I wanted to call this post “2016 an intense year”, but I just realise that’s the title I gave to sum up 2015 🙂

2016 will be over in just a few more hours, and it’s time for me to reflect on this year, and set up my goals and hopes for this coming year…

I can definitely say that 2016 was intense, a very very busy year, and I still feel like I don’t have time for myself these days, although it’s supposed to be the off season, right ? I just cannot find time to hike and stay lazy at home. Still so much to do.

In 2016, I managed to developp my wedding photography business, filling my agenda with weddings, without having a full time job beside.

At the end of 2015, I had hope to be able to shoot between 12 and 15 weddings, and I reached that goal, so that’s quite an achievement  for 2016, and a whole lot of awesome people met this year, all around France 🙂

In 2016, after almost 20 years of driving license, I finally bought my own car, my very first. No more rental car, no more bus ride, but also : no more “living downtown”. These 2 things are linked : as soon as I had my car, I managed to moove from downtown Clermont-Ferrand, to isolate myself a little bit, in a village in Cantal.

I know there is nothing to compare with, but today, I have a room/office dedicated to my artistic work as a fiber artist, and paying half the price of my parisian rent.

And I don’t miss Paris at all, not even a second… I can’t believe it’s been only 2 years since I left Paris. Time flies, but in the same time, it feels like I’ve been here much longer actually.

🙂

Owning my own car brought me (besides a bit of stress into my business plan), a huge amount of freedom…. traveler once, potential traveler forever 🙂

In about 5 months I drove 14 000 miles (and France is not that big of a country !). I managed to explore France (although I havn’t post that many photos on the blog about it yet – wait for it within the coming weeks !) 🙂

In 2016, I setteld a bit more my Fiber Artist identity, especially when organising knitting meetups in Clermont-Ferrand, for the charity organisation Les Petits Frères des Pauvres, for a yarnbombing project I’ve created for them.

This charity organisation is important for me, and that was a great opportunity to help them by bringing a bit of my creative touch.

And now here is a look in photos at the thing that will  remain as my best memories for  2016 :

• In 2016, I’ve seen kilts… and spoke English quite often while taking photos at weddings 🙂
• at  Jill and François’s wedding 

or, a few days later, at this great wedding in Brittany 

In 2016, I had to stop taking photos because Christine and her friends made me laugh so hard, while at her Bridal shower. 🙂

in 2016, I took photo of a wedding with 5 people in total (and me)… and it was awesome ! 🙂

But also, I FINALLLYYYYYYYYY took photos of a same sex couple’s wedding, and that was one of the most emotional and awesome day 🙂 Cathy, Sandrine, you are fantastic ! 🙂

But my memories for 2016 are not all related to weddings ! In 2016, I managed to explore Auvergne, but not only in landscapes 🙂  From all these awesome memories, I will, most of all, remember :

• I FINALLY get to see  sheep shearing, learning about it and talking with people, to make my own point of view about it

• I’ve discovered the joys of snow in the Forez mountains 🙂

and this summer, I enjoyed every breath of pure air and sun, while  blueberry picking 🙂

I’ve laughed without control, watching hungry sheeps eating everything they walked by, while hiking behind the transhumance in Cantal 🙂

and I breathed pure air, while stopping a tear, on top of  Plomb du Cantal 🙂

I’ve been to Quiberon, la côte de Granit Rose,  Bréhat island, beaujolais, Reims, Auvergne, here and there, and I’ve been kidnapped at the Dune du Pilat by my friends for my birthday.

I’ve listened to the bellow of a stag in the wild, harvest saffron and met a lot of awesome people !

Yep, 2016 was an intense year, exhausting, but rewarding one, because it showed me that if you put a huge amount of energy into something, at some point, it will pay back 🙂

I don’t want to talk too much about the bad things that happened in 2016, but I had my dose too.

Some huge family worries, unplanned expensive disaster, canceled projects, and various disapointment…

I had my dose for sure, but I want to focus on my goals for 2017, and my wishlist :

In 2017 I want to keep on the same path with wedding photography. At least the same amount of wedding than in 2016 would be great.

In 2017, I want to better deal with my stress and my exhaustment, 2016 has been demanding , more than I expected and thought it would be.

A lot of driving = huge fatigue, and a very very limited social life to compensate.

In 2017, I don’t want to forget about my friends. Easy to say, but not that easy in reality, when priority is and has to be more than ever, to focus on work. This year, I won’t have a safety net.

For 2017, I want to keep developping my ‘Fiber artist identity, yarnbombing, yarn dyeing and knitting, but it’s actually already in process since I’m working right now on a very big yarnbombing project for 2017.

(I cannot tell more about it right now, but keep an eye on Woola Oops  by June 2017)

In 2017, I also already know I’ll be working on a very important project for me, the same kind of photo project than the one I did with llamatherapy, but this time with an artist who works in pediatric ER

(more by the end of 2017) 🙂

Oh and by the way, since it’s a wishlist, in 2017 I want to loose 30 pounds and fall deeply in love….

🙂 🙂 🙂

Well, actually you know what ? If in 2017 I could just laugh at least as much as I did this year 2016, in between very speed and stressful moments, and photo documentary, really, that will be good !

I’m dreaming about Tuscany, to be back in Andalucia, and let’s dream big, about Oregon next winter, but really, if 2017 just looks like 2016, it will be already plenty enough for me 🙂

🙂