Spring '20 Announcement: the #cosyathomeproject

introducing the #cosyathomeproject

- a 100 day contemplative self-discovery journey

Hello, how are you?

I am so excited to announce this to all of you at the #ZSCommunitea!

the #cosyathome project

#cosyathomeproject : an inward journey

This is a self-contemplative, inward journey initiative starting Apr10, 2020 (yes, that's tomorrow!), with the main intentions to inspire and nourish.

If this speaks to you, I'd love to invite you to join me from your homes all over the world.

I am conscious that to each of us, the words "inspiration" and "nourishment" can mean many different things and thus, I am leaving it to each of you to define for yourselves the focus of the project.

It’s something I had been wanting to approach for awhile, and now, with many of us working from home (with varying restrictions (or not) depending on where you are in the world), I figured the present moment has presented the best opportunity to embark on this 100 days project.

A reflection of the Sept 2019 #30daysofslow

Some of you would remember a mini version of this last September (it was a shorter, 30days project, dedicated to celebrating slow moments amidst a busy life in Hong Kong). At that time, my main focus was to be intentional in carving out pockets of time during the day for self-care. My main takeaway from #30daysofslow : by attending to myself first, I felt that I had a much greater capacity for kindness, empathy & creativity.

Back to present, the #cosyathomeproject : intentions

In the spirit of inspiration and nourishment, I shall dedicate space everyday (for at least 30 minutes) to doing things that inspire me- specifically recipe developing, making art (namely painting) & writing. It would be a dedication to my inner world as I work to sharpen my senses (taste & emotion). This would be documented in a journal which I shall keep together with photo and videos to record my process and thoughts over the next 100 days.

happiness: sunlight at the studio

Let's do this together @zippysparkles

If this inspires you to also embark on your own project, come join me as I update my process and thoughts on Instagram @zippysparkles. Here are also some notes & tips to help you get started on your own personalised #cosyathomeproject:

1. Make a list of items you’d like to focus on for during the course of this project. This would help you to set a personalised cosy-at-home theme.

For an example, my areas of focus for the next 100 days are: recipe development- refining my techniques, painting ( creative expression) & writing.If you end up changing your mind and feel like adding or subtracting items on your list, that also works.

2. Set an intention: is there something you would like to work on or dedicate this project to?

For an example, my #cosyathome project would be dedicated to observing what lights up my senses (taste , emotions) as I immerse myself in the things that stirs up some kind of feelings of happiness, joy, inspiration as I make recipes and art.

3. Decide on the time frame/duration: this is entirely up to you to decide. It could be 10, 20minutes each day or even up to an hour for the next 30 days (if 100 days is too long for you) as always - whichever that you are most comfortable with.

4. Go easy on yourself: remember that this is YOUR personalised cosy at home project and there are no rules. The only rule is to do it as long as it inspires and excites you. Thus if you end up missing a day, that’s fine, it doesn’t have to be consecutive. Just jump right back into the project when you are ready.

5. Remember that you are not alone: the wonderful thing about life in this era is the internet and our connectivity. Feel free to connect with us, or even buddy up with a friend who shares the same interest and run your projects together (online, I guess).

6. Allow yourself to let go and get creative.

Remember that no one is watching or judging you on this, it is entirely up to you to explore what inspires, nourishes you. Let go, get creative.

abstract figure: let go, get creative

7. Record: keep a journal of your progress, thoughts learnings.

An extract from my journal earlier this week:

“...I started to paint a month ago, and it was like reconnecting with an old friend. I had no idea what to paint when I first started so I turned to Instagram for inspiration and I first started by making my own interpretations of other creatives’ work. Being mindful to respect the artwork of others (as well as develop my own creative expression) now I shall draw and paint only based on my own photos or images from dreams...”

summer : a self portrait

''...this is a painting of a dreamlike visual that came to me one morning after meditation, and immediately, I knew I wanted to paint it. In the 'dream', I was walking through the corridors of what looked like a colonial style building dotted with banana trees, I could feel the sun ‘s warmth on my skin, there is a sort of light warm breeze in the air. I think I captured the scene pretty well - though I probably need to work on the tiles better (note to self: improve detailing!)..."

8. Photos/videos: this depends on the nature of your #cosyathome project theme (though I would highly recommend keeping a sort of personal record). As my focus is centred around recipes, creative expression (with the intentional focus to inspire and nourish), it makes sense for me to take photos and videos to help keep a record of my journey. I think it also makes it fun to look back on these- as mentioned above, I would recommend it.

So this basically rounds up my tips for starting your own cosy at home project. I hope this inspires you to take care of yourself, sending you many pots of tea & chocolate biscuits.

x