(this is a graphic I made on Photoshop, experimenting & learning!)
Hi everyone! I hope you're having a lovely start to 2022!! Today I'm so excited to share my annual "word of the year" video, mainly because these videos and blog posts have come to have such significance in my life over the years.
To start off with, last year the word that I chose to focus on for 2021 was "authentic" and MAN did that ring true in my life throughout literally the entire year. I don't think any year in my life has wrung more true for that word than this past one, so it was totally God's plan that that was what I chose. I learned so many things through focusing on being authentically myself that were totally unexpected. Overall, I definitely just learned more about who God made me to be, what He made me passionate about, what faults He made me with, and what good I'm (at least currently) meant to do in the world. It's been so so cool to see that play out! Interestingly, not only did I learn about being authentically myself, but I also experienced authenticity with others in ways that I didn't expect. For example, I learned and was reminded that true friendship is built on vulnerability and authenticity. I learned that relationships with those I love are only beneficial on both sides if you're authentically yourselves and don't try and change yourself for the other person. The best people that have come into my life and experiences I've had are the ones where I'm unabashedly myself. These people and places may not always last, but if I stayed true to who God made me to be the entire time, then I can see through the rough patches what God's will is. It's tough, but it's so beautiful. There are so many layers to authenticity that I learned, and I'm sure will continue to learn, so it was just the coolest thing to experience God's goodness through that!! It's all a journey and I love learning more about myself!
Just as a little journal for myself, here are some things (good & bad & random) that I learned about myself through focusing on unabashed authenticity in 2021. Some are good, some are not so great, but they're all how God made me and I'm learning to embrace that.
I laugh loud and often. Often too loud and too often. I've been told to quiet down and that "I don't need to laugh at everything", but you know what... if I feel like joyfully laughing, why the heck not? It does no harm and might even bring someone else joy too. Serotonin is quite fabulous.
I share a lot of my life on social media, unlike a lot of my peers, but I've learned why. If something makes me smile or chuckle or I find it interesting or inspiring, there's just a chance that it will for someone else too, so I want to share it just in case. You never know what an impact a random quote or Bible verse might have on someone so might as well!
I'm a suckerrrr for sunrises and sunsets!! I'll stop literally anything I'm doing to take a picture of the sky if it's even at all pretty, and all of my friends know it. In my mind it's truly God's canvas. He's quite the artist! The amount of times that I've been having a rough day and then I look out the window during golden hour to see a beautiful sunset are countless. Seeing the sunrise during my run or drive to school just brings such good vibes.
This past semester in school I learned how much I LOVE art history!! It's just so interesting. Ever since 10th grade I've been a total history nerd (thanks Dad & Mrs. Salyards & Ms. Piotti), but taking art history this year perfectly combined my love for storytelling, history, and art.
I want to travel the world. I think that the world was made this huge and beautiful for us to see it! My passion for capturing moments and beauty will come in big handy. Stay tuned on here. ;)
I'm a words person. I didn't really know or understand that until this year, but I've come to find that I actually love poetry. I've always loved reading and obviously blog writing as a journal of my life, but lately I've started writing poetry as an emotional outlet, and it's been life changing. It's nothing special or probably particularly moving to anyone except me, and it's just the notes app on my phone, but I love it.
I can be super absentminded if I'm focused on something in my head. Like incredibly absentminded and forgetful, lol. It's definitely something to work on. ;)
I tend to live in my imagination in my free time. On runs, walking the halls in school, listening to music - I'll create the future life I want to live. It's definitely not the best habit, and I try to work on being present sometimes, haha, but I think my imagination motivates a lot of my life goals, and definitely all of my art.
Seeing people smile is one of my favorite things ever. A genuine joyful smile, especially if I had literally any part at all in causing it is just beautiful.
I have an eclectic music taste and can jam to just about anything except country. This year I learned that I really like 90s rap for some reason?? Random but I enjoy it, lol. I also fell into really really liking what my mother will tell you is "trashy rap", but idk man, I can vibe with it.
I seek to be the change I want to see in the world. Mostly just on a small scale with simple little things at school or in my life, but I really hope someday it'll go large scale. This world and this life are so beautiful and I really seek to share that with people.
Goofy dancing makes me happy. I'm always down for a random dance party anytime, any place. I definitely can't dance well to save my life (going to a school with pre-professional dancers oddly hasn't helped, lol) but I'll proudly bust out some dorky moves, whether they're called for or not.
I'll laugh at a 'dad joke' every. single. time. I try to stop but I can't help it, and I think that's just from growing up with a dad who pulls dad jokes often and proudly, lol. I'll be the only one in my class to chuckle at a stupid dad joke that the teacher says, but it's truly involuntary.
OKAY! Now that I'm through some fun facts about myself that I discovered this year, here's my word for 2022! Drumroll please....
M A S T E R P I E C E .
At first that definitely won't make sense as a word to focus on for a year, but hear me out. I don't even know how I came up with this word except just by thinking about what I want my life to look like during the coming year. Since I've learned so much about myself during this past year, I feel like it's time to apply that to living my life! I want to create my life as a masterpiece. Imperfect, yes, but beautiful. My journey and self being one that someone can look at and see themselves in, connect to. Life is meant to be lived, so I want to live God's journey for me as artistically and passionately as I can. Experiment with myself, try new things, love people more genuinely. Random acts of kindness, goofy faces in the halls, starting conversations. Be a friend to all. Make lots of art. Look up at the sky daily. Write poetry. Meet new people, travel the world, and really just experience as much of life as I can. All of these things! Create a masterpiece of a life. To truly live, not just exist.
Falling in love with life. Not that everything will be good, but rather finding beauty in the fact that everything can't be good. Seeing beauty in the pain, and art in everything.
Something art history has taught me is that if you look closely at any famous artwork, you'll see flaws. They're in every masterpiece, but somehow those flaws always make the artwork more beautiful to me. I have flaws, but I want to use them to grow into a more empathetic human being. They show true humanity, something that so many of us are afraid to show.
duende (n.) - the mysterious power of art to deeply move a person
I'm going to create a masterpiece of a life, and I hope you do too.
it's that beautiful
mysterious
passionate
torturous
feeling of knowing
deep within yourself
that the good old days have passed,
a beautiful season is coming,
and you're in the in between.
that bittersweet space filled with
broken hearts, cracked dreams, a bruised soul
but also a healing heart, joyful moments, an inspired mind.
hopeful, joyful, healing, growing.
I'm not quite sure of what's coming,
but I can feel God working in my heart
which must mean
that something absolutely beautiful
is on its way.
- 1/18, poems written while sitting on my bed, contemplating the world
More explanation is in the video! Check it & enjoy! ❤️💫
Episode 167: https://youtu.be/S5zhCUSB0gk
My Channel: (Edith Noble) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnXXLYRl1ImCPHpCqeFdilg
