New Year, Same Me

New year resolutions were something I grew out of in my early twenties. Like my forever love of skater jeans and oversized band t-shirts, I decided that they just didn't work for me no matter how much they seemed like a good idea at the time.

Whilst the new year is the perfect opportunity to be positive about what you can achieve moving forward, all to often it switches to a rhetoric where you're deemed to not be good enough to start with. This isn't true - the second between one year starting and another ending doesn't suddenly make you less worthy than what you were previously.

Self improvement is always a good thing, whether through education, trying new things or simply achieving a better balance which works for you. But at no point should you ever let yourself feel bullied or belittled because you don't feel the need to change anything. If you feel happy and good in your life, then carry on! Clearly you're doing something right!

For myself, I always view the start of the year as something of a blank slate. Being freelance, December is often a bit of an admin and planning month before the slippery, sloppy descent into being a gin soaked Christmas tree begins. Then I have two weeks where I live in tinsel and Christmas jumpers, hibernate with a pile of malteasers, tea and boardgames and come out the other side, fully refreshed and ready to take things on. I like to give myself a list of things which I want to achieve - things which are firstly obtainable, and also things which will push me forward. This year, they are:

• Pick up my 5k training and run (rather than walk) my second 5k race.
• Finally get around to finishing the new version of my photography website.
• Start work on a photography project which I've been planning for the last 18 months.
• Start to research and approach photographic agents.
• Move into a space which will serve as a proper live / work environment for myself and Lord Dicely.

It's so easy to allow January to make you feel miserable. It doesn't have to be a month of diets, deprivation and self loathing! Embrace the possibility of transformation, but not by means of diet pills or the threat of holiday swimwear. Instead of focusing on things to make you miserable, concentrate on achievable goals which will offer you happiness in the long term. And if you don't quite make them this year? Who care! So long as you are a step closer to being where you want to be, take everything in your own time.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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Party Like It's 2015

It's Sunday night, and I am currently writing this in my penguin pyjamas. Lord Dicely has insisted that the Christmas tree remains up until the twelfth day, and despite looking forward to my auto out-of-office response deactivating tomorrow, I still feel happy and cosy in my festive cocoon.

There is a huge part of me which is clambering to get back to work, and I've already found myself doing little bits and pieces of admin over the last few days. But Christmas and New Year have been so lovely, I don't feel quite ready to pack this silly, happy feeling away. And I'm certainly not ready to let go of my favourite Christmas outfits!

Dress from Collectif, leggings and cardigan from Primark, Robin hair clip handmade from a Christmas decoration.

Swallow necklace from Baku Forest Studios.

Cardigan from Primark, flowers from Pearls & Swine and a vintage dress for Christmas Day.

Nails are Tate (red base) and Graffiti (glitter) both by Nails Inc. The perfect, festive tinsel! (Thanks Susie!)

Christmas and New Year were both lovely and laid back. Christmas was spent amongst family in the countryside, whilst New Year was an evening of boozy silliness and a stunning view of the London fireworks from Parliament Hill Fields.

I've always been fairly ambivalent about celebrating the new year in a huge way, but it felt like 2015 was a finish line to a difficult race myself and my friends were all keen to get to end of. Standing in the cold armed with rum and some of my favourite people was cathartic in a way even I didn't expect. It felt very poignant seeing 2014 off and strolling back home arm in arm with some of the people who make my life feel so lovely. 

Resolutions aren't something I believe in as I feel they are too easy to forget. However I always make a handful of aims to add as a guide for the new year so that there is something to push for. This year included working on my exhibition, doing more artistic collaborations and staying on top of my 5k training. The way I see it, if I can stay both creative and healthy, that should automatically lead to a certain level of happiness. I'm also aiming to be nicer to myself, especially when it comes to my workload. I've had a few health setbacks in 2014, luckily nothing awful but things which have left me feeling tired and listless. As such, it feels like 2014 was a year of setting things up rather than moving forward, but it's important for me to remember that those things ARE set up - and 2015 is the year to take action.

Now that we're a few days in and the festive fog is starting to clear, I can see what my goals are and fully intend to hit them. It's exciting - this year feels so separated from the last already, and I feel like I'm about to embark on the final and most exciting chapter of a book. Hopefully one which has a happy ending, and will be the first of a very long series. I'm ready for you, 2015! Happy new year!

Until next time,

Diana xx

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www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)