One Word - 2015

January 06, 2015

One Word - 2015

I've never been much for resolutions. I'm crap at keeping them and always forget them by about 12:02am on the 1st January. So for the last couple of years I've simply chosen one word that I wanted to focus on and keep in mind throughout the year.

In 2013 that word was Patience. Something I didn't have a lot left of by the time my excruciatingly long pregnancy and labour with Zee came to an end. Being heavily pregnant and trying to wrangle a toddler well under the age of 2 was an interesting exercise in patience and I failed so many times. But by the end of the year, having emerged from the pregnancy-newborn fog I realised that I had learnt a lot about myself and my patience. I realised that choosing the word patience was about a lot more than simply trying to have more, it was about learning. Learning my triggers, learning what things did and didn't help my patience. Learning skills and strategies to cope when I was running very low on it.

So in 2014, armed with what I had learnt about myself the previous year, I chose my word. It was Determination.

I wrote but a few short weeks ago about how I felt like I had failed quite a bit last year. That my determination had deserted me and that I felt like I could have done better. The funny thing is, despite my "failings" (for they really weren't failings, and where I might have failed in some areas I excelled in others) I still ended the year with much determination, and a passion to do better and once again try to reach the goals I didn't reach in 2014.

In 2015, the word I've decided on is Capture.

The dictionary definition of capture is follows...

verb (used with object), captured, capturing.

1. to take by force or stratagem; take prisoner; seize:

The police captured the burglar.

2. to gain control of or exert influence over:

an ad that captured our attention; a TV show that captured 30% of the prime-time audience.

3. to take possession of, as in a game or contest:

to capture a pawn in chess.

4. to represent or record in lasting form:

The movie succeeded in capturing the atmosphere of Berlin in the 1930s.

As you can see, capture can be used in a few different contexts. For me, what I want the word Capture, to represent for me in 2015 is two-fold.

For starters, I want to gain control of or exert influence over my mindset in regards to organisation and exercise/weight-loss. I am lazy, messy and disorganised by nature. I'm seriously terrible. I am also extremely good at starting things, not so good at following through and finishing things (something which you might have noticed about me via the blog!).

I want to capture that mindset, gain control of it, influence my mind with the help and advice of others and see what I can really achieve if I get myself motivated and above all, organised. I start my photography course at tafe in February, and I'll be on campus for two full days each week. It's going to take lots of organisation and non-laziness to keep on top of everything, the house, the kids, the assignments. It's going to be a massive challenge, and a test-run for how I might go when it comes to a year of full-time study in 2016 (and whether or not I am indeed cut out for that!).

Which brings me to the second fold of what Capture will mean for me in 2015.

In 2015 I want to capture as many moments and emotions through the lens of my camera as I can. I want to create images that are thought-provoking, that manipulate the viewer's emotions, that make them feel something, even if it's just a fleeting scent of happiness.

I want to capture my photographic ability in a measurable way so that I can see how much I really know and how much more there is to learn. Not that there is ever going to be a time when there isn't something I want/need to learn about photography!

I want to capture the imagination and fun of my everyday left in 2015. I want to play with the girls more and help them capture their imaginations. It may seem weird to some, but I'm so painfully aware of the fact that Punky only has two years left at home until she starts school. We will never get this time together again and I want to make the most of each and every second. Being at Tafe and studying (and hopefully maybe even working!) I am going to have to prioritise my time with her in a big way if I want to really enjoy the last of her pre-school days.

We recently bought a new set of coloured pencils, Dave and I. A beautiful set of 72 Derwent Artist pencils, pencils that will be for the big people, and only the big people! I've made no secret of the fact I love to colour in. I find it ridiculously to sit in front of the TV with a set of pencils or textas and a colouring book with beautiful, thick pages. I have quite a few mandala colouring in books now too, and I really do find it so peaceful to colour them in.

Dave has always loved fine art and drawing, and he wants to start drawing again. I hope that he will indeed find the time to get back to his drawing, and I hope I can encourage and help him to find his inner talent again. I also think it would be a great way for him to unwind, and focus some of his nervous energy in a constructive way.