2022 Leaps List
Some of my favourite artwork I created in 2022
I’ve been writing these annual lists every December since I started the blog nearly 10 years ago. Previous years’ lists are published in my book, Seeking and Belonging.
Here’s what I learnt in 2022!
• Walking the Camino for a month with everything I needed in a 24L backpack liberated me. I considered myself a minimalist before that, but alternating between only two outfits, and using a basic art kit showed me how little I needed to live comfortably and well. Saying that, one of the first things I did after finishing the walk was buy an eyeliner, earrings and perfume. I’m often struck by how a little artifice can make me feel more like myself.
• When I get really defensive about unhealthy choices (men, food, money), it means I need to stop kidding myself. Healthy decisions don’t need defending.
• Completing is more important than perfection.
• Most problems we obsess over are symptoms and not the source. Once we understand the source, then resolving it becomes simpler.
• Don’t collaborate with people you wouldn’t want to have a drink with, lend money to, or who are self–destructive.
• My motto this year was to keep trying new things, however ridiculous I may turn out to be at them. So, I finally walked the Camino in Spain. I at last sorted out long–time gut issues (and now feel like a new person). I started belly dance lessons. I published my first book. And I realised they seemed intimidating and tough only because I had to get out of my own way first, and all were worth my time and effort.
• My saddest, harshest and costliest lesson of the year was one I’d hoped I’d learnt many times before but, alas, had to learn it yet again. I had an inner antenna warning about working with someone, but I overrode it with ‘rational justification’. Any discomfort is a flag worth paying attention to, always.
• Years ago, deeply unhappy and perpetually sick, I saw a parallel track of my life that I thought I would be on by then. But I stayed on my track because I didn’t know how to make the jump over. The parallel track – of my being my true, full, unhindered self – seemed to veer farther and farther from me. It took every bit of my courage and faith to make the leap; to leave behind the life I knew was no longer working for me, and to try to live a different way. At first, I crawled. Then I walked. Eventually I embodied.
It’s galling that after all that work, I still veered off again. But more importantly, this past year, I came back to my true, full self once again.
It’s unfortunate that I had to do it again, but the reason I could was important: I decided to not give up on myself. I teetered, to be honest. I thought I’d tried enough times to turn the ship around. But there’s always a time when it clicks. I’m glad I kept at it.
• Nothing can move in the right direction without self-love.
The post continues below!
Some of the sketches from my Camino Diary in 2022… currently being collated into a book!
Recommendations from 2022
BOOKS
I read a lot this year (joy!), a lot of non-fiction in the help-me genre plus Camino guidebooks before I started my own walk in May. I’m working on my own art-story books (hoping to start sending them to publishers in 2023), and naturally gravitate towards this genre for my reading too. In this category, I especially loved the exemplary Sara Berman’s Closet by Maira Kalman.
My other reliable go-to genre is murder mysteries. Here, my favourite was Richard Osman’s third in the Thursday Murder Club series, titled The Bullet That Missed. Each book in the series is, amazingly, better than the previous.
Some came out earlier than 2022 but this is the year I saw them –
The FILMS I loved:
She Said, directed by Maria Schrader, based on Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s script, both outstanding. About how Harvey Weinstein’s power and sexual abuse over decades was finally brought to the public’s notice. I was impressed by how the filmmakers delicately balanced the information-dense events with the logistics of how a newspaper is run and, of course, the complex emotions of the victims. Moving, heartfelt, powerful.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, written and directed by Rian Johnson. What a blast! I loved every bit of it (even if the reveal was predictable to me because of a quirk I know about how murder mysteries are made…), from the plot which is both funny and clever, to the fabulous characters, to the genius cameos, to the preposterous setting, to the ultimately heartfelt motivation behind the story and its glorious come–uppance. Few films are this satisfying.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, directed by Sophie Hyde. This was everything I’d hoped it would be: excellent, beautiful, moving and important. A widow discovers pleasure thanks to her time with beautiful Leo.
Worthy mentions:
Operation Mincemeat, directed by John Madden. This has a terrible title, making it sound like a gross-out comedy when it’s a real–life story about a WWII operation by the British Secret Service. Compelling, nuanced watch.
Hustlers, directed by Lorene Scafaria. Engaging true story about New York strippers figuring out how to make money after the 2008 market crash. Exhilarating to see J.Lo and company luxuriating in their awesomeness.
Coco, directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina. I am always impressed by how Pixar’s storytelling genuinely manages to surprise me with an unexpected twist each time. So very satisfying on every level with its impeccable storytelling and outstanding animation.
Dirty Dancing, directed by Emile Ardolino. Rewatched this after a few decades and it held up impeccably. A coming of age story that never gets old – now, that’s a real classic. Watched the second half in Edinburgh on the telly, then the first half on the flight out :) Wrong way round but it still held up. Plus, it has the second best soundtrack ever (my fave is To Sir, With Love).
And the SHOWS I enjoyed:
Derry Girls, S3, written by Lisa McGee. Not as cohesive as the earlier seasons but still very watchable and fun, with some high emotions thrown in for good measure.
The Bear. Nicely made, solid and entertaining. About an experienced chef who takes over his dead brother’s chaotic and failing Chicago diner.
Lupin. Omar Sy plays a modern-day Arsene Lupin. The first episode was outstanding and while the rest didn’t dazzle as much, it’s still fun. Speedy enough that I didn’t really get time to question the more iffy plot points. Highly watchable.
The Night Of. Everyone was magnificent in it but Riz Ahmed was electrifying.
Only Murders in the Building. Farcical and nonsensical, but thoroughly winning in its charm. I couldn’t remember anything from S1 when I watched S2, but it didn’t matter. Their antics – especially Martin Short’s – are such fun, and I love Selena Gomez in this.
Worthy mentions:
Julia. Lovely eight-parter about Julia Child which gets into the nuances of working women’s lives in that era. Her relationship with husband Paul – his fragile ego notwithstanding – was so loving and respectful.
The Dropout. Though I had read about it and listened to a podcast (the excellent Bad Blood: The Final Chapter by WSJ journalist John Carreyrou who first broke the story), it helped to understand the details better by seeing the characters come to life in this very good eight-part drama, based on another podcast of the same name.
The White Lotus, S2, written and directed by Mike White. I hadn’t enjoyed S1 at all, but started watching this because of its Sicily setting (I heart all things Italian) and got totally drawn in. Except for one sole character (Will Sharpe’s Ethan), all of the characters are annoying as hell, yet it manages to be quite compulsive viewing.
PODCASTS
The ones I enjoyed the most this year were old favourites:
NPR comedy Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. Favourite episodes include Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda (25 June), Jeremy Allen White (30 July), and Hasan Minhaj (29 Oct).
We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle (and Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle). Favourite episodes include Dr Becky Kennedy (13 Sept), Melissa McCarthy (11 Oct), and JANE F–ING FONDA (1 Dec).
SmartLess, hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and my fave, Will Arnett. Many great interviews this year, including Michael Lewis (11 April), Bradley Cooper (13 June), Sigourney Weaver (5 Dec), Emily Blunt (12 Dec) and Edward Norton (26 Dec).
99% Invisible, hosted by Roman Mars. Favourite episode this year was 'It’s a Small Aisle After All’ (27 April) and their annual mini stories (14 Dec).
And some new podcasts: The Big Travel Podcast with Lisa Francesca Nand. And Beyond the Bathroom from Guardian beauty writer, Sali Hughes (lovely honest interview with Bobbi Brown, 7 Dec).
Thank you so much for being here! It means a great deal to me! Have a scrumptious, star–aligning and fantabulous 2023, my favourite people!
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