novelty nov·el·ty /ˈnävəltē/ noun - something that has not been previously experienced and/or deviates from one’s routine. Such examples include: meeting a new person, experiencing a new smell, taste, environment, or recreational activity. (Seattle Anxiety Specialists)
I chose a word for the year - It’s novelty. Isn’t it lovely? It reminds me of fresh starts, shiny, bright things, and invigoration. I did a little research about the concept of novelty as I began to draft this post. Not only were my ideas reinforced but I also learned some new things. Let me share my old and novel thoughts with you…
Here are my reasons for choosing novelty as my word for 2025:
I want to spark creativity in my life, especially in my writing. Seeing new things, going new places and having novel experiences gives me new ideas. Julia Cameron, who is a creativity guru, advises people take themselves on “Artist’s Dates.” According to Cameron, Artist’s Dates are “solo, once-weekly adventures to do something fun.” She says the benefits of these experiences are increased creativity, clarity, well-being, self-care and the ability to learn about your desires. For the record, I don’t plan on doing all my novel experiences alone. Some of my ideas will be more enjoyable if I’m doing them with friends.
Novelty and change spark joy. This isn’t the case for everyone but it is for me. There’s something about new surroundings that increase my dopamine levels. I get excited when I use all my senses to take in a new environment or participate in a new project.
Novelty will keep my brain and memory sharp. Did you know dopamine is responsible for memory enhancement? This is important to me as I prepare to exit my 50’s. It also helps keep me young and aware of what’s going on in the world. I have more to talk about with people, especially young people. I read that most people tend to have fewer new experiences as they get older, which ages their bodies and brains more quickly than necessary.
New experiences bring new perspectives. They can show us a different way of living or introduce us to new people who may not think like us. Our world needs more of this. Novelty can create small doses of compassion and peace.
I’ve been in a rut. I’m craving a change of scenery, if only for an hour or two. The winter months can be long in Wisconsin. The days are shorter and we’re less likely to get outside. Boredom can lead to depression. Novelty can play an important role in improving our mental health.
Novel activities will take up space in my days. Therefore I won’t spend as much time on unproductive habits like watching TV, staying in bed too long after I’ve woken up, or mindless eating.
I love routines. Did you know they can actually increase our ability to be creative? It seems counterintuitive that having a daily schedule will facilitate creativity, but it’s true. Routines give us more brain space. We don’t have to think about our mundane tasks anymore - they’re automatic if we have a routine. Instead, our energy can go into new experiences.
A novel experience doesn’t need to be expensive or time consuming. I’ve started a list of ideas for myself. I’m sharing it with you so it might spark some for you. I also want to hold myself accountable. (I’m lucky - many of my subscribers are people I know, who can ask me about my progress.) The list is organized from quick, short activities to larger, more expensive and time-consuming ones. Some of them are far-fetched wishes but I’m going to include them anyway. How can you manifest anything if you don’t put it out in the universe?
vases of unique flowers on my kitchen table
reading a book from a genre I don’t normally read
playing a new game
cooking with new foods
visiting new shops, restaurants in my own community
hiking a new trail
dance classes
equine therapy
taking a drive to somewhere new with no purpose other than to explore
painting some of the rooms in my home
a vacation - I’m going to Lexington, Kentucky to visit Old Friends Farm. It’s a luxury farm for retired race horses. This trip’s been on my bucket list for years.
voice lessons
a barge trip in southern France which will require…
learning a little French so I’m able to communicate while visiting all the quaint cafes.
and, finally, exciting changes to this Substack. I’m planning to freshen it up a bit and offer more valuable resources to paid subscribers. Stay tuned.
Resources
For more information on Artist’s Dates, or Julia Cameron and all her books and courses, visit Julia Cameron Live.
Old Friends Farm is a great vacation destination. Check out their site if you love horses, too.
An article in Brain World about the importance of novelty.
Paid subscribers also receive an activity that assists them in choosing a word for the year. There’s a beautiful print that will inspire them to create novel experiences, as well.
Finally, I can’t say it enough. I’m so grateful for your time and interest.
Geva
Dear Paid Subscribers:
I have several goodies here for you today. The first is a worksheet to help you choose your word of the year. There’s also a list of potential words in case you get stuck.
Once you select your word, display it in a place you’ll see it often - on the top of your to do list, on your refrigerator, desk, computer monitor, or set it as your phone’s lock screen. Here’s a link to some Word of the Year plaques on Etsy if you want to make it official. Some of them are quite clever.
Finally, there’s a picture that will inspire you to try some novel activities this year.
