2026: Magical
I love living life with intention.
Not halfway. Not casually.
But fully—heart, soul, and presence engaged.
Each year, I choose a single word to guide how I want to live the year, not just move through it. A word that becomes a compass when I feel distracted, uncertain, or pulled off center.
Last year, my word was Focus.
I wanted clarity—of mind, body, and soul—so I could create what truly mattered for myself and for those who chose to share their time and energy with me.
And it worked.
Focus helped me step back and see my life more honestly. It helped me define what belonged and what didn’t. It also asked me to let go of things that no longer fit—never easy, sometimes painful, but deeply necessary.
That clearing led me here.
To this year’s word.
Magical.
Not magic.
But magical.
Just this morning, I realized something quietly important: I have been living very seriously. And while I am, at my core, a light-hearted and joyful person, I also have a long-standing habit of overthinking, overdoing, and competing with myself—always striving to be “better,” often chasing acceptance without even realizing it.
This pattern runs deep. It began long ago as a way to survive, to be needed, to make others happy so I could feel safe and cherished. Much of it lived far beneath my awareness—until this past year, when I finally saw it clearly.
I noticed how often I tried to fix situations so others would feel okay. Sometimes that was empathy.
But sometimes—quietly, subtly—it was about easing my own discomfort.
Seeing that truth was both tender and freeing.
And that clarity led me to my word.
Let’s pause with it for a moment.
Magic is about power, illusion, the act itself.
But magical is about feeling.
Wonder. Ease. Enchantment. Presence.
Magic creates tricks.
Magical creates experience.
That is what I am inviting into my life this year—the felt sense of being alive. Less pressure. More curiosity. Less fixing. More allowing.
Magical gives me permission to soften.
To leave room for surprise.
To trust that life doesn’t need to be forced to be meaningful.
As we begin this year together—Listening, Choosing, Trusting, Becoming—I see how perfectly this word fits. You cannot live magically without listening. You cannot choose wisely without trust. And you cannot become who you’re meant to be while carrying the weight of who you thought you had to be.
This year isn’t about doing more.
It’s about feeling more.
It will be an interesting year of discovery.
And I’m stepping into it with wonder.
2025: Focus
We all know what it is to focus, and in today's world, with all the outside planned interference, we all know what it is to be unfocused. Distractions have become a natural part of our lives. The internet propels our distraction.
When I am working on a creation, my mind tends to wander, and the next minute, I find myself at my computer looking up some odd subject...
How do bluebirds make their nests?
Where is the Oracle Temple located?
What are the oldest languages? (This question came from a dream of seeing a chart of old languages.)
What do Japanese women wear for shoes in the winter?
How did Leonardo Da Vinci keep his notes?
AND...what does focus mean, and how does it differ from focus spiritually?
FOCUS: can be defined as the ability to see the spiritual aspects of life that might not be immediately obvious. It's more than just focusing on details; it's having the vision to see the spiritual world around you.
Isn't it fascinating how personal our spiritual practices can help our creative practices when we can let go of trying to control and just let it happen??
Each of us has our unique way of connecting with the Divine, and that's its beauty. This personal connection is what inspires and guides us in our creative journey.
Here are some ways to find the spiritual path when creating art:
Pray: I believe the act of creating is prayer. The Divine has given us a gift; creating is the best way to show gratitude. This appreciation fuels our creativity and motivates us to produce our best work.
Read or listen: What you fill your mind with feeds your heart. I focus on things that inspire me to be the best person I can be, which translates into being the best artist I can be. This means books on personal development, podcasts on spirituality, and conversations with wise friends. Take a moment and think about what resonates with you, and let it fuel your creative journey.
Meditate: I could be a better sitter. Yes, I can do it, but it doesn't always fit. My downloads come in the early morning. I am in the stage of being awake and asleep, hypnagogia. It is when an image (or two) will pop into my mind—very clear and detailed. The only downfall in this peaceful state is that I must get up and write it down or draw it; otherwise, it is gone *poof*.
Movement: This is a must for me. I can do many things to focus my mind, but it is within my body that holds the real power. I need kickboxing to work out the over-excitement so I can concentrate. It gives me a strong body so I can work fully. Yoga to balance everything. It is in the movement that we find our inner self. Each is a must.
Worship: This comes to me when sharing my art's physical and mental parts with my community—my students and collectors. It is a beautiful gathering of different and unique souls held together with great love.
Devotional: I love to begin my day by writing on a specific topic in my journal. I admit I float in and out of the practice or ritual of writing by hand, a tactile art, but I type intentional words on my computer almost daily.
Conversation with the Divine: My ideas come from a higher source -the Divine, and I am merely the vessel that brings them to life. But to do that, I need to be at peace and trust in the process. When these two elements are balanced, creativity flows effortlessly, and I feel calm and reassured in my work.
So, my word of the year is focus. I will find it through my spiritual sense of mind, body, and soul to create my best- for myself and others who wish to share their time and energy with me.
2024: Beauty
This year is about living and creating beauty. How can I bring more beauty to my work, my workshops, and my life to share with others?
I am grateful for the beauty that is there every day of my life with my darling husband and sweetest baby boy, Sparti-puppy.
Much Love-
Leslie
2023: Storyteller
I believe there is a part in us that truly loves people that
are in our lives and we wish to help them grow. We tell our stories to transform
ourselves and by writing or speaking them we take us all on a transcending
journey.
Together can we grow and evolve beyond the story. We can
learn to live more deeply in our earthly life and my hope, to create a spiritual
connection or understanding.
So, please join me on my quest for 2023 to bring the gesture
to you in the form of Storytelling not only in my personal discoveries as well
as within my art!
Much Love-
Leslie
2022: LIVE BOLDLY
I am taking time to reflect back and look over my past year (or month or even an experience) not sure if that comes with age or wisdom...perhaps a bit of both.
Last year was...
"ENGAGE is about who I am and what I believe. To land and to live within this world as fully myself as I can be at this time. Always striving and studying how to be a full human, stretch my wings as far as I can, fly as high as I can, and to help others. And to do this, it is about Engaging with others...some will be deep connections from the first and others will be great learning experiences."
And how did I know that some would be deep connections while others were great learning experiences? That is exactly how it went!
I found both connection and experience to bring my awareness into myself even more. When connection happened, I felt the feeling of deep knowing and of great gratitude. When a life learning experience would show up, I decided to see it through. As this time in our human history, it would be too easy just to retreat and close that door. I want to be able to fully embrace life even when it is a struggle (for me).
And seeing my learning experiences through, I found it brought me a deeper knowing of myself and who I am...sometimes looking back and laughing at myself thinking who was that "person/demon child" that showed up in your body and reacted "that way"??
So now this 2022, I am more comfortable in myself even when I am "not myself". I am more accepting of...me.
And now that I have meet some challenges head on, I feel that I can walk right into 2022 boldly but with grace (for myself and others). Feeling that I do not have to please everyone and can be who I am and express that in my own way.
I find that it really is about listening to all connected parts - Mind - Body- and Soul.
For my Mind- I will continue my devoted pursuant of books and inspiration so that I may translate them for others.
For my Body - I will continue to eat well, sleep well, and my two exercises of yoga and kickboxing.
For my Soul - I will say that is where my art lies in a continued expression of my (own) language of clay and cloth.
And in all- the sharing with my beloved students- art and yoga...
May all of you Find your own Voice, Peace, and Growth in this 2022!
Much Love-
Leslie
2021 : ENGAGE
So it seems that I choose a word in a three to four year cycle...
2017: THE 3 YEAR is a journey to personal happiness ~ on a sea of appearances…
The 3 Year is a simpler and more casual twelve-month cycle in which you must constantly ask yourself: “What do I want?” Your own long-term happiness and fulfillment are the central issues, and the 3 Year cycle gives you the opportunity to discover, and then create, what you believe will make you happy.
2021: THE 4 YEAR is a journey of breakthrough ~ on a sea of obstacles...
The 4 Year Cycle is one of vision, management, priority, limitation, restriction, determination, effort, and breakthrough. Your sense of identity – who you are and what you believe – is the principal theme. The events of this practical year will leave you in no doubt that the time has come to set new priorities and strive toward a specific long-term goal.
source: https://creativenumerology.com/
So I find that synchronicity or that "but of course"...as I researched and found these on three and four year life cycle...both hit to exactly where I was and I am now.
Where in my below post from 2017 was about "UNFOLD"-ing...finding my own voice and path.
In between these years, I experienced the act of
"B U T T E R F L I E D."
The act of pure and whole transformation. Change form from one that was to another that is and never to go back...
Now in 2021, "ENGAGE" is about who I am and what I believe. To land and to live within this world as fully myself as I can be at this time. Always striving and studying how to be a full human, stretch my wings as far as I can, fly as high as I can, and to help others. And to do this, it is about Engaging with others...some will be deep connections from the first and others will be great learning experiences.
We all walk our own path in this life-time and we connect with some while others not so much. I have found that we are all not a good fit and that is a good thing. We want diversity and we want to learn from others...to open our minds to other thoughts and perceptions. Although we don't have to hang out with others that cause us constant strife.
ENGAGE
Origin
Late Middle English (formerly
also as ingage): from French engager, ultimately from the base
of gage.
The word originally meant ‘to
pawn or pledge something’, later ‘pledge oneself (to do something’), hence
‘enter into a contract’ (mid 16th century), ‘involve oneself in an activity’,
‘enter into combat’ (mid 17th century), giving rise to the notion ‘involve
someone or something else’.
I believe
engage is a two way street- we must put ourselves out there in our own original way and hopefully connect with another.
So my hope is that for 2021 (-2024/5...)
I meet you along the path.
2017 : UNFOLD
I was reading some Facebook postings and noticed a dear friend had chosen her WORD for the year!
I looked back on my blogs and noticed that I hadn't chosen a WORD for about three years...yup that seems about right...it was a three year transition that I went through to get to where I am today.
Extreme hardships can bring on the opportunity for extreme personal growth.
It can be a time where it becomes possible to shed un-needed people, places, and things...by choice or maybe by the Divine. I choose to believe both.
I like to choose a word for soul growth and that sets an intention for that year. To me, this brings the New Year in on a positive note versus behavior modifications that (most) times cannot be met.
There was a litany of so many words that scrambled through my brain!
...and when you least expect the right word to come to you it does...
...it was in the middle of a kick-boxing lesson when my instructor was asking me for suggestions for a name of a new routine of hits and kicks...I said the banana peel and got kind of an eye roll...then I said how about unfolding lotus...well needless to say THOSE were not the kind of titles he was looking for...but it told me exactly were my soul was...unfolding...
unfold
to open to the view
: reveal; especially : to make clear by gradual disclosure and often by recital
to remove (as a package) from the folds
: unwrap
to open from a folded state : open out : expand, blossom
: develop, evolve <as the story unfolds>
to open out gradually to the view or understanding
:become known <a panorama unfolds before their eyes>
perfect...I believe I am at a place in my life where all the bindings that were holding me from being all that I can be are gone...or recognizable...and I can be who and what I am blessed to be...to inspire others...to share my work...to share my knowledge...an artist.
In order to make this journey all that is to be I have found that one of the greatest lessons is not to push the process...let it unfold and it will and it has!
See this blog posting for more insight
LINK HERE
I have found that when I push things to happen in my life, it only delays or derails the beautiful things that are suppose to come into my life. It is suppose to flow…to unfold.
When I feel that strong un-ease, I know that I am out of balance…my soul is actually telling me so. I’m resisting all that could be…. I’m pushing down the wrong path.
So, I back off. I take the time to stop and be quiet. It may take moments or days but the truly rightful soulful answer comes to me...in fact it is so clear that I think "duh, of course"! And in some cases the answer may be to wait a bit longer because the right answer or path has not appeared yet.
From there the path is so obviously clear and focused...then I know I'm where I should be on this part of my journey!
Next week...
Letting the Path happen:
The LL COUTURE Handbag!
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