Yesterday was the annual mass shredding in New York’s Times Square. The idea is to get rid of the bad memories from the year and prepare for better days ahead.
People shredded memories of ex-boyfriends, bullies at school, battles with leukemia, and more.
What will you shred/erase/burn/banish from 2011?
Do you have a ritual around this process?
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9 thoughts on “Good Riddance < Deep Thought Thursday”
I am trying to get rid of my oldest inventory. I’m beginning to believe that the old work I have around holds me in the past and affirms that it didn’t sell. Removing the old work, selling it cheaply on ebay, giving it away or destroying it is always a relief for me when it is gone. It seems like getting rid of the old has somehow opened up the energy to create new sales because static energy was lifted, and I move on from a holding pattern.
How amazing. I’ve been thinking exactly the same thing. It’s like clearing the cobwebs and take a deep breath of fresh air.
While this year held many good strides forward in my career, there were a lot of other periferal things that happened that I am happy to leave behind. Basically, I just try to mentally wipe the slate clean and look for the new opportunities that 2012 offers. In fact, I’m already thinking 2012 and working toward that year’s goals now.
For the past many years, I’ve had a “ritual” that I do every New Year’s Eve. I write down all of the accomplishments that I did during the year that I’m proud of on a sheet of paper; then write down the disappointments/failures/things I want to move past on another sheet of paper.
I read the accomplishments paper out loud 3 times then burn the paper. Afterwards, I take the disappointments/moving past list and do the same thing. I go outside and let the ashes of these burned papers fly. Essentially I’m releasing the good/bad/old into the world and am now ready to start anew.
I then go inside; write down the visions I have for the New Year on one side of a thick piece of board (300-lb watercolor paper or illustration board works great). On the other side of the board, I cut out images and words of what I want to manifest for the New Year and create a vision collage board that I’ve been hanging on the back of my office or bedroom door.
This year I’m framing my board and hanging it in a prominent spot in my house so I can absorb my “art” and intentions every single day
Hi Alyson,
If I were going to shred anything metaphorically it would be my own moments of negativity, worry and fear over essentially trivial matters. I’d get rid of the other person
in the car who isn’t there, that I’m rehashing mean, or critical conversations with. Goodbye to all of that. Not that I have much of it. I am blessed to be a happy person most of the time, but there is always room for improvement. In art I am pleased with my work in 2011, and hope to be even happier with what I produce in the new year. Best wishes for a joyous New Year filled with creativity, prosperity and good health for all of us.
XO Barbara
Good idea! I like Barbara’s idea of the conversations you rehash – something I definitely don’t need to keep perpetuating! I make a big collage board, probably something like JJ’s, too, although not every year, unless my goals have changed or refined. (Framing it – now that’s a great idea!) I do review my goals for the past year and see how far I’ve come, and write down where I want to go in the next year.
I create a large sculpture, pack it full of fireworks and light it to burn.
Been doing it for 30 years, it’s the only party I throw. People are invited to write their wishes/prayers/losses down and attach them to the sculpture. It’s really using this sculpture for community ritual.
People have said “It’s too pretty to burn!” “You want to offer up ugly prayers?” stops that.
The fireworks are all noisy and have an element of danger, everyone is excited and loud. But when the work catches fire and begins to burn you can feel the group energy calm. Everyone becomes reflective, but no one is alone. We’re in it together
as we draw closer to it for warmth. If I Invited folks to stand outside in the cold to think about the coming year, NO ONE would show. Give a good show with flaming art and it works like a charm. To hear geese overhead in the 1am dark with quiet friend is magic.
Love this idea! It has elements of admission, acceptance and relief, as well as a fresh start in the morning. All good things for creative people.
What a great idea…. I’m reaching for my shredder and know what I’ll be doing all day.
Have a great new year!!
Lou