2019 - A Year of Emotional Freedom

And just like that, it's 2019! 2018 was one of those years that was simultaneously so long, but also went by in the blink of an eye. SO much happened in the last year. I moved three times, and one of those times was to Paris. I worked several jobs, met so many people, started some new projects, and went on the most intense emotional roller coaster to date. Sometimes I look back and I can't believe how much stuff happened in a single year... Do you ever feel that way?



So. Resolutions. As is customary, I have spent the last several days pondering my New Years Resolutions and Intentions. (I think I like the word "intentions" better than "resolutions") This year I have decided to do things a little differently. Instead of writing down several lofty goals for myself that seem unachievable, even with all the hope in the world, I am writing down smaller actions that I can implement every day to ultimately help me become a better person throughout the year. And for my couple of really big goals, I've broken them down into manageable bites that will be less overwhelming when I look back at them.

First, I broke my intentions down into categories: healthy habits, spirituality, career, art, writing, organization, and my planner project (I'm designing a planner, if you didn't know!). From there, I wrote down my actions steps. For example, under "healthy habits", I wrote things like "eat out less" and "take supplements daily". Under "art", I wrote "keep Etsy updated" and "use project calendars". Having everything written down this way helps me keep track of things, and lets me see that a lot of what I want to achieve overlaps between categories, like reading more and praying before bed are both habits I want to develop, but they will also help me achieve my "no screen half an hour before bed" goal!

The best part about writing down my intentions this way and seeing it all broken down, it makes me realize that it all serves one ultimate goal: to look back at 2019 with happiness and fulfillment. That is my biggest intention for this year. The last several New Years, I've looked back at the previous year and thought, "WOW that was a rough year". When we ring in 2020, I want to look back and think "WOW that was such a great year!" Even if it didn't always go my way (and let's be real, it won't, cause that's not how life works), I'll at least be able to look back and think "I found happiness. I bettered myself and I grew immensely because of my intentions."

2019 is going to be different for me. This is going to be my Year of Emotional Freedom. I am intentionally letting go of lots of past pain, and embracing everyday joy! I am embracing all the things that make me who I am, even those things that once made me insecure. I am an emotional human, I am passionate about art and pursuing the things that make us happy, contributing to the world, and I care exponentially more about all of those things over making money. No more shame in these traits of mine!

Here is a full list of my 2019 Intentions:

*LOOK BACK WITH HAPPINESS*

*EMOTIONAL FREEDOM*

*HEALTHY HABITS*

- Eat out less

- No screen half an hour before bed

- Take supplements daily

- Develop yoga practice

*SPIRITUALITY*

- Pray before bed

- Wake up to my Bible

- Church at least once a month

- Practice gratitude

*CAREER*

- Focus on getting back on stage

- Read more plays and listen to more soundtracks

- More dance classes

- Restart voice lessons

*ART*

- Keep CranberryInk social media up to date

- Paint at least once per week

- Use project calendars

- Keep Etsy shop updated

*WRITING*

- Journal once per week

- Blog once per week

- Use photography on the blog

- Read more

*ORGANIZATION*

- Project calendars

- Checklists

*PLANNER DESIGN*

- Finish the whole year's design

- Develop marketing strategy

- Product ready to sell by August

- Use social media for self promotion

What are your Resolutions or Intentions for the New Year? Do you feel motivated? What are you embracing or letting go of in 2019?

2018: Personal Renaissance

WOW it has been a while! A little over three years, to be exact. But with this new year, as with any new year, comes some new goals and ambitions, and one of mine was to get this blog up and running again. My most creatively productive and stimulating periods of time have been when I've been consistently blogging and writing. So, here I am, ready to put my thoughts back out into the universe, as well as share some of my creative lifestyle with all you readers!

I've given a lot of thought to this blog in the recent months, as I've geared up to get back at it. I went through some different ideas for new blogs, came up with some names, but ultimately decided that Free Sparrow is still my perfect canvas. It may go through a few changes, maybe look a little bit different, but I'm really excited to be back on this blog, into which I've poured a lot of time and effort.

SO! It's a new year! Is everyone excited? I love the new year. Yes, it's just another day. Yes, we should always be striving to better ourselves, and yes maybe we're fooling ourselves into thinking this time is more appropriate or special than others to makes changes. But the way I see it, you should take any opportunity for inspiration. If the idea of a fresh start inspires you, then follow that! Go for your goals, and use these changing dates to push you in that direction.

I've been especially introspective this New Year. I think it's because 2017 was arguably the toughest year I've faced yet. 2016 was rough, and we all said, "Oh, 2017 has to be better right??" I hope it was for all of you. Unfortunately, I found the opposite to be true. 2017 was a HUGE test in so many aspects. I won't get into that; after all, the new year is about looking forward! All you need to know is it has really pushed me to be reflective and move into 2018 with the proper mindset for success in many areas of my life. There's a lot I want to do in 2018. I took some time and wrote out in my journal all my goals for the coming year. There are quite a few of them! I broke them down into actionable items, as well, which is maybe the most organized thing I've ever done. The very first one I wrote down was exactly this: "get Free Sparrow back up and running". Others included your usual things, like "regain overall health" and "save money" and "travel more". I have some personal practices to implement, like writing and reading more, soaking up art and culture, and generally learning every day. I also have career goals: to audition like crazy, book some work, and turn equity by 2019. I want to register my small business, Cranberry Ink, in 2018 and get Pure Barre certified. And of course, my spiritual goals: to cultivate my relationship with God and give back to my community.

You may be thinking "WOAH girl slow down! Don't bite off more than you can chew!" Well, anyone who knows me knows that I just about always bite off more than I can chew. I'm gonna chalk it up to ambition! All of these things are combined into what I am calling my PERSONAL RENAISSANCE. This is very powerful wording for me. As you probably already know, "renaissance" is french for "rebirth". Think about that for a minute. It's an awesome concept, right?? Historically, it refers mainly to a huge manifestation of art and knowledge between the 14th and 17th centuries. The idea of consciously choosing to reclaim your artistry and cultural awareness is empowering!

That is exactly what I'm doing this year. My priority is my Personal Renaissance, and I'm seriously excited about it! It will involve my training for my craft, my art for my business, and research for my career. But it will also include personal learning on things I love, like fashion and music. I'm focusing on making choices like reading instead of scrolling endlessly through Facebook and seeing theatre over watching TV. I am dedicating myself to this time in my life. It's such an important season for me, having recently moved to New York and having endless opportunities for growth at my fingertips and absolutely nothing tying me down to anything.

The most important part of this entire process, though, is my faith and trust in God. This burning desire in my heart to learn and grow and make art, that comes from somewhere. I feel very blessed to have this scattered, creative, passionate brain. It makes me who I am and gives me so much drive to experience all the beautiful things in this world. God has led me to this place and into this season and I know he has so much to teach me. So, at this stage of life, it's all about my relationship with him and letting him lead me. I am powerful because I have him fighting right by my side. (I love the image of my God in battle, fighting for his people rather than sitting on his throne of clouds. It gives me goosebumps to think about.)

So here's to a year of faith and art and writing and creating and growth and passion! I'm so excited for 2018! There are big things coming in this year; I think we can all feel it! What are your goals and dreams for this year? What are you working towards in 2018?