My Word of the Year: Curious
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
A few years ago, I decided to kick New Year’s resolutions to the curb.
The problem was, they were too restricting. I’d come up with a detailed plan and when things inevitably went off-course, I’d be disappointed. And living with a chronic illness, things go off-course often.
Instead, I decided to choose a word or intention for the year. Doing this gives me a focus point from which to learn and grow, but in a way that’s open and flexible, which feels more motivating to me.
For the past few years, I’ve been choosing the same word: Trust. Trust in others, trust that everything is going to work out, trust in myself. To be honest, I feel weird about changing it because I feel I haven’t mastered trust. But the word of the year idea isn’t about mastery, it’s about learning and intention and motivation. So I’m letting myself let go of that one — perhaps I’m trusting that I can continue to learn to trust — and choosing a new word for 2022.
But what to choose? To help me decide, I turned to one of my favorite podcasts, Deliberate Freelancer, and the episode titled “How and Why You Should Choose a Word of the Year.” Host Melanie Padgett Powers advised listeners to brainstorm words, then look up the definitions. This tip was a big help to me when I landed on the word “curious.” According to Merriam-Webster, there are two essential definitions of “curious.” I actually really like them both.
1) having a desire to learn or know more about something or someone
2) strange, unusual, or unexpected (as in “curiouser and curiouser,” cried Alice, and no, “curiouser” is not actually a word)
Here’s are five ways I plan to explore curiosity this year:
Focus on curiosity when things don’t go according to plan. Being curious helps me look at the gray areas in life and define experiences beyond right/wrong or good/bad. Curiosity helps me see opportunities to learn or grow rather than just failures or wins.
Being intentional and curious in my online activity, engaging with content and people with purpose versus mindless scrolling (or doomscrolling).
Celebrate the parts of my business that demand curiosity. One of my favorite aspects of my work is getting to know amazing organizations and people, and asking questions about how and why they do what they do. I’ve learned my best work comes when I really dig into the discovery and learning part of the process.
Allow myself to be more open to trying new things or attempting something that may be hard. I've gotten into a bit of a rut with my world being so small due to the pandemic but there are still ways I can explore and learn, like watching documentaries on art and design, short weekend trips for a change of scenery, or (when COVID is a little more under control, thanks Omicron) museum visits.
Set looser goals and intentions rather than holding myself to a strict model or plan for how everything “needs” to go. Rather than hold tightly to my ideas how things “should” be, my intention is to leave room for curiosity about how they might play out.
I hand-lettered my word for 2022, CURIOUS, and I can letter your theme word (or phrase, lyric, etc) for you as well! Custom orders available at my Etsy shop, HumanPlusKindCo. All the cool kids are doing it.
And even if you don’t want your own custom-lettered sign, I’d still love to know about what word you’ve chosen for 2022. How did you come up with it? What are your hopes for how the word might guide you this year? Find me on Twitter at @heeeybattabatta (that’s 3 e’s in heeey) on Instagram at @heybattabatta.
CHANGE MAKER OF THE MONTH
This month, I’m spotlighting and supporting Loop It Up Savannah, a community art nonprofit in Savannah, GA that brings creative art experiences to the children and families of Savannah. The founder & executive director, Molly Lieberman, is one of my classmates from Savannah College of Art and Design and I am consistently inspired by how she meets people where they are with her creative community work.