Something for the weekend

By the sea | SusannahConway.com

How to pay attention (thanks Tammy)

Honoured to be contributing to Liv and Rachel‘s new programs and Jill‘s free ebook

Complete guide to meditation for stellar parenting

“Selfies aren’t as simple as self-absorbed snapshots. In documenting ourselves, we’re documenting the ways our most important relationships have shaped us. By documenting ourselves, we’re valuing the intrinsic good that we bring to the lives of others. Because we’re not just girlfriends, wives, mothers, and daughters. We’re humans that are loved and love. That make funny jokes, and have good hair sometimes, and make awesome lipstick choices.” — on selfies

Here is what happens when each Myers-Briggs personality type makes a new years resolution

The universe, man. I’ve already shared this but have decided we need to look at this at least once a week #perspective

[podcast] Loved chatting to Tiffany about creativity and keepin’ it real

“Pinterest—It’s mainly female-dominated and is for those who have an artsy/hipster focus. Not too many people talk about it.” — A teenager’s view on social media

I do love a good stationery round-up

And finally, is it weird that I kinda want one of these? (thanks Tina)

Happy weekend, loves! xo

The word

Hello 2015 | SusannahConway.com
When December began I wasn’t sure of my word for 2015. Usually the right one floats up into my consciousness as the year draws to an end but this time I needed more time to reflect. Creating — and doing — the Find Your Word mini course was SO helpful (and fun! I love the community that’s been created). There’s always been mindfulness and intention behind my word choices but this year I’ve had the chance to delve deeper into the whys of my choice.

Some of my previous words proved to be wildly empowering — BRAVE, EXPAND and OPEN were all dynamically useful words that helped me create change in my life. Other words have been less helpful: COMPASSION, for example, was a bit of a cop-out in 2011. The more I do this practice the more I understand what works and what doesn’t — and why it’s such a valuable thing to do each year.

Last year’s word was MIRACLES and while I definitely witnessed some wonderful occurrences in 2014, I now realise I was relinquishing control and hoping that something ‘out there’ would create the changes I desired. MIRACLES was not a word I could participate in — it was a word I hoped to observe, and that turned out to be rather disempowering. I don’t regret my choice (this isn’t a lifelong commitment after all!) but it’s made me determined to make a more considered choice for this year…

Nourish | SusannahConway.com

NOURISH. Oh my goddess, yes. This is my word for 2015.

This is going to be the year of absolute self care in the best possible way. I’m at an age where I see that no one else is going to look after me — and I don’t want them to. I spent my 20s wanting someone else to, but that’s just not how it works. I am in charge of me and my life. I am responsible for making sure I am looked after. And so NOURISH is going to help me really sink into what this means — and most importantly, implement it in my day-to-day life.

All decisions and choices this year will be passed through my “is this nourishing?” filter. Work and play, love and life, everything. What is most nourishing for me in this situation? In this friendship? In this business decision? In this choice I’m making? What’s the most nourishing thing I can do for myself right now? This week? This month? Today?

And most of all, in all things, in everything: If it’s not a hell yeah, it’s a no. Full stop.

NOURISH includes but also reaches much further than food and nutrition. It’s how I care for my body and mind, my heart and soul. It’s how I treat myself — and how I let others treat me, too. It’s boundaries and rest. It’s an open heart and the relinquishing of expectations.

I also have an inkling that NOURISH will be woven deeply into the work I share this year. I can already feel it as I journal my way through plans for my business: A meditation album. An oracle deck (finally!). A delicious new course. A new website. All of it nourishing for me and nourishing for YOU.

I reached the end of 2014 depleted and bone-tired. I’m so ready to be nourished from the inside out.

I reckon this is going to be a good year. :)

What’s your word for 2015?

Something for the weekend

The right mug can turn your whole day around | SusannahConway.com

[video] David Hockney in the now (SO inspiring!)

Homemade peppermint lipbalm

Lumbersexuality and its discontents

Imagining God’s voice as “she” — ohh, Ronna

Treat yo’self: moon calendar | this tote | this necklace | this wall hanging

Pausing for peace — gentle wisdom from Rachel

“It’s realizing that after 42 years, the relationships I’m most proud of are the one I’ve built with my mom and the one I’ve built with myself.” — yes.

[video] *sigh* this makes me wish I could draw

ALL OF THESE

And finally, the January session of Unravelling starts on Monday and there’s still time to sign up if you’d like to join us!

Happy new year, loves! xo

2014: The year in review

Polaroids | SusannahConway.com
First, the year in stats:

Number of teeth removed: 1
Number of teeth straightened: all of them
Number of first dates: 1
Number of second dates: 0
Number of photographs shot: 20,000+
Number of books created: 1
Number of new courses created: 2
Number of hours getting inked: 11
Number of trips abroad: 0
Number of years on the planet: 41
Number of personal realisations: too many to count

2014 was a year in two halves. The first half was all about recovering from my dating escapades in the previous year. I didn’t consciously choose to not date this year but it’s turned out to be what I needed the most: time to get back to centre and ground into what makes me me. And I was doing really well — the Sacred Alone was born out of the delicious mindfulness of the first part of the year and I felt more connected to Source than I have done in a loooong time.

But then the book creation process took over.

The Breakfast Club | SusannahConway.com

Shooting Londontown was creatively challenging in the best possible way, and physically exhausting in the worst way. In order to stay focussed on the project and get everything done I let myself consciously numb out for a while — six months, in fact. Rather than deal with the big emotional stuff of life I did the work I needed to do — photographing the city, running my beloved courses, staying on top of admin and blogging when I could — then let myself watch a LOT of Netflix while resting my bones in the evenings.

Exploring the city with my cameras was an adventure in itself and while I felt stressed about the project more often than I’d have liked, there were many moments of pure joy as I rediscovered this beautiful (and maddening) city. It felt really good to sink into my photography for a while, though I learned it’s not possible to develop two big projects at the same time. My plans for the oracle deck had to be put on hold as there just wasn’t enough space in my head (or hours in the day).

I speak the new stories | SusannahConway.com

I hit my deadline early December and now, as predicted, I’ve been sick for three weeks. It makes me realise how effectively my stress levels suppress any potential illness! I’m used to this pattern of manic creation and then full-body shut down, so I don’t imagine it’ll be changing any time soon.

All in all it’s been one of the fastest years of my life. New friendships were made and others were deepened. My relationship with my nephew got sweeter with every day that passed. My love and appreciation of my family is never-ending and absolute. I adore living in London and don’t have any plans to leave just yet. My teeth are now straight after a year persevering with Invisalign, and my body is miraculously still in shape, thanks to working with Carrie at the gym.

Christmas fair | SusannahConway.com
I faced a few demons this year, and though I numbed out for much of it, as noted above, I’m heading into 2015 with a renewed sense of what I need and what I want. I’m also bursting with creative ideas I can finally start tackling — hallelujah! — but first I must prepare myself for an operation in January. I’m having my fibroids removed and need to get my head around that — both the op itself and the recovery afterwards — but once that’s done it’s GAME ON.

Fave books of the year: The Radiance Sutras | The Book of Love and Creation | The Dance of the Dissident Daughter | Seven Thousand Ways to Listen

Fave music of the year: Bombay Bicycle Club | Asgeir | Bat for Lashes | City and Colour

Fave moment of the year: the day I looked after Noah, just me and him, and he told me he loved me (unprompted) about 150 times

Second fave moment of the year: Noah figuring out how to call me on his mum’s mobile phone

Fave photo of the year:

In the field | SusannahConway.com

Fave posts of the year:  The (delicious) truth about getting older | How to access our inner wisdom | On aching and love | 25 things you don’t know about me (maybe) | Delaying the big reveal | The end of woo woo | Sometimes you need a creativity reboot | The humans of Londontown | Inhabiting the soft animal of my body | Things I want to remember no. 12 | On wholeness & loving ourselves realistically | My beauty essentials

Thank you for coming here and visiting me in this space. Next year I’ll be celebrating NINE years of blogging and it is still such a joy to be here I honestly can’t imagine ever stopping. Thank you for your kindness and your comments, both here and wherever else we connect on social media. The web has woven us all closer together and I’m so grateful for that, aren’t you? xo

Other years in review: 2013 :: 2012 :: 2011 :: 2010 :: 2009

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Ps. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas/December break and are feeling ready for 2015. Choosing my word for next year has been made extra special thanks to all the lovely connecting and sharing happening in the Find Your Word Facebook group — I think we may have supercharged all our words in the process! I’ll share mine here on Thursday next week!