'Growth' // The Creative Collective

Melyssa from the Nectar Collective has started The Creative Collective. She brainstormed 23 creative activities for bloggers to participate in throughout the year of 2014.  I'm really excited to participate in this collective and actually made my collage almost a week early because I was so eager to start!  The first prompt, for January 15th, is to create a collage of materials in your home which embodies the word you want to focus on in 2014.

For 2014, I have decided upon the word 'growth'.  This word will remind me to grow with change and work on my intellectual growth.  With my freshman year in college fall 2014, change is going to happen and I want to be okay with that.  I think the word growth will remind me that with every change comes an opportunity to better myself too.  Another aspect of growth is intellectual growth.  It takes a lot of effort to sit down and read nonfiction instead of just going to sleep or turning on the computer.  However, I feel more accomplished by finishing a book than a TV series. I hope the word growth will help me remember to further my education outside of school.

My collage is made entirely of college pamphlets.  I have been sent at least a pamphlet a day for the past year and a half which has added up to a large pile of paper.  For some reason I have kept all of these letters but there are no magazines my house! I actually find the use of college pamphlets very fitting as college is what a lot of my growth will be centered around in 2014.  It is also incredibly easy to find inspirational images in a college look-book!  I really like the combination of reading and adventuring in my collage.  I think they're both valid ways of expanding your worldly knowledge which is my main goal this year.

While searching through the mass of leaflets, I found these great quotes in a letter from MIT.  Unfortunately, the did not fit on my collage but I just pinned them up underneath it.  These quotes are great inspiration to begin your dreams.  My favorite has to be "The most effective way to do it, is to do it." which Amelia Earhart said.

I'm really excited about this series of posts for 2014.  Creativity is a great thing to foster and can easily be lost in the day to day.  If you decide to participate in the Creative Collective make sure to visit the master list of days and prompts on Melyssa's blog (link) and comment below with a link to your post!

2013 Recap

2013 was a long year....

In January I painted my room making it a place I enjoy living in and I spent hours in a room for my Biology group 4 project.  It made us closer but we went a little insane and started checking the ducts for dead bodies. To be fair there was blood everywhere.
Posts: Car Adventures, Upgrading Is Compulsory

In February, I took a 6 hour round-trip road trip with my friends to explore Bridgeville.  I also visited went to the local zoo.  And, of course, a lot of school work.

In March I spent a lot of time exploring Humboldt County.  I went on hikes with my dogs, visited various beaches, went to a cemetery, and went to school tennis games.  I even found my favorite place in Humboldt! (the 4th picture).  All this exploration made me feel more comfortable in my hometown.  I also dyed my hair and of course, visited Redding for Easter.

Posts: Ferndale Cemetary

My adventuring continued in April as my friends began to say "A Pirate Who Falls Behind Is Left Behind".  We had an Easter Egg Hunt for ourselves, went on a lone camping trip, and, of course, went to the beach some more.

May, the month of IB tests but also the month of freedom.  Our tests were the only homework we had so this month was full of ditching and relaxing in the sun in preparation, or avoidance, of our tests.  This month was full of mini-adventures and sunshine.  There was also Cotillion and the Junior IB Theatre play (Candide). I hope May 2014 is as much fun. 

Posts: Like A Child, Kinetic Sculpture Race

In June, I became a senior.  I bonded with my friends with more adventures to the river and a Zoo.  I also traveled to Michigan to meet extended family members and visit colleges.  I also read The Brothers Karamazov for school but that was the only downside in an amazing month.

Posts: Ocean World, UC Santa Barbara, Marshall Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Local Sand Sculptures

July was a very chill month.  I finished painting the other half of my room, went camping with my Dad (where we tried to burn everything.  FYI graham cracker's have amazing longevity), and, most importantly, flew to Boston to hang out with friends for a week.

Posts: Richardson Grove, BostonCon

August was a perfect month of relaxation before school started.  August began in LA with VidCon and college tours.  I visited UCLA and UCSD.  At VidCon I saw We The Kings and many others perform live with my good friends Emily and Olivia.  After VidCon, I went to Disneyland with my cousins, an experience I want to repeat.  Once back home, I went to the Humboldt County Fair mostly just to watch the horse races! I can't wait to bet on them this year.

Posts: VidCon 

September, the dreaded return of school.  Besides the constant thought of college, it actually wasn't too bad.  The annual trip to Ashland was fantastic and the sun stuck around.

Along with the colder months came more homework and college essays.  Thankfully, there was fun interspersed.  My school took a trip to the pumpkin patch and the opera house, also my friends and I occupied ourselves with kittens and hidden views.

I turned in 5 college applications this month.  Figures crossed that next May I get 5 acceptances!! I also went to Fern Canyon to help my friend's photo shoot for IB art, traveled to San Francisco again for Day of the Dead, traveled to Redding again for Thanksgiving, and participated in my high school's Halloween House.

Finally we have December.  It's been really good. I've been able to connect with my family more with the holidays and my birthday.   I also got an iPhone which has upped my selfie-taking considerably.  The horribly freezing weather has stopped a lot of adventuring but we've had a lot of fun indoors.

Posts: Christmas Tag

All in all, 2013 was wonderful.  While it was, in the big picture, only an interim year with no major life stepping stones, 2013 was full of good memories.  This past year I feel that I have begun to feel more comfortable in my own skin and this has allowed me to for closer bonds with my friends and family.  It's easy to forget what happens in your own life.  Looking back at my 2013 today has made me realize that the little adventures do count.  Getting out of my house and having fun with my friends is what made this year great.  I can't wait to continue that in 2014 with the added adventure of college! I will keep you informed, probably.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!