Easing Into Christmas
12 Days of Reflection | Day 1 | January 2023
Note To Self: Take time to reflect, review and relish the moments captured through the eye of the lens. Do this for every single month of 2023 and allow yourself to ease into the festivities so you enter 2024 with a calm soul. Â
Life is zooming by way too fast, and even more so now, as we have less than 12 days until Christmas Day.  So I’ve decided I’m going to take it easy with my daily monologues and take the time to reflect back over a year’s worth of cherished moments. Tomorrow, I may have changed my mind on this. But, today it’s all about reminiscing over photographs, selecting a few out of my 1000’s.
You may have noticed but I love taking photos.  I’m very much ‘a photo speaks a 1000 words’ kinda gal, especially when I can’t explain how I’m feeling.  Between now and the 24th, I’m going sift through my trove of photographs, as each one captured a slice of my life throughout 2023.  I’m going to pair these shots with a few soothing and reflective therapeutic journaling prompts.  Mainly because it will be the perfect excuse for me to take it easy over the next few days.
Also my Dad and I have a daily photo challenge on at the moment. We both take a photo a day and complement each one with a title or a theme. It’s such good fun and it’s a lovely way to stay connected with him every day as he lives miles away.
I hope you enjoy my photo dump and journaling prompt combo. It’s like creating a serene countdown, to guide me and you and anyone else who’d like to join us, on a little journey through 2023. If anything I’m hoping it will help ease us into Christmas.
Here are some therapeutic journaling prompts inspired by my January photos where I went skiing with my eldest son who is working as a ski instructor on a gap year and a creative retreat I hosted for 12 entrepreneurs in the Brecon Beacons - both experiences I will forever cherish, because I learnt a lot about myself, on how to ‘let go’ and how to ‘lean in’.
‘Finding Freedom in the Mountains’
Close your eyes and envision yourself on a mountain. What sounds, smells and sights captivate you? Â How can these sensory experiences fuel your creative expression?
How does the vastness and solitude of the mountains open up your imagination? Explore how the freedom of these landscapes can ignite new ideas or creative pathways.
Write about a time when being in the mountains altered your perspective on life or a specific situation. Â How did this newfound viewpoint impact your thinking?
Reflect on the solitude often found in the mountains. Â How does solitude enhance or hinder your creative process? Â Explore the role of solitude in fostering creativity?
Describe the emotional impact of being amidst mountains. Â How does the freedom of vast, open spaces inspire your creative thoughts and ideas?
Until the next time
Take care & stay safe xx