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Slowly Stepping into the New Year with Intentions Workshops

Karrie Zylstra Myton

I like to wait a while before thinking about my intentions for the new year because January 1 is way too soon for me to consider anything like a resolution. I haven't even recovered from the beautiful overwhelm of Christmas by the first day of the year, let alone had time to process what all happened the year before. I like to contemplate much and take my time after the deep dark of the winter solstice, stepping into the new year slowly.


I know I'm in good company.


Some in Europe still celebrate the Old New Year on January 14—the day when the Julian calendar started their new year.


The lunar new year always begins later too. This year, we'll celebrate the Year of the Snake on January 29.


In truth, I like to set my intentions for the year right around February 1. I have several reasons for picking this date.


  1. It gives me all of January to carefully consider what happened the year before. In our Art Words and Yoga classes this month, we've been considering our accomplishments and our inspirations from last year. In the next week, we'll get a little brave and gently look at our failures too.


    It probably won't surprise you that dwelling a bit on your strengths can help you feel strong as you step into what the new year will bring for you. (If you need some science behind this, check out this Hidden Brain episode called "Rising to the Occasion.")

Illustration of girl with fiery hair surrounded by welding flames.
A cranky St. Brigid. (It's hard to make it through all of that dark sometimes.)

  1. February 1 is the Celtic holiday of Imbolc, also called St. Brigid's Day. The day falls about half-way between the longest night of the winter solstice and the vernal equinox when our day and night are fairly equally split. I can always feel the longer days by the beginning of February and love the hope this feeling brings to my intentions for the year.


  2. February 1 has special meaning for me because it's also my late sister's birthday. I love remembering Mary with all of her aggravating quirks and her incredible strengths even as I gently look at my own.



If you'd like to join me in setting intentions, I'll hold two AWAY workshops this year. One will be in person on Saturday, February 1 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.


Flyer with blue green background. Text says: 2025 Intentions Workshop, Set your Intentions for 2025 & Create a Vision Board! 1+ hour to work on your intentinos for the year, suggested supples: paper, paint, brushes, scissors, colored pencils, and magazines to collage, 30-minte yoga session after making your vision board, Saturday, February 1, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Puyallup United Methodist Church, 1919 W Pioneer Ave, Puyallup, WA 98371, 25 dollar suggested donation, 253-678-1888, karriezmyton@artwordsandyoga.com


For the other, I'm gathering my courage to start offering AWAY online on Saturday, February 8 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.


lyer with blue green background. Text says: 2025 Intentions Workshop, Set your Intentions for 2025 & Create a Vision Board! 1+ hour to work on your intentinos for the year, suggested supples: paper, paint, brushes, scissors, colored pencils, and magazines to collage, 30-minte yoga session after making your vision board, Saturday, February 8, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, online, 25 dollar suggested donation, 253-678-1888, karriezmyton@artwordsandyoga.com


We'll work with our art supplies and craft vision boards or fill our blank books if you prefer bookmaking to the larger poster-style boards. We'll think back on all that we've considered in January and take time to draw and paint our intentions for 2025.


You can use this flyer if you'd like some prompts to help you prepare before the end of January.


Flyer with AWAY logo and trees in the background. Text says: Preparing for the 2025
Intentions Workshop, Consider writing in a journal or sketching out what you remember about 2024 before you move into your intentions for 2025, Suggested topics, Write three or four things you accomplished in 2024. Let yourself remember so you can build on those things.
Which people inspired you in 2024? 
What were three or four things you didn’t accomplish in 2024? Were there any gifts or lessons hidden in your failures? 
What are your core beliefs? Can you write a few key words you’d like to use to guide yourself in 2025 and beyond?



hands holding a dragon medallion with a dog in the background
The shine we found in the Year of the Dragon

And in the meantime, my teen son and I will do our traditional hunt for the Tacoma-area monkeyshines on January 29 and for several days afterwards. We'll get out and search the parks for glass and other art with Year of the Snake impressions.


Last year was our first ever successful hunt after many years of searching. Wish us luck again this year and let me know if you find anything yourself! I'd love to celebrate the new year slowly with you.





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