January always arrives with a particular kind of light — bright, spacious, and full of possibility. After the fullness of December, the year opens like a blank bead tray, inviting us to choose what we’ll place into it. For makers, this moment isn’t about resolutions or pressure. It’s about rhythm. Ritual. A gentle return to the hands.
This year, my creative word is FOCUS. Not the sharp, rigid kind that narrows your world, but the soft, intentional kind — the kind that feels like turning your face toward the sun. Focus, for me, is about choosing what matters and letting the rest fall away. It’s about giving my attention to the projects, colours, and ideas that feel nourishing, not noisy.
Creative Ritual 1: The 10‑Minute Bead Warm‑Up
No pressure, no plan — just hands moving, colours shifting, ideas surfacing. These tiny sessions build momentum without demanding perfection. They remind me that creativity grows through presence, not productivity.
Creative Ritual 2: Planning With Purpose
At the beginning of each year, I map out the full creative landscape — the projects I want to release, the stories I want to tell, the themes I want to explore. Seeing the year stretched out in front of me brings a sense of clarity and calm, like laying out all the beads before beginning a new design.
But even within that structure, I leave room for the unexpected. Space for ideas that arrive unannounced. Space for colours I fall in love with mid‑year. Space for spontaneous makes, community requests, or creative sparks that don’t fit neatly into a plan. This blend — a clear map with open pathways — is where FOCUS really comes alive.
Creative Ritual 3: Clearing Space
Not a full studio overhaul, but a small, intentional reset: emptying a tray, refreshing a palette, choosing one project to bring forward. Focus thrives in spaces that feel open and inviting.
A Gentle Invitation
As we step into this new year together, I hope you’ll choose a creative word of your own — something that feels like a companion, a guide, a quiet reminder. Let it shape your rituals, your projects, your pace.
Whether your word is play, bloom, rest, courage, or something entirely your own, may it bring you closer to the kind of making that feels like home.