Loops, Twirls, and Becoming Whole: Making Time for Connection

I love to knit. It’s relaxing. It’s cathartic. It’s a release.

Oftentimes when I knit, I passively consume content -- a TV show; a movie; a podcast. Other times, I sit in silence, mindlessly moving the yarn through the needles.

No matter the nature of the knitting session, I never fail to be enthralled with the loops coming together, twirling around each other; the sum of parts connecting to become whole.

For me, it’s a practice in connection.

As we turned to a new year in 2019 and I considered what I wanted this year to bring, it was deeper connection that I was eager to seek -- connection to my people, my art, my environment, and my roots.

For me, connection is a big part of both becoming and belonging.

And while connection can be sought -- and found -- in the most solitary of situations, there’s much to be both given and taken in our connection to others, particularly beyond the digital realm.

During this month notorious for love, I encourage you join me in seeking human connection to those around you...

Make time to connect with the people who fill you up.

These are the people who truly see you. They believe in your dreams, and your ability to reach them. They inspire both through their words and in their actions. Perhaps most importantly, they share a mutual love and sense of gratitude for you, as you do them.

Make time to connect with the people you can learn from.

These are the people who have knowledge you desire. They live in a way that you wish to live, represent values you aspire to, and have traits you admire and wish to emulate in one way or another. These people encourage you to better yourself in mind, body, and spirit.

Make time to connect with the people you can teach.

These are the people thirsty for your knowledge. They’re the curious spirits who will inspire you to share what you know, who you are, and what you believe. They’ll encourage you to stay on your path to bettering yourself. Through their curiosity, they’ll inspire you to stay curious.

Ironically -- or maybe not so -- when you seek to form a greater connection to people who fill you up, you’ll also find that you can learn from and teach them. And when you make time to connect with the people you can teach, you’ll find that they also fill you up and teach you, in the process.

It’s a network where loops continuously come together. Where knowledge, encouragement, and kindness twirl around each other. Where the sum of parts create a unique whole.

For me, I seek to connect more wholly to to the powerful women I surround myself with, creating a more inclusive and accepting future where all voices matter.

I aim to connect on a deeper level with the painters and mentors I workshop with each week, who have an eager thirst for knowledge and a persistent pursuit of practice.

I seek greater connection to the creative business owners in my physical and digital ecosystems, who believe in living life on their own terms and leaving a unique mark on the world.

I crave true connection to my friends; my spiritual groups; my family.

This year, more than any before, I will make the time to fulfill these connections. These people fill me up. They teach me. They inspire me to teach them. Through these connections, I become a better version of myself.

Who will you boldly seek connection to this year?

P.S. This is the first post in my “words of the year” series. In 2018, I explored the mental muscles all artists -- and human beings -- need to thrive: Courage, curiosity, and persistence. I’m thrilled to have you back here in 2019 as I explore incredibly important guiding principles for those looking to make change in the world: Connection, expression, and purpose.