distance. But I don’t need to worry about that yet. I will just do what is before me, and will I trust that whatever I am to do after that will suggest itself to me, loudly or quietly, through a song on the radio, the words of a friend, or perhaps just through my meandering thoughts.
At the moment, though, I am happy to live just this day and then the next. I do not need to know everything. I am enjoying the journey from one thing to another, and the unfolding of understanding.
Set new goals for yourself
This might be things you want to achieve in the next year or other changes you want to make in your life.
Notice where your time goes. Notice areas of tension. (You don’t have to overhaul your entire life - little changes are a great start!)
Now allow yourself to begin. Carve out pockets of time to turn towards your creativity. Take baby steps and start out on the journey. What’s the worst that could happen?
Today is the first day.
Edit: And there you have it, the whole of Circles, chapter by chapter. I hope you have enjoyed coming on the journey with me, and I hope you have time to reflect amongst December’s business on all that has come before, all you have learnt and grown through. I hope you are dreaming bright things for the future too.
Thanks so much for reading Miners,
Elisabeth
xx
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