2022 Word of the Year: Shine

 

This year’s word popped into my head in December. Maybe it was all the bright, colorful holiday lights. Maybe it was desperation. Maybe, just maybe, it was both a hope and a prayer for this new year to be lighter, brighter, healthier and happier. 

Then came omicron. Yet another mutation of the virus taking us into a third year of fear, masks and rising cases. I questioned my word of the year choice, of course. Did it seem too optimistic now? Too cute? Too cheesy? Totally wrong in the face of another year of covid?

As I questioned and searched, nothing else felt right. Maybe, just maybe the word that seemed totally wrong was exactly the right word after all. 

Darkness to light. 

Our holiday celebrations come during the shortest day of the year. The solstice brings our longest, darkest night and our shortest day. But it also signals the turn from the dark, day by day, to the shortest night and longest day of the year in June. 

The sunshine brings not just light but life. Perhaps because of these difficult years, we need more than ever to focus on light. Trying to find a way to shine more light into lives and the lives of those we love. 

Shine.

Looking up shine in the thesaurus, I found many words to inspire and enlighten my heart, mind and soul. Even during this difficult time, I can work to make things brighter around me.

Lead with my heart. Smile even when I’m wearing a mask, hope they see it in my eyes. 

Light new candles. And guide my monkey mind from worries and fear to calmness and hope. 

See and feel how working with brilliant colors in my clay lightens my soul. 

Instant Karma. 

My husband found a song that inspired him, “Instant Karma” written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Yes, the song has a dark side like our last few years. But it asks us to see we’re all in this together. And we’re not here to live in pain and fear and isolation.

We are here to shine.  

Like the moon and the stars and the sun. 

This year, more than ever, let’s all help each other find ways to shine on and on and on

Instant Karma's gonna get you

Gonna knock you off your feet

Better recognize your brothers

Ev'ryone you meet

Why in the world are we here

Surely not to live in pain and fear

Why on earth are you there

When you're ev'rywhere

Come and get your share

Well we all shine on

Like the moon and the stars and the sun

Yeah we all shine on

Come on and on and on on on

Breaking Through

 

Ice and snow covered my world for the last week. There’s nothing I love more than snow. But walking around the snowy park and frozen lake near my home, I didn’t really see it in the same way this time. 

Instead, I was afraid of yet another disaster to add to mounting COVID list. And many, many people were without light and heat. Working from home doesn’t work without internet. Do virtual schools give kids a snow day?

Creative ice. 

I’ve pushed myself through this whole year to create as much as possible not just to keep my work out there, but to keep myself going. If you read my last blog, you’ll know I finally hit the wall. Making turned into a slog instead of a joy. Creative ideas seemed to stop flowing and pushing myself just made it worse. 

I spent a few days watching the ice coat my trees and the snow fall. It was too cold in my garage to throw or trim on my wheel, so I found myself in my studio puttering around. I wrote in my journal, moved a few pieces around and rummaged through my closet. 

Next thing I knew I’d rearranged my studio. Again.

I took everything off my two big black work carts and flipped them from left to right. I pushed one cart shelf up five inches to create a taller space. I rearranged the lower shelves with bisque molds all on one side and clay on the other. I got rid of dirty old plastic that I’ve been using for the last 10 years which I’m sure isn’t healthy. I cleaned, dusted and mopped. 

Drip by drip. 

Next thing I knew, it was thawing outside my window. The sheets of ice were breaking up. The snow had melted on the sidewalk. 

Inside, I’d created a new area dedicated to photography. In the past, anytime I needed photos of my work, I’d go to a professional. When he retired, I had to go it alone. At first that involved carting a stand, tabletop, lights, tripod and cameras out to my garage. I moved inside, but still every time I needed photos, I had to rearrange my entire studio. 

Now, I’ve got a photo area all set up and ready to go. All I have to do is put my piece on the shelf, my phone/camera in the tripod and shoot! Here are some of my first experiments with my new set up. 

Melting happens. 

After all the cleaning, I spent the next day throwing. When I went to put the bowls in the studio to dry, I saw a total of seven new bowls drying on the shelves. 

What happened to my COVID wall? Last time I looked my shelves were empty and inside I felt frozen. But somehow, in spite of all the snow and ice, moving and mopping, something inside of me melted. 

The cold inside me started to thaw and slowly, drip by drip, my creative spirit broke through.  

And some of the beauty that fell outside, had somehow fallen softly on my soul.