My Word for 2019 and introducing my new art journal

While I've followed the practice of choosing a word of the year for about 10 years now, I wasn't looking for a new word this year. I've had SHINE for the last 2 years and I think it's with me for life ♥ but while watching Effy Wild's first live broadcast for 2019, she mentioned the word EASE and my heart answered. This year I am looking for lightness, self-care and compassion. I want to slow down and practice gratitude for what I already have. I love Kiala Givehand's recent blogpost where she explains about a Depth year for 2019 - going Deeper, not Wider. It really resonates with me and supports my intention of inviting Ease. You can read it HERE. 
In my past practice I've focused on a word for each letter of Shine and this year I'm really excited by my change of focus words

My Word for 2019 is SHINE with a focus on EASE

S = Self-care 
Stitch and make Art - do what recharges me
Develop relationships - support others and accept support 
Believe in myself
Share - I'm an extrovert so this also recharges me
H = Healthy
Good eating + Gym habit = Energised
Be mindful
Rest
Reflection = improvements to habits
Nurture body and Soul
I = Inner Work
Affirmations
Self-care and self-compassion
Continue to explore my intuition and inner wisdom via Tarot and Oracle cards
Reflection 
N = Notice
Embrace joy - seek it out - sit with it
Practice gratitude and love
Be mindful
E = Ease
A gentle approach - self-compassion
Following the path that feels good for me
Letting go of the unrealistic expectations I wouldn't hold for others

Making space for silence 

Rest
Going deeper, not wider - finding value in what I already have 

And the day after I'd decided all that, Victoria Erickson (huge fan here) posted this poem ♥

I began the year with gratitude and ease - read about my family holiday in Hawaii HERE. Now I'm ready to begin 2019 with a new art journal. I loved working in my previous altered book so much, I decided to go with another recycled old book. Trying to use what I already have, I looked in my stash and had 2 choices 

I love the cover design of the Girls' Treasury without alteration but it's just too small for me this year. The book that I've chosen is still quite a bit smaller than my previous journal but it's good to be stretched in different ways, and if I do as many stitching projects as I intend to this year, it will be great to spend less time filling smaller pages in my art journal! 

The new pages measure 7 1/4" x 9 3/4" (18.5cm x 24.5cm) and they are old-fashioned thick ♥

Given my previous journal ended up bulging, I've already taken out some signatures. There's a mix of glue and stitched signatures. In places, I clipped the stitching and lifted a folio of 3 folded sheets out before taping over the seam left

I have pulled out 6 signatures of 3 folios each = a total of 72 pages. In my book I still have 82 pages so I've removed about half. 

That stack of signatures is ready to be turned into another journal in the future ♥

I have left the damaged top of the spine at this stage (you can see the exposed glued signatures) in case I need to split the spine and rebind as I did in my last journal. 

I usually save doing my cover art until I complete the journal. See details of my previous journal cover completed HERE. 

My new journal will contain my art from Effy's Book of Days 2019 (which is a collaborative this year) and may contain some interpretations also from A Year of Rumi, although I have a different project in mind for that class : Klimt in the Garden with Rumi. Despite my initial trepidation about beginning a new journal of such different dimensions, after preparing it all I couldn't wait to get started. 

My first art journal spread is inspired by the Opening Ceremonies lesson from Effy Wild focused on our word of the year. This post would be huge if I went on to share the full story of my first spread so check back for that tomorrow...