A warm hug for the future
Image Credit: Red Tractor Designs
Every September I spend some time scrolling through photographs of the preceding twelve months. I search for both the special and magnificently mundane moments captured in time. These might include the setting of the sun glowing the most glorious purple, a rainbow of light glistening on a piece of cut fruit, or the time I had to pull the car over to capture an exquisite street of blooming pink trees popping against a deep blue sky. Sometimes it is simply the good feeling that washes over me when viewing the photo, transporting me into that time, rather than the composition. It can be a difficult process to cull these images down to just twelve, with the hope that the collection will be able to speak to a wider audience.
Once I have the photographs I then hunt through my saved quotes that speak of love, joy, creativity, courage, and more, that have sustained me emotionally over the same twelve months prior. I use the quotes to match the pictures. I always start with the images before the words. The words seem to click once the correct image is chosen. I favour unique voices and include a mix of current and timeless quotes. Then I enlist my brilliant sister Kim who has a greater eye for detail and whose expertise in graphic design and pre-press means that my vision can become tangible.
This is how I make my calendar.
It is safe to say that in 2020 more calendars were left hanging in February/March than any other year. The best-laid plans went out the window.
After a year like 2020, I imagined that making the calendar for next year would be difficult. That there wouldn’t be any photos that could be of real interest to anyone. After all, we have spent most of the year in lockdown. However, when I started the sorting process I realised that the photos I took in 2020 are not much different from the images I always enjoy – instances of connection, natural wonders, and community. Yes, there were fewer photos to choose from of community – more of immediate family and our local surrounds, although two images feature from an inter-state trip in late October 2019 and one of a friend’s wonderful new baby born during the chaos. On reflection, it seems as though this process is not much different but the intention is purer.
My wish for you when you look at the “This Present Moment 2021 Calendar” – when you stare at the little boxes that indicate days passing, when some days seem to last a lifetime, when some months are battered and bruised with overcommitments, and other months are completely void of entries – I want you to feel the warmth of the hug that is delivered through each word, each colour, each line, each shade of light and dark.
I want the calendar to be the constant reassurance in the corner of your room…everything is how it is, a new day will come, one after another, sometimes like walking through molasses, sometimes tumbling so fast that you are turning a new page on a new month before you know it, but YOU HAVE GOT THIS!
Who knows what 2021 will bring? At the very least you will have a little pocket of peace, a reminder of mindful living, a kind word on your wall.
As I write this, the 2021 calendar has just been sent off to the printers. You can pre-order your copy now to ensure you receive yours. With a limited run of 150, they will go fast, especially with free shipping offered anywhere within Australia.
It is a privilege to create and share my “This Present Moment 2021 Calendar” with you. Let’s look to the future with great hope together.
With gratitude,
Meg