By this point in 2022, chances are you’ve given up on that ridiculous New Year’s resolution you made.
You’ve started eating chocolate again and the yoga mat is stuffed down the back of the sofa.
I’ve never been into the seemingly pointless (and often painful) New Year’s resolution, mainly because it’s setting you up a for a fail. And who needs to feel like a failure at the start of the year? It’s a no from me.
I’m more of a fan of making nurturing commitments to myself, regardless of the date. And, before you roll your eyes, this isn’t some hippy-dippy nonsense. Making positive change to your lifestyle can only be a good thing, but it doesn’t need to be dramatic and Instagram-worthy like a morning seaweed smoothie or a daily 5k run.
Small, achievable goals and tweaks can have a huge effect over time, and have the added bonus that you feel amazing when you can actually keep them up.
Things like drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning or going for a walk twice a week. Small goals, huge effect over time. Stack those small, daily wins to have a big, long-term impact.
The added bonus is that, when you feel like you are winning at something, you are incentivised to keep going. You may only set out to walk twice a week, but soon you find you are managing three or four times. You might even fancy trying a longer route at the weekend.
When you feel like you are succeeding at something, it spurs you on to do more.
We are all born creative – even you
For me, creativity is my happy place. Putting down my phone and picking up a pen or pencil is a surefire way for me to quieten the noise and busyness of life, even just for a 10-minute respite. Without the ping of emails or the constant distraction of social media, I’m able to lose myself in my own little world as I doodle a flower or colour a seahorse.
You never see a toddler holding a crayon, racked with self-doubt. They are too busy scribbling on the paper or the wall or their sibling
Many people have told me that they find my books help them combat stress or soothe anxiety, especially over the past couple of years as we’ve battled through the pandemic. It seems the simple, analogue act of putting pencil to paper can have lots of positive effects.
And, if you are sitting there thinking: “That’s great for the arty lot, but I can’t even draw a stickman”, then this next bit is for you. We are all born creative. Even you.
Here’s how I know this: you never see a toddler holding a crayon, racked with self-doubt. They are too busy scribbling on the paper or the wall or their sibling.
As humans, we’re instinctively creative but, as we grow older, we tend to forget or get in our own way, telling ourselves we aren’t the type or that we aren’t talented enough. Well, that’s all nonsense. Everyone can pick up a pencil and colour a picture, or follow a simple, step-by-step tutorial.
Through my books, I hope to make creativity accessible. You don’t need any fancy kit, or to sign up for a 12-week course, or to convert your spare room into a studio. You just need a book and a few basic pencil case supplies. And, there’s no scary blank page. The outlines are there, you just need to add a few doodles or a splash of colour to make your mark.
Make some kind-to-yourself commitments
So, my advice as we head into February? Adopting a new healthy habit is something you can pick up at any time of the year. Forgive yourself those failed New Year’s resolutions.
But, equally, don’t give up on yourself altogether. If you had a puncture, you wouldn’t get out the car and slash the other three tyres.
Give yourself the opportunity to reset and make some kind-to-yourself, healthy commitments for the coming weeks and months. No pressure, just nice things that are fun, achievable and that will make life that little bit better.
My 2022 will be full of healthy commitments and little changes – but I won’t be beating myself up for eating chocolate or shunning the hot water and lemon for a nice cup of tea in the morning.
Johanna Basford is an illustrator from Aberdeenshire