Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to the first issue of the First Tuesday newsletter for 2017.

How has the Christmas break played out for you?

I hope you've been given the gift of rest, the opportunity to slow down and time to reflect on the year that's been, as well as the one that is to come.

I know that for some this holiday period is more pain than pleasure, and for some of you it comes at the end of a difficult year. If so, you've been in my thoughts and I hope the coming year is a better one for you.

The Gift of Reflection

Each year, Perth writer, speaker and creative mentor, Amanda Viviers, offers up her New Year Vision Book. This free download includes a range of questions to help us reflect on the previous year, consider who we are and want to be, and think about the coming year. I am half way through Amanda's prompts and finding them a very helpful way to journal, reflect and re-calibrate where I want to be in 2017.

I also found Kelly Exeter's recent post about the common stories we tell ourselves worth thinking about. Last week, she asked her readers:

What is one story you will stop telling yourself in 2017?
What new story will you replace this with?

I wonder how you might answer these questions after reading her post ...

For Family Historians

Last month, I shared with you a blog post title 25 Ways You Can Present and Share Your Family History by Alona at Lonetester HQ. Now I've found another post from the same site which seems appropriate as we head into a new year: Genealogy and the 52 Week Challenge. Alona's post summarises the challenges set out on another blog, Hinterland Writing, all of which are designed to help you think about your own story.

Monthly Quote

I love this quote from Charles de Lint about the stories we have to tell. Those stories may emerge as a written narrative, but they could also be conveyed in drama, song, poetry, painting, sculpture, quilting - or whatever other form of creativity speaks to you.

Nurturing Your Creativity

So, what are the stories you have to tell in 2017?

MAD Links

MAD stands for 'making a difference', something I believe we all have the capacity to do regardless of our background or circumstances. Here's a few links to stories of people who are quite MAD:

The Victorian town of Hamilton is going to great lengths to be inclusive of people with disabilities by involving them in the local workforce. (Incidentally, this is where my childhood pen pal, Rachel grew up; I wonder where she is now).
Perth girl, Ashleya has started a natural lip balm business called Beauty From Ash's. Her goal is to raise $1300 through lip balm sales, so she can sponsor a book through Laotian publisher, Big Brother Mouse, and help kids in Laos learn to read. She wants you to know, "you're never too young to make a difference."
And finally, I'd like to give a shout out to Rohit, a young boy I've been privileged to meet through 12 Buckets. He's been a participant in the mentoring program for three years, and has just become a Young Ambassador for the organisation. Check out Rohit's story, as he explains how he's been impacted by his involvement, and why he's excited about the opportunity to give back.

I'm sure many of you are already MAD. If you've got a MAD story, or would like to spread the news about a great cause, drop me a line and I'll see what I can do about sharing it in the next newsletter, or even feature it on my blog.

What's on your Bedside Table?

Have you been lucky enough to have time off work over the holiday break? If so, have you had a chance to escape into a book or three?

Now that my kids are a bit older, I've had the opportunity to sit out in my garden and read two books in three days, which made me remember how much I love reading, and how much valuable reading time I've squandered to social media during the year. This is one of the things I've been reflecting on and want to change in 2017. To this end, I've signed up for several reading challenges, which you can read about on my blog. You might even consider joining me - let me know if you sign up, and perhaps we can hold each other accountable.

Quite a few people I know have been publishing posts about their favourite books in 2016. I don't feel I've read or reviewed consistently enough to make a valuable contribution to that particular discussion, so instead, I'll leave you with this photo of a few titles I have read and enjoyed.

Over to You

Last time, I asked what steps you'll be taking to make more space for your creativity. I think that's still a useful question to ponder as we head into the new year, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Look forward to hearing from you in 2017!

Melinda