one little word®
The AEzine is back up and running for 2007.
For those of you that may be new to the site, the AEzine is a weekly newsletter that I started last fall. I try to incorporate bits and pieces of creative information and inspiration - geared towards scrapbooking and life (and the concept of life art). You can check out the past issues here. You can subscribe by entering your email address in the box up on the top right of this blog.
To celebrate the new year I wanted to share the one little word® concept which is also featured in this weeks newsletter:
one little word®A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow.
Last fall in issue two of this newsletter I wrote about the power of words and gave my top ten tips for getting those words down when you are scrapbooking. Today I want to introduce you to the idea that a single word can be a catalyst for enriching your life as well as your scrapbook layouts.
Last year I began a tradition of chosing one word for myself each January - a word that I can focus on, mediate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. Last year my word was something I wanted to bring into my life in a more tangible way. My word was play.
I thought a lot about play and what it means to me. I tried to incorporate it more into my everyday and on my adventures out in the crazy world. For me, it was a lot about living without fear - about being more open to experiences with an attitude of playfulness. The word play found its way onto many scrapbook pages and into many stories I told throughout the year.
Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2007?
It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word.
One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities. And here's one thing that is totally interesting: sometimes a word will pop into your brain and it will not make any sense to you right now. Give it some time. Let it percolate a bit. I have often found that our hearts speak to us in very unique ways. Maybe this is a word you need to hear but just aren't ready for it yet. Again, be open to the possibilities.
You may be wondering, what in the heck does this all have to do with scrapbooking? For me, words are at the heart of what I do. The photos are a huge part, but the words bring it all home. Often times I will begin a layout with a single word. That word becomes my guide as I create my page. It helps me focus the story I am trying to tell and gives me an instant, easy graphic title approach. How often has a word directed your creativity when working on layouts?
Take some time this week to think about your own word for 2007 and read on for a related
weekly challenge.And in case you were wondering, my word for 2007 is peace.
weekly challenge
This week your challenge is to create something, anything, that celebrates your chosen word for 2007. Maybe a layout. Maybe a blog posting or a journal entry or a simple post-it note that you put somewhere you can see it each day. Make sure to journal about why you chose your word and what it
means for you - the more you let yourself explore the more benefit you will receive in the end.Come by my blog and post your response to the challenge on Monday, January 8, 2007. Looking forward to seeing your creations and reading your
thoughts.
I hope everyone has a great day today. And thanks for all the super nice comments on the kit yesterday.
Ali,
Thank you for the challenge. My word is EMBRACE.. This year is a big one for me. I will be embracing the second part of my life - my 40s. My oldest daughter is becoming a teenager. I resolved to EMBRACE the challenge of better health, financial freedom and just life in general. Can't wait to see what the year holds.
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Love this idea...I've been thinking about what I want for myself this year. My word is committed. I'm committed to getting healthy, finding joy in my everyday regardless of the circumstances, committed to being a better wife and mom. Thanks Ali for this and for inspiring us. You're awesome!
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My blog post is going to be about this on Monday morning - I'm going to use your idea with a twist and choose one word per month.
My January word is "Simplify"
Thanks for the inspiration Ali :) and I love seeing Simon grow and progress on your blog! Thanks for sharing a little bit of the autism journey with us.
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Ok - this one brought me out of "lurkdom". My word is also EMBRACE and glad to see other "embracers" out there. To embrace some some changes I need to make, new job, and possibly venture into buying a house. Also I want to EMBRACE the moment, time spent with my kids, husband and friends. Too many times I think I pass by special moments so I I want to hold onto them a little longer this year. I also want to EMBRACE all aspects of ME and be okay with it! Thanks for the inspiration!!
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My word for 2007 is FANCY. I was surprised by all the various definitions when I looked it up. As a noun...The mental faculty through which whims ,visions, and fantasies are summoned up, imagination. As a verb...to visualize, imagine, like. And of course as an adjective...highly decorated!
I plan to let my FANCY FREE in 2007!
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Was totally inspired after reading your newsletter that I just HAD to take a break from studying and create a digital layout about my word!! :D (I chose DREAM) Can't tell you how great it feels to put into words what I've been thinking and feeling about how things have been lately and how optimistic I feel about the new year. Found myself just typing whatever came into my head and it came out sounding okay :D Haha! Thanks Ali! :) I'm looking forward to attending CKU in Anaheim, hope you're going to be there! :D
Here's my layout: http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=1053294
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Ali, thankyou for the inspiration. My word is ACHIEVE. Achieve what you have set out to achieve and be proud of your achievements.
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My word for 2007 -- something to inspire my ideas, my quiet times, and my creativity -- is ELEMENTS. I want to spend 2007 looking for the details -- being blown away by the minute stuff in life and not being too busy to touch the contents of each day.
Here's the layout I created:
http://jwriterblog.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/09/one_word.html
Julie
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Here's mine http://www.jenwilsondesigns.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1994&cat=507. Thanks so much for this inspiration/challenge, it allowed me to look at my resolutions in a whole new way which takes the "pass/fail" out of it. Thanks!
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Ali: Thanks for the inspiration. I hope you have even a small appreciation for the goodness you inspire! Thank you!
My word is Passion - for the everyday momenents, for my husband (2006 was a 'ships passing in the night' type of year), passion for my work, passion for me (which includes making time to exercise!!!), passion for my work and last, but not least, passion for my kids and their interests...this is their time!
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Well how totally cool is this?!! I love getting your Newsletter Ali, I set aside time just to pour over it, am never dissapointed! Anyway, onto my word .. first I thought of balance (much needed in my life), but JOURNEY kept popping into my head and this is how I feel about 2007. I have set a few specific goals with my BPS 'Year to Remember' course, and I am really happy to see where this journey takes me. Thanks for the continued inspiration, best of luck in your new home, we moved in November and I know how it feels to move to somewhere that makes you HAPPY!
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My word for 2007 is growth. I'm living it everyday and life is good.
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As a matter of fact, I have chosen a word for this year.
I'm gonna JUMP
http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=57776&ppuser=658
Jen
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I was very torn about the word i was going to chose this year but after much thought my word is HAPPY.
I want to fill things around me that make me/others happy.
With this new found happiness, I can be a better all around person.
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such a great challenge. My word is BREATHE. (In other words... take the TIME to BREATHE)... it's all about simplifying this year! :) I hope I get to make my layout this weekend! :) Thanks for the challenge!
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The word "stewardship" has been floating around my thoughts. I take the definition to mean "caretaker"; of my family, of our memories of everyday life, our money. It's been interesting to ask, "Am I being a good steward of whatever I'm doing?"
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I have chosen the word Believe. I blogged a bit about it here:
http://www.untroubled.org/lori/article.php?story=20070106233559735
Thank you for prompting me to think about this.
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My word for 2007 is Peace.
Blogged here http://rooruu.blogspot.com/2007/01/vintage-french-doors-word-of-year.html (and don't be fooled by the French doors, they're all part of it).
Thanks for the newsletter, Ali, and your wonderful attention to the everyday, to the small and telling details which make up our daily lives. It's the game I play with my blog, Patterning the World (http://rooruu.blogspot.com/), and it's enriching. Brings you back to now, rather than the unchangeable past or wishing your way into the future.
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POSITIVE. I find that the physical challenges of last year have left me negative...less happy...more stressed...more worried. My challenge for he upcoming year is to return to being a positive person. Have a more positive attitude. Get rid of the negative.
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when i read your challenge i immediately new i wanted to do it! i first though my word would be SIMPLIFY. i need that very badly. yet the more i thought about it a few other words floated around in my head. well it just hit me plain and simple- ENJOY!
it will sum it up hopefully in everything i do! i've already had some fun experiences with it and hope to keep up on this through my blog! i'll have something up on monday!
thanks so much for the awesome inspiration you bring to us!
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My word is "DO". Too often we talk about the things we want to do, but that's all that happens--talk. This year, I want to DO those things I've been talking about. LO in the future. You can check here: http://tosdkrn.blogspot.com
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i am focusing on CHANGE for 2007
we have many things on the burner
cheers!
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Thank you for this challenge, Ali. You have been a genuine inspiration to me ever since the first time I met you when I TA'd for you at CKU SJ 2004! I think of you as the scrapbooking Oprah! You make us all better people. :)
I've been sitting with several words but the one that sticks is DESIGN...as in 'she designed a life she loved' (I totally got this quote from Heidi's BPS class theme). It makes me feel empowered. It makes me conscious that I have more influence than I think or believe or actually do about my life. I want to design my life to be as fulfilling as possible.
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I agree with all the others it is really cool and inspiring. The one word that instantly popped in my mind was "challenge". So this will be then my word for 2007. I assume there will be more than enough challenges in daily life coming up to deal with. Another reason for why I also want to take this word for me, is that I am really have to force me to take some more ART challenges such as attend classes (just started my heidi BPS class) and create more layouts.
And thank you so much for beeing you Ali! Aou are really wonderful and talented. Everytime you update your blog I get a boost of creativeness and inspiration, no matter what you talk about.
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Ali, Thanks for the inspiration. My word is CHANGE. FOr so many reasons this word is right for me this year.
Tammy
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