And just like that, a 2022 is upon us. I’ve never big on new year’s resolutions, but I still think the start of a new year is a great time to set some intentions & loosely chart the course of the coming months, knowing fully well that life may have different plans.
Sustainability
This is a word that’s used so often nowadays but actually living it is not always that easy. I’ve always wanted to live more sustainably but it just seems like the movement often preaches absolutes (shopping bans, zero waste, plastic-free) which don’t always seem attainable.
But it’s something I’m working on in my own way – trying to switch to less wasteful alternatives, cooking more, reusing what I have & repurposing as much as possible. I also try to be a conscious consumer, & keep myself educated on brands I purchase from to make sure our values align. I’m much more selective with fashion & beauty purchases (mainly because I use less of both!) but I recently bought some stunning sustainable jewelry that’s so perfect for everyday wear.
Being Open to Change
Sometime in my mid-twenties, without realising it I got set in my ways & consequently resistant to any real change. It started with me putting myself, my likes & dislikes in boxes – there were things I was good at, & other things I wasn’t, and I figured there wasn’t any use pushing myself to do things I didn’t know or wasn’t already good at. However, I’ve spent the better part of the last two years intentionally unlearning that & trying new things.
2020 got me into growing things – it started with houseplants but since then I’ve even tried growing produce & it’s definitely something I want to experiment with more.
In 2021 I took a ceramics class (‘for fun!’) but got into it & launched a small brand too, all the while pushing myself to get better & try more complex forms.
I feel like 2022 will have a thing too, I don’t know what but I have the better part of twelve months to find out.
Embracing Detachment
It’s often said that ‘the best-laid plans of mice and men go awry’ & nothing has hammered that lesson harder than living through a global pandemic. And this is a lesson I’ve hard to internalise a lot with ceramics practice too. There’s just so much we have no control over – it is absolutely impossible to control every variable. The best thing we can do is try & then leave it to the universe.
I’m wearing a Marks & Spencer shirt, Zara jeans, Uniqlo shoes & a Murano Glass snack necklace with a Studio Bahia custom planter.
Photos by Sheila Vaz.
If you have any intentions / resolutions / whatever you’d like to call them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. x
