red tail hawk, art by pixie campbell

i am on a precipice.  every fiber of my being is pushing me to this new place.  my life is undeniably growing in every single way possible.

it feels like a great wave of energy pooling and swirling, and i am digging and searching and creating new space for a way to release this energy into the world.  lately, i have been seeing hawks everywhere i look… setting in a tree, gliding across my sky, diving fiercely, appearing as a reminder, a harbinger of something.  his presence has been comforting and also very curious, so i did a little research and this is what i found:

“In representation to humanity, the hawk is called messenger, protector and visionary. Keen vision is one of its greatest gifts. Hawks see things others miss.

The hawk comes to you indicating that you are now awakening to your soul purpose, your reason for being here. It can teach you how to fly high while keeping yourself connected to the ground.  As you rise to a higher level, your psychic energies are awakening and the hawk can help you to keep those senses in balance. Its message for you is to be open to hope and new ideas, to extend the vision of your life.

The Hawk teaches you to be observant and take a close look at your surroundings. It soars with the power to overcome difficult situations. It soars in circles over the life of the earth, asking you to circle over your life and view it from a higher perspective.  The Hawk has a distinct cry, one that most people are aware of. Its cry signifies awareness. If you hear the cry of the hawk use your intuitive ability to discern the message and seek the truth.

If a hawk has soared into your life, you require a higher perspective. You need to see the details of what is going on and look at the bigger picture. Take a look at your situation from above.”

yes.

growing into your life is exciting and joyous, incredibly freeing, but you can also run into growing pains.  so grow gently.  protect yourself.  see the bigger picture.  fly but stay grounded.  seek the truth and you shall find your Life rising up to meet you.

for me, march is always a quiet and sometimes tiresome month. it’s long. it’s gray. it’s when i really start to yearn for spring. so instead of wishing away the month (really march, i am truly grateful for you!), i though we could turn our focus inward a bit. it seems the perfect time to focus on rooting and grounding, and really digging into a solid foundation to build the rest of our year upon. there is lots to do beneath the surface and planting those early seeds and tending the roots are a necessary and important step.

so in moving forward into march, think about those goals and intentions you set at the beginning of your year.  think about continuing to nurture yourself and those intentions through digging a little deeper and finding what you need as well as what sustenance and support your dreams will need to really begin to take hold. maybe more space needs to be cleared. maybe there is more information or resources you are in search of. maybe you need a circle of friends or colleagues to be your cheerleaders. maybe there are financial ducks you need to get in a row.

this is the time to think about what fundamental elements you need in place before the season of blooming really grows wild.  it is a tender time, and a time to really invest in the initial stages of all you want to see come to fruition this Wishful Year. the deeper and stronger your roots, the higher and stronger you can reach! let’s dig deeper together.

what can i say… i am a sucker for love. the flowery ovations, the sweet confections, and oh the cards!  yup.  blame hallmark or blame my sentimental sensibility, either way i’m on board with the whole sticky sweet celebration.

here in the wishtudio, as part of our Wishful Year, we are going to focus more on Self Love. yes, it’s nice to have a partner in crime, but your best friend and your closest companion is yourself (right?). so get ready to snuggle up and show a little extra TLC to your rock*star self over these few short weeks! you deserve it after all.

Wishful Living Assignment: send yourself a Love Letter! make it pretty, and fill it with kind words and acknowledgements (the ones you never seem to say enough of!).  no wishy-washy understatements allowed.  add in some wishes and maybe even a little treat for yourself, then seal it with a kiss and drop it in the post!  then go ahead and make another for someone you adore ;)

in support of our Wishful Year here in the wishstudio i have created for you a companion Wishful Living Workbook. this is an integrative, whole-living tool to inspire and engage you and hold space for your dynamic creative life every single day!

each month there will be new downloads for you, supporting and diving deeper into each months word, color pallet theme, intentions and practices. the workbook is filled with open ended layouts, as well as worksheets, daily and monthly specially designed and intuitive Wish*Create*Plan planner pages, with plenty of creative space for you to personalize, organize and embellish your workbook with your art, ideas and dreams as well.

Download the 2012 cover (with a space for you to personalize it with your name or word of the year) as well as this sample color pallet collage page for free! Co-op members will get these downloads as part of their community benefits, or you can buy the workbook and subscribe to the downloads for just $15 for the whole year!  purchase it here, and start your year of wishful living!

download the Wishful Year Workbook cover here

download the January color pallet inspiration collage page here

every january, i begin the new year and fresh slate with a brand new planner pad. i love the empty pages.  i love the fresh from the printer smell. i love the possibility of what the year will hold. as i begin, the first thing i love to do is collage the cover and personalize my planner since, while i am in love with the layout and design of this product, the cover is less than pretty.

it’s interesting, every year i do this i see themes emerge in my color and image choices even though i always randomly cut and tear. there is a plume if inspiration that already exists in the space around me and it’s like i’m gathering bits and pieces of that energy as i glue things on the page. i love that about this process.

every year, i am also a little sad to let go of the latest cover… i do fall in love with them. it is the one thing i carry with me everywhere i go and use every single day, so it’s very much a part of my life. right before making my new one, there was a moment i thought that i wouldn’t create another that i love as much and had to propel myself a bit to just begin again. this letting go, necessary to step into the space of the next year.

i kind of laugh at the silliness of this, but in this small way i realize now how this relates to all new beginnings… garnering the conviction while grabbing hold of the momentum to move you from one thing to the next. you always have to let go in order to catch what’s coming at you.

so as you embark on new beginnings in your world, big and small, know that they are all significant.  they are all moving you forward.  to begin, all you need is that few seconds of lift off and a place to land your next step.  beginnings aren’t always monumental and earth shattering.  most often they are little earthquakes that shake up your day and give you the space and energy to take on what’s ahead. this movement IS your life, and you’ll find yourself  beginning again and again and again.

as it turns out, i love my newest cover! the adventure it implies, the illustration of the juiciness and rich depths i feel pulled to in this beckoning year. a big swath of nature and green and sea present in my days ahead, intermixed with that savvy urban zest that always energizes me. a beautiful beginning, indeed.

Wishful Living Assignment: create a New Year Collage for yourself.  whether it is for your art journal or planner, or as a vision board to hang in your studio or creative nook, it is a wonderful reminder and ritual to carve out for yourself and honor another 365. this should be an entirely random process, no need to think about intentions or words or color schemes… just see what emerges. be sure to share what you’ve created and leave the link to where you post your piece! i’d love to see your new beginning.

it’s a brand new year! another 365 (well, 366 in 2012) days to move closer towards our dreams and the life we want to live. there is no better time to start than now, and there is no better way to move forward than with others along side you… wanna be adventure buddies?

right here on our blog, the Wishstudio will be hosting A Wishful Year, a year long project to infuse your life with prompts, stories, resources, and of course, inspiration!  every month we will work around a common theme, and build upon this idea throughout the month.  it’s free! all you have to do is follow along, dive as deep as you would like, and become a part of the community and conversation by sharing a little of your journey and thoughts along the way.

the way i formatted the year will walk us along a specific path, in tune to the rhythm and energies of each month, but will unfold in ways only time will tell… the journey is ours to discover!  let it be a grand adventure.

every month will offer:

* a thematic prompt, one word, as a jumping off point to discuss and discover, including ideas for journaling, creating intentions, mini action plans, and best-life practices

* contributions from talented and soul-stirring creative guests, stopping by to share wisdom, insight and creative spark

* a color pallet for you to play in, and visually connect you to the energy of the month

* an art journaling prompt for you to explore, create, and share

* Wishful Living Breadcrumbs, daily tweets @inthewishstudio to ignite and delight

* free for Co-op members {or $15},  monthly Wishful Living Workbook downloads, for you to capture, create, and compile your Wishful Year journey

* new, The Wishing Well monthly feature sharing ways we can give back and give to one another in small, life-changing ways

* our new monthly Wishstudio Wishful Living eNewsletter, with creative living tips, special treats, and updates… sign up here to get our first issue coming out soon!

our Wishful Year prompts…

January ~ Begin
February ~ Love
March ~ Root
April ~ Grow
May ~ Make
June ~ Connect
July ~ Celebrate
August ~ Rest
September ~ Learn
October ~ Gather
November ~ Gratitude
December ~ Release

we will also continue sharing many of our regular features like Wishmamas, The Studio Table, and A Page From My Journal, as well as events and happenings in the Co-op here online and in the local studio.  it’s going to be a beautiful year! grab a button for A Wishful Year and join us on the journey.  are you ready to give your wishes wings?