My New Years Resolutions are going to be quite pared down this time around. I'm actually not keen to change a huge amount. I'm feeling happier than I've felt in a while and am gratefully aware of it. This last year has been hard in certain ways, but I've got through it by frequently reminding myself how much I have to be grateful for, how independent and capable I have become, and also relying on my (full of questions, full of curiosity) spirituality. I am extremely lucky in so many ways and thankful for it! On top of that, I feel like I've finally found my 'tribe' in terms of dance classes, which are very important to me (missing them terribly over the Christmas break, but I would like to officially announce that I at least went on my exercise bike ON CHRISTMAS DAY, in between fistfuls of ferero roches), have made lots of new friends in the last few months by putting myself out there and meeting up with people based on shared interests, and am feeling more confident that I will be free to finally focus on what I want to focus on, now that upset and confusion are out of the door. I also have a lot of very exciting possibilities to look forward to!
Anyway, enough of all that. I'm shamelessly copying something Ivory Flame did last year, and showcasing some of my personal favourites from my 2012 year of blogging. What an amazing year it's been!!!
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Happy New Year, by Ron Skei, Vancouver:
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Rich Caramel Chocolate, by Cam Attree, Mexico:
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Mosquito nets, Metaphysics and Mississippi Mud Pie, by Mel Brackstone, Mexico:
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Bug Off*, by Cam Attree, Mexico:
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Dance in the Studio, by TarMoo, Eye For An Image Studio, Oxfordshire:
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A celebration, some wedding princessing and some Lions (and a monkey), by Mike Croshaw, Cheltenham Film Studio:
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The Edge of the World, by Billy Sheahan, Mexico:
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Costume Changes, by Mike Croshaw, Cheltenham Film Studio:
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Spring Flower Portraits, by Richard Tuckett:
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Technicoloured Earth, by Billy Sheahan, Mexico:
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Silk in the Dark, by Barry Barker:
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Let's Dance, by Jeremie Nassif, Paris:
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Mean, Moody and Magnificent Muse in Montmartre at Midnight (post macaroon), by Jeremy Howitt, Paris:
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Strength in the Dark, by Eric Kellerman, Nijmegen, Holland:
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Swathes of Lavender, by Imagesse, Gloucestershire:
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Paris by Day ~ Travelogue, by Jeremy Howitt, Paris:
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Portraits, Box, Stripes and Lightning, by Eric Kellerman, Nijmegen, Holland:
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Postcards - an Exhibition, by Robbie Wraith, Oxfordshire:
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On the Plank, by Vanijzen, Amsterdam:
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Fairy Paintings, by Philip Malpass:
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Lioness Lightplay, by Neil Snape, Paris:
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Trees and Bicycles, by Jules Photography:
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Riverdance, by Britalicus, Edinburgh:
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Extreme Eiffel Tower Exploits, Etc, by Jeremy Howitt, Paris:
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White on Black, by Klaus Kampert, Dusseldorf:
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TWO ~ Ella Rose and Ivory Flame, by Karen Jones, Eye for an Image Studio, Oxfordshire:
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Yerbury Fine Art Nude Masterclass, by Max Operandi:
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Pebbles, by Jeremy Howitt, Brighton beach:
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Public Service Announcement ~ A Book! ;-) (And I'm hoping to start putting together a massive book for myself in 2013, covering various styles) Cover image by Keith Cooper, digitally magicalised by Moonmomma:
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Bedroom Glamour, by Tony Ornstien, Oxfordshire:
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Clouds and Poppies, by Rayment Kirby, Sussex:
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Colouroids, by Steven Billups, Black Forest, Germany:
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Lions, Points and Window Light, by Nige W. Hallam Mill, Stockport:
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Gypsy Dance, by Frank (Pangolin). Gregory Brown's LoftHouse Studio, London:
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Red Jellyfish and Black Tutus, by Richard Spurdens. Hallam Mill Studio, Stockport:
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Painting with Chaos, by Terry Joslin, featuring Ivory Flame. Eye For An Image Studio, Oxfordshire:
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Sunset, Candle, Tree, by Rayment Kirby, Sussex:
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When We Had Summer, by Max Operandi:
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Hands and Roots, by Steven Billups. Black Forest, Germany:
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Peaches and Cream, by Richard Lund, Buckinghamshire:
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Purple Haze, by Keith Cooper, Cheltenham Film Studio:
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Mr Cupid, by Karen Jones, Buckinghamshire:
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Enchanted Forest, by Calandra Images. Fife, Scotland:
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Solarised, by Zoe Wiseman. Palm Springs, CA:
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Beetroot and Rocks, by Bob Freund. Joshua Tree National Park:
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Cracked Earth, Sleek Fashion and Tumbleweed, by Jeremy Howitt. Lucerne Valley:
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Ourania Ascending Mount Wilson, by Jeff Wack, featuring Anoush Anou. LA:
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A-flitting and a-fluttering, by Brian Martin. Fife, Scotland:
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Mirrors, by Neil Snape. Paris:
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Otters, Rocks and Water Lillies, by Imagesse. Pembrokeshire, Wales:
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Running in Heels, by Tony Ornstien, Oxfordshire:
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Underwater Fires, by Zoe Wiseman, featuring Meghan Claire. California:
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Grapes and Ferrets, by Vincent Rijs, Amsterdam:
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Thinkin' About Your Body, by OnePixArt, LA:
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Guide us to Thy Perfect Light, by Karen Jones. Eye For An Image Studio, Oxfordshire:
Back to the New Years Resolutions thing, I've realised that, for me, black and white decision-making is liberating, though it's definitely not something that comes easily to me. With that in mind, one new thing is that I've decided I will probably no longer drink any alcohol - not because I think drinking is bad (it's not!), or because I don't like the taste (I do; wine and cocktails especially!), or because I have a problem with alcohol (I hardly drink as it is!), but because I've finally acknowledged the fact that, for as long as I can remember, I've shown signs of alcohol intolerance. I looked it up on Christmas Eve when one drop of sherry made my face red, and apparently most of my Mum's side of the family were tee-total for reasons unknown (hhhmm....); and I've since learnt that alcohol intolerance can be hereditary. Ha! Thinking back, as a teenager, there are a few things that stand out: I only started wearing make up on my face to pre-emptively cover up the extreme 'flushing' I'd get over my face and chest after just a couple of sips of wine, and I remember sitting with my friends and wondering whether I was wearing the wrong size underwear because my chest felt painful and tight after a few drinks. I also know that the 'depressant' aspect of alcohol, especially after drinking wine, is a real thing for me, where a party high is followed by feeling really down the next day. So I've decided not to bother drinking alcohol at all. That's not really a 'resolution', though, as it's not something I feel compelled to do for moral or health or other reasons of self-improvement (and I won't be strict about it); it's just a new, official validation of what I'd suspected all along. So bring on the lime soda and cranberry apples! Or something. I can still dance and have fun; I just won't feel like my cheeks are on fire, and can drive home at the end of it. :-)
On the other hand, I've also learnt that black-and-white goal-making is not so helpful for a person who is already extremely ambitious and has high expectations of herself. So sometimes 'I will do a bit of x every day, and just so long as a bit of x gets done, I will have succeeded' is more helpful as a goal than 'I will do precisely y amount of x everyday, so that by z (where z = an unrealistically short term), x will be completed'. You all know I'm talking about my writing. And that I will probably still aim to do y most days. It's just that I'll be kinder to myself if I don't manage it, so long as I've 'shown up' and done something. (But see 'free to finally focus on what I want to focus on', above.) :-)
...Wishing everyone a happy and peaceful final few days of 2012... and a fresh, bright and hopeful start to 2013!
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