A doctor embroidered something to represent every day of her year and people absolutely adored it
Here’s a rather a fabulous thing which might be the best record of someone’s year we’ve ever seen.
Better than a diary – well, definitely more creative and so beautiful to look at – it’s a year in the life of Dr Ola Demkowicz captured in this magnificent embroidery.
And it went wildly viral after she shared it on Twitter because, well, look!
This year I embroidered something to represent every single day. I have never kept a journal or diary, and I have been surprised to learn from the process what joy there is to be found in noticing each day, whether that day is wonderful or terrible or mundane 1/ https://t.co/a7ECCmwQgW pic.twitter.com/8n55Jpb2a4
— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 2, 2024
There are beautiful things captured here, including pregnancies and births among some of the people closest to me, a promotion at work, trips with friends and family… 2/
— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 2, 2024
There are smaller, everyday beautiful things too – sunsets, long walks, birdsong, kind gestures from loved ones, a new dress, fresh lavender, the day a rabbit and I eyed each other during a surprise interaction on a trail run 3/
— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 2, 2024
Speaking of which, my body is woven throughout this, good and bad – runs, swimming, yoga poses, COVID days, medicines, and one of the worst chronic illness flare-ups I have experienced to date 4/
— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 2, 2024
Certainly there are bad days here. I chose early on to not only include recognition of the joy of a day but also, where appropriate, difficult things too. There are stitches that represent anxiety and sadness and heaviness and some things that were just quite shit. 5/
— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 2, 2024
There are also mundane things – when the day felt repetitive, when my to-do list was never ending, when I spent all day sending emails to get on top of things and feeling like I wasn’t doing anything creative or fun. 6/
— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 2, 2024
But overwhelmingly I look at this and think of wonderful memories. Playing bears in caves with my nephew, feeling the stretched skin of a friend’s pregnant belly, romantic dinners, eating croissants in Paris, a windy walk out to an old Devon lighthouse, a day with alpacas 7/
— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 2, 2024
I don’t know that I’ll journal again in 2024, or in a future year, but I have taken away something very beautiful about remembering to take stock each day, and whether documented or not I’d like to hold onto that act. We are so lucky to have this life. 8/8
— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 2, 2024
Here’s just a little bit of the love people had for it.
This is so poetic and beautiful, I really love it ❤️
— Dr Eleanor Chatburn (@eleanorchats) January 2, 2024
So wonderful Ola, it’s so rich
— Dr Eva A Sprecher (@EASprecher) January 2, 2024
That is fantastic ❤️ such a great memory of events and situations…very best wishes for 2024 ahead too
— Gareth D Morewood (@gdmorewood) January 2, 2024
I cannot tell you how much I love this ❤️
— Professor Lucy Easthope (@LucyGoBag) January 2, 2024
AMAZING
— Stevie_Nickels (@stevie_nickels) January 3, 2024
Last word(s) to @ola_demk
Well this one has run away from me on here – I’m blown away by such a lovely response to this! I officially can’t keep up with comments but wanted to share a few bits in response to common questions…
– You move around clockwise on these, some people sew lines between months…
— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 3, 2024
– I did freehand, though I looked online for inspiration
– it’s a 12 inch hoop
– I hadn’t done much embroidery prior to this, just two kits. Etsy have lots, and I like The Fabled Thread
– I often caught up every few days but jotted notes each day
…— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 3, 2024
– I originally started on a whim thinking freehanding would improve my skills – I didn’t expect I would keep it up all year!
– I haven’t kept a record of what they are or dates, I like the idea of forgetting
– BUT as suggested here I will add 2023 to the backThanks all ☺️
— Dr Ola Demkowicz (@ola_demk) January 3, 2024
Source @ola_demk