2009 Promises to be a busy year for me. I have long list of important
deliverables at work in the first three months of the year. And then our
little baby is due on the fourth month of the year which, I am sure,
will make the next few months a blur. Not to mention a possible move.
Knowing all this, I don’t want to make too many commitments for myself
for next year because I hate letting myself down and I don’t want to set
myself up to fail. Also because 2009 is the year I am cutting myself
some slack (more on this later).

But, of course, if I didn’t set a few goals, I wouldn’t be me. So over
the next few days I’ll be thinking of and committing to these goals. On
the scrapping side, I am thrilled to have come up with a project that
combines a few of my goals:

1. I loved doing the December Daily
album this year. The restrictions of the precut pages was liberating and
gave me more creativity. But I knew there’s no way I could do it all
year round and I’ve been searching for a way to continue the magic.

2. I wanted to use up some of my paper stash that’s been building. I
have a lot of “old” paper I love and I don’t want to keep buying and
never use these.

3. Like 2008, I wanted to make sure I do each week’s creative therapy prompt.
The other artists do them on a schedule but I’ve done every single one
so far and I really wanted to find a way to continue that in 2009. I
love the therapeutic aspect of CT but the pregnancy took away all my
mojo and between that and the baby, I was worried there was no way I was
going to get to them all. I needed a simpler solution.

So today, I decided to combine all three. I made a 7×8 minibook that is
prefilled with a lot of the “old” papers I love. Cut and placed in
random order. This is my 2009 Creative Therapy book. Each page will be
one catalyst. I’ll do the catalyst on one side and print out the date,
topic, and my thoughts that go on the site to adhere on the other side.
This restricts me to a 7×8 page and pre-chosen paper.

I know it’s working because I’ve already completed four catalysts
today! This might mean my pages aren’t as varied next year but I am ok
with that and I reserve the right to change my mind. So far so good.
Here’s a glimpse at my book:

Catalyst
Nineteen is: Create art around one of your quirks/idiosyncrasies.



I never learned how to really drive until I was thirty. I left Turkey
before the legal age to get a license (eighteen) and then went to
college where I didn’t need a car. And then I lived in New York for
seven years, where, again, you didn’t need a car. So I was almost thirty
by the time we moved to San Diego where you couldn’t do anything without
a car. Let me be the first to say that learning to drive at thirty is
not the same as when you’re sixteen and dying to have some freedom. It’s
scary.



So here we are, four years later, and now I can drive. Well, just
barely. I still don’t get on the freeway. I am still pretty nervous.
But, I can go to work, to the library, and grocery store. I can also go
to David’s doctor’s and mine. That’s about all I need. For now at least.
OH, have I mentioned I can’t ride a bike either? Yes, I know. I am
transportation-challenged. Then again, I can walk just fine.



Most of the time.

Catalyst
Forty is: What’s a principle you firmly believe?



This is the quote that resonates the most with my principles. People are
quick to complain about the world we live in; they are quick to judge.
Yet they are not nearly as quick to jump in and help make change. I
believe we’re all part of the problem and we all need to be part of the
solution. Change begins with you. Be the change you want to see in the
world. If we all did that, imagine how amazing things would be.

Catalyst
Forty-Two is: What was the best moment of your life (so far)?



I have a strong belief that any particular moment couldn’t be possible
without all the ones that came before it. So to pick on moment without
acknowledging the others wouldn’t be fair since, without them, I could
have never had that particular moment.



I’ve had many magnificent moments in my life: coming to the US,
graduating from college, getting my green card, marrying my husband,
giving birth to my son, being pregnant with my second. There are too
many to count. But at this moment, I am happiest I’ve ever been. I feel
content, peaceful, optimistic and thankful. I know it wouldn’t have been
possible without all the moments that came before this so I am thankful
for every moment that led to this one and for this very moment.

This week’s catalyst
is: Tell us about something you don’t appreciate enough. (something that
you take for granted)

I wrote:

I don’t know what I did to be the luckiest Mom in the world, but I
really feel like I am so blessed. Maybe every Mom thinks her kid is
wonderful but so many strangers tell me how special you are every day.
You’re kind and generous. You are sweet and helpful. You are pensive and
quiet. Yet when I go out with you, you talk to everyone. You can walk up
to a stranger and start a conversation. You go, “Hi, I David. I three
years old.” And people can’t help but laugh. Which you then take as your
cue to keep talking. You can play with anyone, you’re not choosy. I love
all of this about you.

But my favorite thing is what I see when I watch you when you’re not
looking. When you’re lost in your own little world, playing with your
cars or trains or blowing bubbles. You have such a rich fantasy life;
you can play for hours by yourself and you tell yourself stories.
Sometimes I interrupt and ask you what you’re saying and you say, “I
talking to myself Mommy.” I guess in that way you’re my little boy. A
self-content little boy.

David, I don’t know how I got so lucky as to have a son like you but I
want you to know that I will never take any moment of it for granted.