Word of the Year for 2023

Kind of groaning here. I wanted to sit this one out and just do my own little OLW ruminating on my own. But I’m feeling pulled in to this fun new release.

I’ve bought OLW classes in the past and always fell off. I would reuse the old prompts for a bit of guidance on the years I didn’t buy the new class.
Last year I bought the class and album, ready to go ALL IN and it was just such a crappy discombobulated year for me and my word -peace - became such a miss early on and I never could pivot. I never looked at any of the prompts or class content after February! 😔

Anywho. My word is going to be either joy or up. It looks like maybe Ali’s word is joy (?? Based off the half circle page she’s stamped up). That makes it more tempting to me to try joining again this year to see how Ali approaches joy herself.

I’m just so leery because I’ve never been able to fully dive into the workshop as “intended” and it has felt like an unnecessary waste of money due to my lack of participation. I’m so conflicted now! 🫣

I really like the black album. If I didn’t have 6x8 albums coming out my ears I’d buy that for DD.

Yes! I actually really like the quarterly kit but don’t like the fact that you have to commit to all 4 kits for the year. The colors are definitely happy and fun!

I do not need the stitched art journal...I do not need the stitched art journal...I do not need the stitched art journal.

I said it three times, snapped my fingers, and did a little twirl...and I still want it.

Kinda fun, I also just realized that my feedback made it into her summary of workshop feedback in the blog post . My 2022 word has been "Invite" and it has been my best year yet!

Glow was a past Story Kit,  you could have some resources there if it shows up in a sale!

Gosh, I haven't even thought of one. In the past, I always started the year off strong, even signed up for Ali's One Little Word classes. My projects have always fizzled by the fourth month, though. *sigh* If I were to choose one for 2023, it would probably soemthing tied to improving health and personal growth. Hmmm...

This was such a gorgeous kit, and one of the few that I've been able to use on a lot of layouts. I placed the remaining components with my December Daily materials, but it would also fit in with my possible OLW for next year (Light). I wish I had gotten the digital version as well, but I'm sure it'll pop up in a sale.

I hope people do some sharing here on the thread this year about their word and the process, etc. Also, inked orders are taking SO long right now - hopefully we will get our stuff by January!

My word for 2022 was "exult" (to show or feel a lively triumphant joy). I definitely had a good year, even with my broken ankle & foot this summer, and appreciated its goodness but I'm not sure I ever rose to exulting. My word generally finds me, vs. me having to look for it, but a lot of end-of-the-year things distracted me and it just occurred to me this past week that I needed to start thinking about it. I try to use actionable verbs vs. nouns or adjectives. [Can you tell I was an English major?!]

I lost one of my best friends in a tragic car accident last week and so I think my word will honor her in some way. So far, I'm feeling out "yield." 2023 is going to be filled with lots of big changes & events -- my fiance & his children moving in with me & mine (which is not a local move so starting over with new jobs, schools, friends, etc.) and working on being a blended family, our two oldest starting high school, our wedding, and our international honeymoon -- and I am an anxiety-riddled control freak, to put it nicely, who spent most of her adult life trying to hold things together and keep things moving. It would be so nice & healthy & mature for me to allow my fiance, as well as others and circumstances in general, to make decisions and to recognize that my choices and my decisions are not always the best (or only) ones. I don't like the implications of "surrender" which, to me, feels like allowing everyone and everything control. "Yield" feels more like I still retain my autonomy even when I make space for other things. My friend was the one who would have talked me down if I found myself panicking a few months from now over a wedding "crisis" or a blended family issue so since she can't, I am going to try to do it myself in a way.

I have never purchased OLW classes or supplies aside from the OLW journal a few years ago. I create a Facebook header with my word so that I look at it nearly every day for the year + order a piece of jewelry (usually a necklace but not always) from Etsy with my word on it. I do scrap a few pages throughout the year with my word but it's more of a mental journey for me than a tangible product.

I would be in on that. Even with a small group I think I’d cover some of my journaling as I am pretty private about that type of thing. It depends on the topic I guess. But I’d be willing to post stuff and it seems like a good way for some to keep accountable with doing the project if there was a small group to check in with maybe?

I would be up for a private FB group.

I'm not buying the class this year, I'm going to use 2020 or 19 for my prompts.

I like the art folio, I might buy that. The main kit isn't singing to me. I first really liked the mini kit, but after watching the video I think I can pass on that.

Yes, I would be interested in a private FB group.

I probably won't buy the class since I have 8 years of classes to pick and choose from. As much as I have enjoyed the perspectives of the other contributors, I tend to model my work after Ali's. I try to keep things simple, with little to no mixed media. I pretty it up for myself just so I'll keep coming back to it.

I have never shared any of my work for privacy reasons but also because it doesn't seem "special" enough. I am intimidated by the elaborate layouts shared on the FB site. Many of my prompts this year were answered on just one page, but I still love looking back at the person I was in January of this year...and in previous years.

If you are taking the class for the first time this year, my advice is not to be overwhelmed by the amount of content that will be presented to you. You can spend hours just consuming content and getting nothing done. Look at the PDF that is presented each month, and if you have time, watch the videos. Remember why you are doing this. It is a gift to yourself.

It looks like she led half of the lessons. 

Ali participates in all of the prompts and has a video each month showing how she interpreted the prompt. I like that her style is less fussy, if that makes sense.

Heads up - I subbed to the OLW mini kit last year and just got an email that you will be auto reenrolled unless you cancel. That is not how I understood it to work so word to the wise, if you don’t plan to continue the quarterly OLW, you need to cancel in the next few days.