Rhi Axtell – Writer

It’s the third day of January in the new year and I’m on it.

It, in this case, is setting up the next month or so in my diary. While I was reflecting on 2024 and what I had achieved, I realised that a lot of the year was spent with me thinking what can I do? What can I ACHIEVE? Without… actually achieving anything.

2025 is a year with less thinking and more doing!*

*I will add that, as I am still taking two night classes in both counselling and French, there will still be a significant amount of thinking.

But I think (argh! I’m back to thinking already!) that a lot of my concerns and worries do come from the fact that I sit around thinking about my doom all the time, in one form or another. Doomed to financial insecurity. Doomed to never find employment. Doomed to never complete a book again… blah blah blah.

I’m going to try and pull out of this doom spiral by being more active, present, and mindful.

What does that mean?

I’m not entirely sure, but it sounded good, didn’t it?

I’ve been researching how to be a Mindful Artist recently. Doing art for the sake of being artistic, not for publication. Making art slower. Reflecting and feeling as you do the art.

I found an art therapist in the US who does slow drawing – giving yourself space to just draw slowly without any particular goal except to be artistic. I’ve never really tried something like that. Going slow has never really been my approach. I blame my years as a ghostwriter on strict deadlines – giving yourself space to think in those moments could mean not getting paid.

I am also going to try to do The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron again. I keep getting to week 3 and giving up – but this time I am feeling more dedicated. Maybe it’s that ‘start of the year’ thing. Probably is. Could also be because I just had a coffee.

Either way, this is about doing. I am doing. Off I go! (Slowly)

See you tomorrow.