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Monday, January 5, 2015

Slicing (and Coloring) My OLW

              Thanks to Stacey, Tara, Dana, Beth, Anna and Betsy for all the support last year. I wish you all a beautiful new year of both learning and possibilities! It's good to be in this community and hearing from so many about their lives, professional and personal.

It's the Tuesday Slice of Life!  Tweet at #sol15

          I wrote about my 2014 One Little Word in December, contemplating what it has meant to me, and starting the path to a new one. You can read that post here. I loved the word "wander". It felt comfortable and freeing, helped me make choices without worry, helped me take risks. This year I want that feeling too, but came across a few sentences one day, and the way this person wrote made me realize that I could use the word "PAINT" as a verb. The new year, every year, has often felt like a blank piece of paper to me. I've used Eve Merriam's poem Metaphor often at the beginning of the school year (find it here) and that poem has informed many of my teaching years. 
           Although I didn't post last week, I did read your posts, and noted all the One Little Words shared, and have continued to do so, wondering if I was missing some important word. Although I saw that all of you were inspired for 2015 by your word, I didn't see even one that whispered to me. The possibility of painting my year enthralls me. There are all those wonderful "what ifs" that come to mind, all those colors! So, PAINT it is.


Here's a wordle I made with the many OLWs I read about (although I know that today there will be more). Those that are larger, not counting my word, are ones that have been chosen by more than one person:



                And here's a beginning goal that I thought would be fun. I've really starting a little bit of painting, will try to do a page every day, reminding me to PAINT MY WORLD!

This little tree is what I call my kitchen tree, on a shelf
from Thanksgiving to Epiphany.
              My hope for all of you is to have a wonderful year, with or without a One Little Word, as Rilke said: "full of things that have never been."


49 comments:

  1. Painting?!?! What a perfect OLW!! Beautiful paintings already created! :) And I love the quote by Rilke. I see you painting yourself a wonderful year!

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  2. I love your ONE LITTLE WORD. I hope you continue to paint, design in words and your thought life! I'm still waiting for mine to "whisper" to me. xo

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    1. Best wishes for a special "whisper", Nancy.

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  3. Love this, Linda. Such an unusual word choice, which is great. Sounds like it's full of both possibility and challenge:>)

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    1. Thanks Laura, I agree that it is going to be an 'open' word. I'm excited about it!

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  4. Paint... I like that Linda and I can't wait to see how it works for you. Not sure about OLW for me this year. I think I need more than one word for this year. :)

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    1. Sometimes more than one word is just right, Bonnie. Thanks!

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  5. Oh, I love this word Linda. To Paint your year is so inspiring. Painting takes a purposeful practice to get out all that is necessary. Then the process... oh I think you will find so much through this one little word! Excited to see how your painting develops.

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    1. I really am a process lover, Julieanne, more than I believe sometimes. Thanks for that response!

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  6. "Paint"...what a great word. You get to color your world the way you want to and not let someone else do it for you. What possibilities exist! I look forward to reading about your "paintings" throughout the year.

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    1. Thank you for the creative response, to think about my "paintings" is exciting.

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  7. "Paint" is playful. I chose "What if" as my OLW. Cheers to all the possibilities ahead of us!

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    1. We are definitely linked, Terje. I love hearing about your OLW, too.

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  8. I'm loving the OLWs for this year! Paint is an amazing choice, and a beautiful one as well! Do share your paintings with us when they appear! Happy New Year!

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    1. Happy New Year to you, too, Kendra. I'll definitely share!

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  9. What a great word Linda! It will be fun for you to see your world on a new canvas each day and fun for us to watch unfold. Happy New Year!

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    1. Thank you, Robin. Wishing you a good new year, too!

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  10. Painting full of things-- love how you came to the Rilke line. Last summer my Mom, brother and I did Danny Gregory's Sketchbook Skool. You might find inspiration their Facebook posts. Wishing you a year of wonderful, Linda.

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    1. I have Gregory's Illustrated Life (artists' sketchbooks), but didn't know they had Facebook posts. Thanks Lee Ann. Wish you the best of years, too.

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  11. What a perfect word, Linda. I'm glad you found one that spoke to you!

    Jennifer

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    1. Thanks Jennifer. It's going to be fun, illuminating, a process, which I love.

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  12. Paint! What a perfect OLW!! I think it will hold a lot of possibilities for you! It's such a fun word. So inspiring! I can't wait to see where it takes you!

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    1. Thanks Dana, I appreciate your response, and know it will be a good year with it!

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  13. So much possibility in paint! As one who loved watching you sketch in your writer's notebook at All Write, I can't wait to see what you'll paint this year. I love your little kitchen tree and look forward to seeing you paint your world! It's fun to see the Wordle with so many OLWs.

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    1. And today, I've read about more and more OLWs. What a year of contemplations we'll all enjoy. Thank you, Ramona. It's always nice to hear from you. (Now to find the time to paint!)

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  14. Leave it to you, dear Linda, to arrive at a word that will give expression to those never beens. Bravo!

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    1. Thanks, Tara, there's always something new to discover, isn't there? Like a friend coming to visit? Hope your week isn't too awful with the weather!

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  15. This whole concept of "one little word" is new to me - but I am getting quite an education about it from all the slicers - wow! I think the word 'PAINT' is an amazing focus word…I just know you will do so many amazing things with it! I love it was a verb - paint on!

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    1. Oh, love that "paint on" Maureen. I'm learning a lot just from all the wonderful responses. I know you've had snow today, so hope school is going well!

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  16. I love PAINT, Linda! It conjures up such a positive image of creating whatever you want. (I'd never read "Metaphor" -- what a neat poem!) Can't wait to see what you paint this year! :-)

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    1. Thanks Jennifer, it will be a good word I think, & I'm so glad that the poem is new to you. I do love it!

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  17. What a gorgeous image of PAINT, Linda! I just love it. Enjoy painting your way through 2015.

    I'll be revealing my OLW on TWT tomorrow.

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    1. Thanks, Stacey! I've enjoyed the week with all of you sharing your OLWs, Stacey. Will look for yours!

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  18. I love the idea of "painting a page" with words or pictures. Perhaps there will be some new burst of creativity that will come as a result of your new word!

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    1. I like the idea of that possibility, Jaana. Who knows? And that's exciting. Thanks!

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  19. There are such possibilities with the word "paint". I felt inspired just thinking about what this word could mean in 2015. Thank you for sharing your beautiful paintings, and please continue to do so!

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    1. Thanks Annie, I'm trying to see what I can both do in the small paintings, & in more abstract ways. Fun to imagine!

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  20. Oh my gosh, I love this! And I love that you are going to paint every day! Can't wait to see where this word leads you!

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    1. I think the painting will be restful, if nothing else. For those who are teaching, a 'real' break is needed! Thanks, Carol!

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  21. Fabulous word Linda! what a great way to move through the year - painting it! Being creative every day! Lovely!

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    1. You've done so many kinds of art projects Beverley. I remember! Maybe I'll re-look at some of your past posts! Thanks!

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  22. What a unique OLW that fits you beautifully! May you have a colorful 2015 -- full of beautiful paintings and memories, even the spills and splatters can be intriguing!

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    1. I love the idea of embracing those 'spills and splatters', too, Michelle. Thank you!

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  23. Don't know whatever became of my comment...hmmm. Oh, well. Try again.
    I love the word PAINT for an OLW! Such possibilities!

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    1. Thanks Donna, will be fun and eye-opening I bet!

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  24. Paint is a such great choice, Linda! I love the cover of your journal, and can't wait to see where your word takes you!

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  25. You paint a lot of lives with your encouraging words.

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  26. Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that paint would reach you. This word is full of creativity and you are that in so many ways. Plus it is also a colorful word and your word seems to be filled with color with your family, your school, your writing and project. This will be fun to watch as we move through 2015.

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