Blog by Kristina Kasparian Veni Etiam Photography

Into the new: Dreams, balance and magnetism for 2018

2/1/2018

The last days of the year always prompt review and reflection. What did I do this year? How did it measure up to my expectations and hopes? What do I (dare to) wish for the year ahead?

I alternate between thinking this kind of reflection is a necessary vs. a foolish exercise. Necessary because introspection and reflection are key to feeling aligned, valued and at peace with life, but foolish because it can sometimes put a heck of a lot of pressure on you when, really, January 1st is just a continuation of life as it was last week.

That being said, I always do take the Christmas break to unwind and rewind. I look back, to check in with myself and take an extra step towards creating a life I adore.

It's not about having it all figured out, planned and certain. It's about assessing your own reactions to life's waves and wonders.

Somehow, I experienced strange pockets of amnesia when I sat down to reconstruct my year. I looked back on photographs, blog posts, journal entries and my agenda to clearly remember the facts and the feelings. I then organized my thoughts by answering 10 questions (Curious? Head to my Instagram to see exactly what I did).

If you already followed me 12 months (and some 100 blog posts) ago, you might remember that I started 2017 off with 3 keywords as a theme for the year: abundance, passion and peace.

It was the first year where "feelings" really took center-stage in the vision I created for myself. After all, how you are feeling is the best measure of how you are really doing along your path, right?

I wished to be more mindful, more peaceful with my decisions and with life's curveballs, and more confident in my words, actions and personal policies. I focused my energy on achieving growth -- for my business, my career and my personal mindset.

I poured my passion, time and energy into Veni Etiam like never before. I made some bold decisions and ventured outside of my comfort zone more often than I stayed sheltered within it. I traveled to new places, absorbed them and photographed them with my heart wide open, and created new collections to channel part of their character. I applied the same sense of curiosity and appreciation for my own city, planning "staycations" to carve out time to experience and photograph it with different eyes. I participated in a ton of markets and shows where Veni Etiam was not known yet, forged new collaborations that felt aligned with my ethics and my vision, created exciting new products and met some stellar clients whose words of support have honestly stayed tacked on a billboard in my mind, fueling my passion and motivating me to keep creating.

I poured my heart out in hundreds of blog posts and social media posts on Facebook and Instagram, striving to show you a personal side of me in each post, even though I feel quite vulnerable in doing so. I gave two interviews that I even feel shy to read over, and jam-packed my calendar with pop-ups, markets and shows so I could introduce you to my world in person. (Seriously, I felt like a travelling circus this year, but it was so worth it to interact with you offline! Thank you for coming by and for your loving reactions to Veni Etiam!).

Photo credit: Maryse Boyce from Baronmag. Click to read interview with Tandem & Co Design

Though I invested in my business, I kept one hand in science, writing scientific papers in two fields of research and applying for all sorts of government funding to have the opportunity to build on my doctoral research. I won't lie - it's as exhausting as it is fulfilling to have these two lives to live, and the expectations on both sides are many. But, what I have learned this year is that there are seasons in life and there are unconventional paths - AND THAT IS OKAY.

Excerpt from my interview with the McGill Reporter

Split Soul by Veni Etiam Photography

Tango by Veni Etiam Photography

For the first time in my life so far, I prioritized self-care, mindfulness, alignment and positivity as much as I humanly could. I realized this year how incredibly hand-in-hand mindset and abundance go. There is so much truth to principles of attraction and positivity, yet it is such a challenge to implement those good habits in our everyday frenzied existence. In my choices this year, I opted to make time for myself over social activities. I spent early mornings journalling, afternoons working from environments that inspired me, and evenings cooking and eating outdoors. I opted to be present and peaceful at home, to write, to exercise, to be accepting and to let go. These practices have reduced my anxiety and boosted my creativity. Despite some recurring challenges, my body and mind feel stronger and better able to cope with uncertainty, risk, fear and loss.

Because of these benefits, I made it a point to share these strategies and micromoments of wisdom with you this year, in posts focused on inspiration, balance and mindfulness.

In all my activities, I strove to let kindness, generosity and transparency guide all my interactions, while also paying closer attention to any energy unbalances - if what I put in was far greater than what came out of it, such that it cost me my peace, I learned to set new boundaries. I said no to what made me feel less valued. I said no to self-deprecation and doubt. I said no to worrying too far in advance. I said no to anything that perturbed my peace.

I continued to work with my team at Etsy Montreal to empower independent local businesses, doing part of the marketing and event photography for our shows, which are growing SO fast! I am also proud to have been an advocate for women's health on the sidelines, fighting daily for awareness and early detection of endometriosis and female cancers.

This year was nothing and everything I expected. It took me on a ride of experimentation, self-discovery and growth in every realm. Of course, it was not all shiny and perfect. There were also tears, fears, deaths, frustrations, days spent in bed, rejections, difficult conversations and difficult choices. Not to mention my beloved watch broke twice and I killed more plants this year than I ever have...

But, all in all, it was a good year.

I am carrying forward so many of these lessons and feelings that I want to amplify even further in 2018, and so much gratitude for all those encounters and experiences that made my heart feel full of passion and optimism.

This year, I wish to pour even more energy and passion into making my (many) dreams and projects reality. I wish to work even harder on maintaining that delicate balance and inner peace on as many days of the year as I possibly can. At the brink of this new year, I wish for magnetism - a beautiful pulse that attracts amazing connections and experiences my way so that I can be as creative, generous, energetic, passionate and kind as I feel like I'm meant to be in this life.

My dear followers, THANK YOU for a tremendous 2017 and for keeping me motivated and excited for what 2018 has in store.

Leave me a comment below to tell me your 3 keywords for 2018. If you could conjure up a phenomenal year for yourself, what would it look like? I'd love to hear from you.

From my heart to yours.