I've been saying this to myself a lot these past few months--it's come up because there have been some rough nights trying to get Val to settle and sometimes I get so frustrated at the situation. It surprised me how much it gets to me and I would like to be more calm and patient. The next morning I try to cut myself some slack, acknowledge this isn't an easy situation, and tell myself that today is a new day to try again and do better.
While these words are common and nothing new or groundbreaking, I picked them to start January off with because it's a great reminder that we don't need to wait for a new year, month, or week to do something--every day is a new opportunity.
For the artwork, the color yellow came to mind and I also used gold to create an abstract piece for this mantra. I layered watercolor, acrylic paint, and metallic paint pens. It's messy to represent how each day isn't perfect but the yellow represents the sun rising again. I wanted to capture the energy, possibilities, and brightness of a new day!
I liked the idea of making a piece of art to go with each mantra, to immerse myself in it and make it tangible. If you connect with this, try making something of your own that represents what these words mean for you--whether it's scribbling them down in the margins of your planner or making a mini collage using cut outs to tack on your bulletin board or using marker to make a simple drawing or pattern (of the sun / using the shape of the sun maybe?) on your calendar.
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
