something on the wall and some daffodils

I love daffodils. They're such a happy, humble, friendly flower.

After seeing this on Pinterest (a dangerously addictive place), I was inspired to create my own canvas. I like how the lyrics roll into the wooden letters beneath. That was completely intentional, you know. I didn't need it to be pointed out by someone else. Nope. Not me.

hope

I have no idea where this blog is going. I don't have a business plan of any sort. The only real 'goal' I have in terms of this blog is to be a bit less of a jack of all trades and master of none. If I could hone in on the things I do a bit better, and get even better, that would be good. But it's nice that, while I bumble along here (I love the word bumble, don't you? Say it. Bumble.) you lovely folk are bumbling along with me. Thanks for that.

I've always been a great planner. I like to make lists and tick things off. And, if I do/pack something which wasn't on the list, I'll write it on there so that I can tick it off. I doubt I'm the only one who does that. But all of my big life plans fell flat on their face when I got ill, 5 years ago. So these days, I make small plans (like deciding to learn the cello - oh yes!) and I think about the bigger plans, but I try not to hinge my happiness upon them. Only God knows that's going to happen next. Anyway...

Here's some paint I chucked at a canvas.

Here's a tip for you: if you plan on making a piece of art which involves flicking paint, be sure to cover everything (apart from the thing on which you want the paint to land, obviously). If you are foolish enough to do it on the floor in the kitchen, don't be surprised when you find paint on your table legs and cupboard doors. And, if you're flicking the paint from the actual paintbrush (by tapping the brush handle onto your finger, perhaps), be aware that that particular method flicks paint not just in the direction you're aiming the brush, but also from either side and, if you're really lucky, it'll flick paint upwards, onto your face and hair.

Not that I did any of that. I just thought you'd appreciate the tip.

favourite photo of the month and a great big #reverb post

This could possibly be the most staged photograph I've ever taken, but it's SOOC (straight out of camera) and I am super pleased with it. I don't use that word nearly enough. I feel like I've just fallen out of a Ladybird book. I took a little series like this and I'll upload them to Flickr over the next few days or so.

I am way, way behind on the #reverb prompts (is anyone doing them in a different order? Has anyone else been as rubbish as I have with them? Do you know of anyone giving one word answers to the prompts?). Part of this could be to do with the fact that I've been busy. It could also be because I've been making a December scrapbook (I'll attempt to post photos in the next few days). So, I thought I'd respond to a few in one post. Here goes...

Day 13: Action. When it comes to aspirations, it's not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step?

Day 17: Lesson learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

Day 18: Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did/didn't go for it?

Day 20: Beyond avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn't because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwsie deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?)

Day 21: Future self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)

My response to the above five prompts is this:

Stop dabbling with things I'm rubbish at or just alright at and focus on things I'm actually good at. Possibly things that other people don't really do so much or something that I can do a bit better than other people (napping?). In 2011, I will try to get a teensy bit further away from being a jack of all trades and master of none.

Day 14: Appreciate. What's the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

Day 15: 5 minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.

Day 16: Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?

For me, these prompts could kind of answer each other. The question is, with the 5 minutes prompt, would you record all of the awful stuff too, so that you know what you've overcome? Or would you only record the fun stuff?

Day 19: Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?

I've experienced much healing this year. But it's not a question of what has healed me but who. Willpower and a positive outlook can only get you so far.

Merry Christmas.

Try to do some playing, if you get a chance.

5th December {#reverb10: Let Go}

Prompt: Let go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

I let go of a few things this year, most of which I didn't want to. Instead of blathering on about it, here's a picture with some writing on it.

[If you're curious, the lyrics are from a song by Rend Collective Experiment.]