Goodbye 2017, an honoring

Dec 31, 2017 | Yearly Recaps

I am so ready to welcome in 2018. But I also want to properly send off 2017 with an honoring, a review.

This will be my 12th year doing these yearly recaps and they remain some of my favorite posts. I love having all my big moments – both highs & lows – gathered together in long posts that share the whole of the year. The fullness. The brave-in-sadness moments. The brave-in-love ones, too.

The early recaps (2006-2009) show my life unfolding from hospital social worker to newbie artists and all the ups and downs of fully being in the FLOW for perhaps the first time in my life. There’s a lot of drama in those years, divine happenings, knowings, fearlessness and confidence.

The middle years (2010 – 2012) reveal my journey into new motherhood, navigating a growing business, challenges with confidence, remodelling a home, and settling into (and often struggling with) my creativity.

The later years (2012 – 2016) reveal a woman in her late 30’s coming into herself, depending on her spiritual practice, and learning some hard truths about what it means to live through hard stuff while keeping her heart open.

I am proud of all of these years. And I’m so glad I’ve captured some of their pivotal moments in these recaps.

For those of you interested, you can take a look at the recaps below:

2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006

Today’s recap is for 2017.

kelly rae roberts scallop divider

 

Dear 2017,

My word for the year was Renewal. It came to me after one of the most powerful energy healing sessions of my entire life. That session changed me. And it certainly shaped all of 2017 for me. My intention for early 2017 was to Burn. It. Down. Anything that was no longing serving me was honored, then let go – both personally and in business. As the year went on, the new seeds of growth were tended to and by the end of the year, new ideas and inspiration emerged – a new forest of growth.

Before fully releasing you,  I want to answer a couple of questions that my dear friend Andrea Scher introduced me to many years ago (can’t recommend this practice enough!).

1. What do you want to acknowledge yourself for in regard to 2017? (What did you create? What challenges did you face with courage and strength? What promises did you keep to yourself? What brave choices did you make? What are you proud of?) 

I want to honor my choice of making fitness wellness a huge part of my life in 2017.  I want to acknowledge that it was hard and yet I showed up. And kept showing up. For myself. For this vessel of a human body I’ve been gifted with. This has been the most I’ve ever shown up for myself in this way and it has changed everything.

I also want to honor all the soul care wellness practices that I’ve continued and deepened. I am proud of the peace that I have cultivated. It feels like a miracle.

I want to acknowledge that I kept the promise to myself that I made in early 2017 to trim out all the things in my life that were no longer serving me – a ceremonious burning, if you will, to let go of partnerships (big and small, personal and biz) and studios and things and people  – for the higher purpose of creating space for renewal. Many boundaries were placed and brave decisions were made that I’m proud of. I hope to continue this practice of taking a closer look at everything all of the time so that I’m left with a life that has been trimmed down to simple beauty and connection.

I am deeply proud of our family, our connection, and all the ways we are imperfect yet engaged with one another.

2. What is there to grieve about 2017? (What was disappointing? What was scary? What was hard? What can you forgive yourself for?) 

I forgive myself for not answering the call to write. I also forgive myself for all the times I could have been kinder, a better listener. And for all the times I didn’t reach out to those I love.

There were many times that our family struggled and I grieve those times when we suffered and worried.

It was so hard to consciously look at everything in my life an slowly, bravely let go of so many things in an effort to create a simpler, more potent life.

3. What else do you need to say about the year to declare it complete? The next step is to say out loud, “I declare 2017 complete!” How do you feel? If you don’t feel quite right, there might be one more thing to say…

You were such a good year for me, 2017. I deepened many soul-care practices and began an invigorating new one (fitness!). I am grateful for all the ways you allowed me to burn down all the unneeded stuff in my life – both in my internal life as well as my external – only to come back with beautiful seeds of renewal.

You feel beautifully complete. Thank you. I am ready to tend to those seeds of renewal and rise rise rise with them toward the wide open sky of possibility.

kelly rae roberts bird divider

Here’s a recap of your highlights and lowlights:

* Took True to the Disney Resort in Hawaii where we delighted in his joy and felt the sunshine in our souls.

* Launched my first home decor kids collection called True by Kelly Rae Roberts!

* Made a huge huge huge mistake. And then the light came.

* Made a lot of new art – about 40 new paintings. I owe this to my amazing weekly painting tribe.

* Nichole and I created 10 new episodes of the Possibilitarian Podcast! Lots of giggles.

* Did something I’ve always wanted to do: created a patchwork wall. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

* Honored my deep truth for a simpler life by letting my beloved large and colorful studio go.

* Continued the voyage toward truth and created my very own tiny art house studio in my backyard. I named her Moxie Mabel Mae the Tiny Art Cottage.

* Continued my practice of a slower pace and slower living. Honestly, it’s been one of the greatest gifts of the last couple of years. A miracle, really.

* Fell deeper in love with Instagram and recapped it all here on my blog.

* Gathered with these biz ladies twice this year for nurturing of self and radiating out possibility for our businesses. HUGE gift these women are to me.

* Launched a sisterhood for soul-driven entrepreneurs. Have been in love with them ever since.

* Fell deeper in love with Lulubutterbutterbean and celebrated her 2nd birthday.

* Added a Kindness Changes Everything Manifesto to the crop of manifestos!

* Add many new hearts to my collection.

* Suffered one week with a massive earache and the next week with a fall down the stairs. I am not kidding. Remembered my value of alignment over hustle. 

* Got our family photos taken. So glad we do this once a year. SUCH a gift.

* Said goodbye to True’s outdoor Waldorf school and hello to his new indoor Waldorf school. We treasure both. Was super moved by the Spiral of Lights ceremony this year.

* Had a few visitors, friends that I have known and loved deeply for years and years.

* Hosted a couple of original painting sales. Both a huge success. Grateful!

* Made the cover of our local neighborhood paper only to be outshined (in all the best ways) by Lulu.

* Fell deeply in love with gardening. I must have potted 25 large plants outside, planted dozens and dozens of bulbs, and spent hours and hours pruning, sprucing, and gardening to my delight.

* Became a brand ambassador for Gudrun Sjoden and travelled to NYC for a fun photoshoot and week with the other ambassadors. LOVE.

* Was a speaker at the Brave Girls Symposium where I gathered with many courageous hearts.

* Launched lots of new products that I’m proud of and quote prints, too!

* Realized that I’m a total introvert with an extrovert’s job.

* For the first time in my life I made body wellness a consistent priority in my life. I learned to not only endure sweating but learned to love it. At six months, and then all the way through and through, an entire year of wellness celebrated.

* Also discovered smoothie bowls. Where have I been?

* Had the honor of teaching at the amazing 1440 retreat center. It. Was. Amazing.

* Cared for John through a broken collarbone, intense poison ivy, a broken toe, another melanoma diagnosis (he is fine, thank goodness), and all the ups and downs that come with being partnered up for almost 20 years. Love him big.

* Started a huge backyard remodel project that took the better part of the year to complete.

* Remembered my early years and all the many many jobs I had.

* Turned 42 years young

*  My Wear Your Joy practice continued to inspire me on the daily.

* Celebrated a dear friend who turned 40 with some other dear friends.

* Put up a Leave A Letter, Take A Letter post in our front yard. The neighborhood kids LOVE IT. And so do we.

* Celebrated so much True. He turned 7 this year and I can hardly believe how big he’s grown. An honor to mother him.

* Traveled to Costa RIca for one of the most heart-expanding retreats of my life.

* And finally, we welcomed AmeliaAppleBottoms to the family. A dream come true.

Big love,

 

Sending much love,

Show/Hide Comments (1 comments)
1 Comment
  1. Deborah King

    Hello,

    It was such a joy scrolling down your memory lane. It stunningly reminds me of what’s in my heart. Life lived with family, friends and doing what you love best…creating from within.

    Reply

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I’m Kelly Rae Roberts

Before I picked up my first paintbrush at the age of 30, I was a medical social worker. I followed my creative whispers, and today I’m an artist & Possibilitarian. I’m passionate about creating meaningful art and experiences that awaken and inspire our spirits.

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