EDITOR NOTES
2017/1
Happy new year my friends! There is a certain scepticism around new year resolutions because most of them have the potential of turning into goals we haven’t achieved. I see January’s goal setting a bit different from just stating new year resolutions. Each time we turn a new page, weither it a new year, a new month, a new season, we have a new energy available to us – this refreshing energy of new beginnings. There is this certain momentum of enthusiasm and the willingness to make positive changes about the month of January. I like to take advantage of this energy and set intentions instead of goals for the new year in January. Writing my intentions for the new year has been almost a ritual for me.
One of my intentions for this year is to reduce to the necessary in every aspect of my life. This is a challenge for example for those of us who have small kids and still want to live a minimalist life style. I have two small kids at home who demand many toys but end up not really playing with all of them. I look at all the wonderful self made stuff my kids bring each day from the daycare and ask myself – where do I store it and for how long. If living in a minimalist way also means surrounding ourselves only with things which either have an important function for our life or which holds an important for us emotional attachment, reducing anything which has to do with our kids seems like a heavy task.
Nevertheless I decided to start with myself. I went to the gym today because I felt that my body is stubbornly asks me to work out that which accumulated as a result of holidays culinary indulgement. On one hand the new year brings us new intentions and ideas and on the other, it allows us to deepen and reach new levels for the goals we started before. Its all about reevaluating wich goals are important to keep on with and which should we let go of. One of the goals for my health which I started last year was to build lean muscle again and I am definitely dedicated to go on with this goal in this year. For me a strong body is a safe home for a strong spirit.
The second aspect is work related. For the past year I really put a lot of focus and time to develop Designsetter. It was an interesting challenge to balance parenting, the blog and the design studio, working solo from home. I noticed that I have neglected my design studio because I just could not find the energy to run it all on my own. This year I will put much more energy into designing minimalist brands and creating art in my studio because I miss the creative design work which is a part of who I am. I really enjoy the process of supporting entrepreneurs in building their brands. I have set an intention to focus more on collaborations rather than working only solo. I also took upon the task of cleaning my computer files – oh boy this is a tough on. I realised I need a method of reducing the files I hold on the computer.
The third aspect has to do with a life philosophy in general. I set the intention this year to enjoy beautiful moments in day and take nothing for granted. This means more walks in the nature without feeling guilty about the to do list which is waiting. I have been reading some books over the holidays and both of them communicate the same message – release control and allow life to reveal itself to you; trust that life has the right experiences for you in store. I am testing this theory this year.
Last year left a heavy emotional turmoil in terms of humanity, peace and politics. It left lot of doubt and confusion, uncertainty. As much as I also experienced these feelings last year, I feel a certain positive opportunity arising from all that turmoil. I feel it puts things in a clear perspective – life is fragile and precious. As a result of that, I am inspired to focus even more than before on what’s really important and on that which makes us feel alive.
Back in last year, I scheduled to meet up in Berlin with a good friend of mine who lives in New York. We planned to celebrate my birthday in Berlin in December. I remember that she asked me a few day after the terrible attack on Berlin Christmas market „hej, how are you feeling about visiting Berlin just a few days after the attack“? I told her I cannot deny feeling scared and angry. We met there anyway. Ironically this trip to Berlin gave me enormous energy to start the year with a clear focus of living toward whats really important. I think this energy came also from the attitude of Berliners who acted as if life goes on.
For the past year I have been on a discovery journey with Designsetter, looking for the minimalist way of living, integrating minimalist design. I have been watching different design brands and styles evolving, learning from their philosophies, from different interior styling options which support the minimalist lifestyle. This year I will be continuing this evolvement with new inspiration, interviews and styles. I have already a list of interesting topics and curated content I am excited to share on here this year. Obviously this journey is not a lonely one, and your experience here, dear designsetter readers, is what I am interested in. So please feel free to write me an email or post on facebook about your experience with designsetter and what you would love to read more about.
Lets keep this momentum of inspiration alive and work toward thats whats truly important for us this year! May we all fulfil our creative potential.
Valerie
Collage images via Pinterest
