#2412 | season's greetings
one second every day, monthly recaps, and a word game
And just like that… a whole year is nearly behind us!
As this season of reflection and taking stock comes to a close, I find myself having done so privately for some time now, though I’ve still found it a bit challenging to get a year-end post together — one that recapped everything that went on, wrapped it up in a pretty bow, and maybe even helped me goal and intention-set.
Perhaps, in the laze and stupor of the holiday, I momentarily succumbed to the season’s darker, more capitalistic side, and was feeling like I wasn’t doing “enough” — whatever that may mean. Blank pages, a blinking cursor, and a couple of unsuccessful drafts followed. So I defeatedly reverted back to old habits; scrolling on the phone… but this time, I actually happened to come across just what I needed to pull me out of my self-esteem funk and artist block! Here’s a couple of handy resources that helped me look back on this year with ease.
A second every day…
Quality reflection seemed to come first in the form of, dare I say, a video editing app!? ‘1 Second Everyday’ is a tool I’m reminded of every couple months, that has a calendar view so when you click on a date it auto populates the content taken on that day. From there, you can select 1-10 second clips, and it splices it together - like little blinks - that eventually give you a quick snapshot of a year-in-the-life. I love to do these in November / December as a visual of the past 365 days condensed down to 90 seconds.
Every month counts…
I made the video around Thanksgiving, and by the time Christmas was approaching, I still loved it but was feeling like the yearly recap wasn’t complete. So I drafted up a Q&A format, where I considered thought-provoking questions to help get the juices flowing; like the Away/Toward practice coming from Moonlists by way of Jennifer Pauline, affirmations from the Chani Nicholas app, prompts from my therapist, and ponderings from Michael Beckwith. Yet, perhaps as more of a visual learner, I actually found one of my more effective tools in an Instagram template! A simple grid of four, with the name of the month in the center. I added my top 4 (like it was MySpace days) and am, yet again, so very pleased with the outcome. The hum drum of the day to day can really have you forgetting all that you’ve accomplished, and all the magic of life. So I find these both to be really beautiful and personalized reminders.
One last word…
Finally, having got all the visualizations out of my system, I decided to play a bit of a word game with myself. One I used to do often with friends, or alone, that brought me so much joy… a word association exercise based on the visuals from both the monthly slides and the one second every day video. Disclaimer: for whatever reason I often find the need to rhyme in my poems, as if I’m Dr Seuss. Regardless, it’s kinda cute…
Smiles in the mirror
Patterns backstage
A doctor prescribed
Breath work for the rage
The feminine kind
A birthday cake
The song in rewind
A funeral wake
We’re taking our time
A Fairfax opening
Crying in clay
Drugged at the dentist
With something to say
On the couch I spend most of my hours
Although I know that I bloom with the flowers
And a rising sun
A silent stare
Laying in bed
Flicking his ear
We pick the fruits of our labor - just to see
And eat them underneath a lemon tree
The tree of life
On training wheels
The boys on bikes
The girls in heels
Riddim & Rum, Queens of R&B
Then to NY for Land Air & Sea
And coffees with Daryl and tiramisu
Drinks with Anita and spliffs on the roof
Cupcakes in the park, hot dogs on a stoop
A cab to the airport, a Brooklyn bridge booth
A church on the beach
A breakup at work
A sigh of relief
A real life stork
Yellow-stained window panes
The voice of a busker
All the pink buildings sat in a cluster
Tiles and cloaks and cherry liqueur
Fishers, flamingos and sailors at shore
The due date came and went for the baby
So I flew to Miami and I met Navy
Her Grandma proudly squeezed her nose
And Andrea counted all of her toes
I flew back to LA and then the election
But thanks givings helped ease the tension
And a comically tall mattress, like princess and the pea
And ordering affogatos at the Ivy
Found out that reindeers are real
Never had those suspicions
Sad Santa’s in the park
In an awkward position
Ending the year at home
Painting and reflecting
I’m writing and reading
I’m nesting and resting
So… that’s my holistic recap, completed! Covered in words, photos, and videos.
Thank you for reading, and being part of my year, and talk to you in the next one!
xO.
love the poem <3
love you so much! massive FOMO for all your lovely moments in the last 365. see you next year!