Take stock of those you spend your time with. Some people are in your life and there's nothing you can do about that. If those people are toxic, it's hard. But you don't have to only spend your time with those people. Search out those who are going to encourage you and help you and be around you without strings.
Easy to say but not always easy to master. For the extroverts among us, you'll know how to meet people and be around them. For the introverts among us (like me), that can be harder. If you have a creative hobby, find local groups that you can join that will give you some common ground to meet others. Find local groups through virtual organizations like Live Your Legend or NaNoWriMo. Take some classes through your local community college or community group. If you don't know who those groups are, check out listings in your local newspaper or look at their online community postings. Many radio and tv stations also have community calendars that list local group meetings.
While you're at it, visit a group doing something you've never heard of before to find out what they're passionate about. In my local Weaver's Guild, we once had a program presented by 2 ladies who do artful things with wheat. No, really. With wheat. Really elaborate, astounding things. With wheat. Don't believe me? Have a look at this.
There is a whole international organization of people who make art with wheat. Who knew? In our area, there are several local groups of people committed to this art form.
Now, I don't have any interest in using wheat as an art form but these folk do and they were fascinating to listen to and ask questions of. And now I know something I didn't know before. I know people make beautiful things with wheat.
My best friend plays the harp (the big stand up harp). She didn't learn when she was young. She decided in her 60s that she wanted to learn to play the harp so she started asking questions and actually found someone locally who teaches harp. She began to learn and discovered that there are harp conferences all over the United States where hundreds of harpists go to take workshops, meeting other harpists and shop. For harp stuff. Who knew? They even have a "harp parking lot" outside the vendor area. They park their harp and go shop or go eat. Harp parking lots! Don't you love that!!
She now plays locally at her church, at nursing homes and is part of a "harp circle" where a group of people who play the harp (or are learning to play the harp) meet just to play the harp. And, by the way, she's been blind since childhood so she learns by ear and with teachers helping her verbally rather than by showing her what to do or giving her a sheet of music. You can do this stuff, too, you know.
Now she knows people all over the United States who share her love of the harp and I know something new. I know people who have a passion for the harp. The only thing I ever knew before was that Harpo Marx played the harp. I don't play the harp but I hang out with some that do and they have their own vocabulary and sense of the world that no one else has. I like harp people.
The point is, hang out with people who are creative or who embrace a life of creativity. It doesn't matter if you do what they do, creativity crosses boundaries. Your unique perspective (creativity) will inspire them and add something to their knowledge of the world and their art that they didn't have before, just as they can add those things to you.
That's what I love about this stuff! It's infectious and self-replicating and only needs a little nurturing and light to grow.
Need a New Year's Resolution? Why not resolve to discover at least one new thing every month in the new year? Learn about a skill you never knew about before. Watch some movies in a genre you've never watched before. Read a book about someone well known in a field you know nothing about before. That's a resolution you can easily succeed with and your life will be immeasurably enriched in the process.
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