2014 Word of the Year

I have been thinking a lot about what my word for 2014 will be.  It is difficult to believe that 2014 is just a mere eleven days away.  This year’s word has been create.  It has been a great word for me this year.  I have been creating new work and taking more risks with my work.  I have undertaken a long-term photography project, which I hope to share more about next year.  However, it does not mean that fear has not been present while creating.  I think that most people encounter this when they are creating meaningful work.  Creativity and vulnerability go hand in hand.  I recently read a great quote by author, Elizabeth Gilbert, that sums up this sentiment very well — “I live a creative life, and you can’t be creative without being vulnerable.  I believe that Creativity and Fear are basically conjoined twins; they share all the same major organs, and cannot be separated, one from the other, without killing them both.  And you don’t want to murder Creativity just to destroy Fear!  Creativity cannot walk even one step forward except by marching side-by-side with its attached sibling of Fear.”   I believe that this sentiment is so true.

As 2014 approaches, I have been thinking about the word that I will choose to guide me through the next year.  Over the past several days, I have considered having open be my word.  I believe that we all have ‘blind spots’ — there is so much to learn and many things that we are unable to  see.  However, I think that if you have the intention to be open, you will therefore be more able to see the things that appear at the right moment, right when you need them most.  I believe this is how the Universe works.  It delivers to us right on time — although, sometimes, in unexpected ways!

Happy Friday!