New Year Update

Cathy's Curated Creativity New Year Update

New Words for the New Year

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but a few years ago a new friend (thanks, Laurie) introduced me to the idea of selecting a word or phrase to guide the coming year. I decided to give it a try, and what I found is that the words selected me—they seemed to pop into my head and stay.

In 2016 the word was SUCCESS, and it came as I was flat on my back with an injury that kept me in bed for six weeks. Here's that story.

2017 was the year to be FEARLESS or FEAR LESS, and I wrote about that back in January.

This year has been difficult for me and so many I love (I wrote a poem about receiving "The Difficult Gifts"), so it's not surprising that RESILIENCE introduced itself for 2018—a continuation of my desire to remain open and graceful in the midst of life's challenges. INTENTIONAL arrived Saturday morning as I awoke in my own bed after Christmas travel, so here are my thoughts on INTENTIONAL RESILIENCE to guide my life this new year.

What words will guide you in the coming year? To join the conversation, comment on my blog post or send me an email. 

Live Like the Mountain Is Out

I picked up this mug when I had the privilege of leading a workshop at Write in the Harbor, through Tacoma Community College, back in November.

 "The Mountain" for those of you who don't live in the Pacific Northwest, is Rainier.

Those of us who live here have a relationship with Rainier (I bought a better camera just so I could capture a decent photograph of "him.") 

I sipped my tea contemplating what it means to "live like the mountain is out" and wrote this love letter to Mount Rainier for the Key Peninsula News. 

Writing for Renewal

I write to discover what I know and renew my commitment to curiosity, for remembering and healing, to honor the creative spirit in me and to connect with others, and I'm thrilled to offer a 6-week Writing for Renewal workshop through Tacoma Community College in January and February. If you live nearby, I invite you to join me in a safe, structured environment for healing painful memories, self-discovery, and creative expression through in-class writing and at-home journaling. (Sharing is optional.) 

Here's a link for registration and information. Please help me spread the word.

Yellow Ribbon Homes Partnership

My husband Kevin is featured in his role as a contractor in a new marketing video (I'm standing next to him) highlighting the partnership we, along with others, have with our real estate broker, Jennie Wetter.

Preparing Your Home for Winter Weather & Water

Ghostwriting a blog post for my real estate broker yielded some great tips from my husband on preventing water damage—something he's become an expert at identifying and repairing—that I wanted to share with you.

Blessings to each of you as we journey into this new year.