My favorite song, from my favorite album of 2013 (which happens to have been recorded in my favorite place, Iceland), by one of my favorite artists, John Grant.

I, too, wish I had heard a song like this as I grew up. A glimpse of history and a testament to how far things have progressed. While there’s a great distance still to travel, I never expected we would come so far during my lifetime.

(Video premiered today in The Guardian.)

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
—Annie Dillard, found via Brain Pickings

More than one coworker stopped me after I started using the #yearofmaking hashtag on my Instagram. This was after I had posted that weekend’s baking, like the picture above.

“You’re baking bread every day this year?” they demanded.

No. No, I’m not going to be baking on a daily basis (although imagine how much I could learn in a year!). Making for me will extend beyond the kitchen. I count knitting, writing, drawing, cooking, assembling, building, and pretty much anything that I do with my hands to create something that was not previously in existence. And, it won’t have to be final, finished objects. A single stitch, sketch or step towards something greater will suffice.

I first saw the hashtag #yearofmaking on my friend Sonya’s Instagram. I had just read about it in Kim Werker’s newsletter. The idea originated from Miriam Felton and her 2013 project of doing the same. Like her, I, too, have had multiple failures at various 365-day projects. #yearofmaking sounds like something that I could really get behind.

The goal of pursing this type of project is less about being more productive, and more about setting a daily intention to invite more creation into my life. Heck, it’s more than intention, it’s an active pursuit. And, I’m totally OK with missing days. It may happen, and that’s fine. Posting a single photo each day is about making more moments that make up me.

How are you finding ways to be more you every day in 2014?

Rye porridge with toasted walnuts (center and back left) and sesame wheat (right) were baked first thing on New Year’s Day morning.

They were mixed, developed and shaped on December 31st, along with the three seedy rye loaves (under the one loaf on the left). The continuity of one year coming out of the work put in during the former works for life as well as bread. But why wait for 365 days to pass to improve? My bread is only as good as my next bake—day after day, mixing, developing, shaping, resting, rising and creating.

My friend Sadie tweeted this yesterday:

I resolve to not be corralled into a generic goal based on self loathing & an arbitrary day on the calendar. #healtheveryday

— Sadie Chanlett-Avery (@yogisadie) January 1, 2014

Pretty good advice to carry every day, both in the kitchen and the world at large.

Happy baking, friends!