“New Year, New Plans” With Alicia C Kirwan

Before we say thank you and goodbye to 2023, it’s time to get quiet, turn inwards and reflect on what the last 12 months have taught us about ourselves. We look back so we can move forward — with a little more wisdom, courage and clarity on how we can live better, happier in the next 12. With this in mind, we started this series, “New Year, New Plans”, and invited three individuals — an entrepreneur, a magazine editor-in-chief and a fibre artist — to share their 2023 reflections and 2024 intentions.

Hi Alicia, thank you for being part of our “New Year, New Plans” series. For the benefit of readers who are not yet familiar with you and your work, could you give us a short self-introduction please?

Alicia: Hello everyone! I am Alicia C Kirwan. I’m a fibre artist and the founder of Beeyarnd. Beeyarnd is a wordplay. It is created with the purpose of bringing perspectives beyond the conventional impression of yarn. Using yarn as my primary medium, I design and make fibre art to encapsulate treasured memories and emotions for my clients. Every fibre art is therefore personal to the owners.

Can you give us an example of what a day in your life is like?

Alicia: Every day has been pretty dynamic for me across the year. I would wake up early morning to go for pilates, mainly to keep myself active, regulate my emotions and reset my mind before work. Then I’m back to my home studio. I set boundaries with myself to work for eight full hours, conceptualising on sketches for commissioned fibre art projects, working on my existing art and filming myself for social media content. Towards the end of the day, I would catch up on admin work and edit the videos to post for the night.

What is your way of organising your time that has proven to work well for your lifestyle / personality? For example, is it more important to see to everyday details or plan longer term with an overview of a week / month / the whole year?

Alicia: I have two approaches in how I plan work and life. First, I set a macro plan by listing down simple one liners that I aim to achieve in two months. Within this timeline of approximately eight weeks, it allows me to measure my progress, see the bigger picture, and refer back to remind myself whether the things I am committing to would be align with my vision in life and work. This really helps me when I am close to feeling overwhelmed or obliged to say yes to opportunities. It helps me to realign myself and choose opportunities that I truly believe in.

Another approach is the Reminder app on my phone. As much I make an effort to remember things in my head, I still rely on typing out what needs to be done in a week, but at the same time, keying in other micro tasks or ideas that come in fleeting moments when I’m on the go. Being an artist and business owner, there are so many things to take care of. By checking off the items on my phone, it gives me a sense of relief and certainty that I’m on track to keep a balance in being present for my work and personal life.

How has the habit of planning and organising helped you in getting clarity, setting priorities, achieving what you set out to achieve, and in creating the life you want year by year?

Alicia: I find planning and organising give me a sense of direction and certainty to achieve things in life in a realistic manner. Of course, as I get older, I am less hard on myself for sticking to the plan. There are times in life when the outcome will turn out unexpectedly or against our favour. And that’s okay. So I leave pockets of time empty in my monthly planning to welcome the unplanned or ad-hoc projects.

Do you have any personal tips or advice on effective planning / scheduling?

Alicia: Keep it broad and simple, plan without penning in too much details. Information overload can sometimes lead to resistance. By keeping plans to one liners, they feel easier and I tend to be more positive in how I approach and execute my plans. The details usually come naturally while doing the tasks and you’re in the flow.

Let’s talk about journalling. In recent years, it has become an essential self-care / self-discovery tool. We'd love for you to share your personal experience with our readers. What got you started? How has it been beneficial for your emotional / mental / professional well-being? What is one of the biggest revelations or insights that journalling has brought you in 2023? What are you most grateful for?

Alicia: Journalling helps me to snap out of the noise, self critical thoughts and fatigue. It is my outlet to set simple intentions for the day and empty my mind. Usually, I set aside five minutes, start the day with gratitude, focusing on what would make today great. It can be the simplest thing, like “having a nice bowl of soup”. It helps me to focus and refocus on the good, combatting negative thought loop and any discontent.

I am most grateful for the kindness and strength I give to myself. We are often so good at comforting our loved ones with gentleness, but we don’t give that same support to ourselves. This year, I have often caught myself deep in thought when things go south. But I'd remind myself that I can control my emotions by compartmentalising and releasing them through breath work or journalling. This is how I bring kindness to myself and find strength to take on every challenge.

Can you share one intention / goal / resolution with us for your 2024? What are you most looking forward to in the new year?

Alicia: Learning a new language. It could be Spanish or Korean, I haven’t decided yet. I feel that sometimes we are so caught up in our professional lives that we forget to live life and to add layers into our personal life. I think learning a new language will allow me to communicate with people from other cultures. I hope that by the end of 2024, I will be able to experience that in Spain or Korea.

Finally, if you were to write a one-line note to yourself in the December 31 space in your new 2024 Planner, what would it be?

Alicia: “No matter what happens in life, be kind to yourself.”

Read more from Sarah Bagharib and Pakkee Tan.

We would like to thank Sarah, Pakkee and Alicia for sharing their 2023 reflections, and intentions for the new year. #byndartisan #2024planner #somethingsworthsharing