The year of our Lord 2020 was a year of…events. Events that have left us forever changed and our worldview challenged. I never thought I would live through a time as challenging as those in the history books from school but there we were and here we are. Despite (or probably because of) the challenges of 2020, I found myself learning a lot and even having successes worthy of celebration.
It Is Okay To Not Be Okay (And Not Create Sometimes)
At times during the months of lockdown/quarantine, I found myself lacking the motivation to create and then feeling guilty about my lack of production. The world has been shaken in a way I had never experienced and I was working from home for the foreseeable future. Sure, as an introvert, not being around people isn’t a nightmare. However, the circumstances of the situation weighed on me. We all need human interaction. We just need it in different doses, depending on the individual. It’s one thing to isolate yourself on your own. It’s another thing completely to have to isolate due to a deadly pandemic and have every potential human interaction be fraught with anxiety.
The pandemic combined with the tragedies surrounding Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and the protests that followed affected me in ways I wasn’t giving proper attention to. Managing your mental health is a full-time job, filled with consistent check-ins with yourself. In 2020, I started a mindfulness meditation practice which taught me that it is important to acknowledge the thoughts you have while not allowing them to control you. Me expecting myself to just power through it all last year as if nothing was happening around me was unrealistic. I had to sit myself down and let myself be still. It’s okay to not create sometimes. You have to take care of yourself now so you can create later.
The Theme of 2021
I learned this from CGP Grey on YouTube.
I watched a lot of YouTube in 2020.
He suggested, instead of having New Years Resolutions, having a theme. It could be a yearly theme or a seasonal theme even. I chose Wellness as my theme for 2021. Every decision I make will hopefully be influenced by that theme. 2020 ended up being the Year of Reading. One of the books I read was Atomic Habits by James Clear, which gave great insights on how to intentionally create habits and leave some behind. I want to take everything I learned in 2020 and be very intentional with how I improve myself spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally. The theme is purposefully broad so that I can adjust and adapt as need be to progress toward that positive direction.
Plans for 2021
One of the successes of 2020 was that I finally started that podcast I’ve had in my head for a while but was too insecure to start. RUN THE LAYERS with Creative Bobbie will have its Season 2 in 2021. I want to get more consistent in releasing weekly content on my YouTube channel and more frequently write here on my blog. I want to be intentional with the content I produce and not just produce out of obligation. The goal is to delve deeper into creative topics and projects instead of feeling the need to post something on social media every single day.
In Conclusion
“Teach as you learn and inspire as you do.” It’s not just my outro for my videos. It’s what I want to do and what I want to encourage others to do. Document your journey, share your lessons, but, above all else, acknowledge how things around you affect you. Rest and allow yourself to be poured into so that you may pour into others through your gifts.
~b.