Winter has arrived... along with a new year and all of the possibilities it holds.
I've always loved decorating seasonally, by bringing the beauty of nature into my home every season of the year. Sometimes it is by actually bringing natural elements indoors, or creating a replication of what I see in nature. Other times it is a hint at something I enjoy about that season (like making snowmen or pumpkins out of sweaters!).
After finding the lovely graphic image shown above on Pinterest, I visited the linked website - Rose Color Creative. There I discovered a post with a delightful concept: 'Working in Rhythms: The Power of Seasonal Productivity'.
In that post (read it here), the owner of Rose Color Creative, Mariah Scott, shares some simple relationships between the cycles of nature's seasons and our own energy levels... what I've decided to call 'the art of living seasonally'.
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Mariah's take on this approach reminds me of the patterns of nature through the year, and how the earth and the life she hosts respond. While each of us will have variations based on our age, location, and other factors, I find her information helpful in evaluating how my own body and mind fluctuate from season to season.
Perhaps this concept rings especially true to me right now, as I always find winter a hard season to navigate...
My energy vanishes, my desire to produce or accomplish anything at all is at the lowest ebb of the year, and my ability to dream, imagine, and create runs thin. Add to that the change of light in my north-facing studio that makes creating and photographing said creations an exercise in futility. This happens to me every year and yet I always respond to it with frustration, self-loathing, and a nagging fear that my creative capacity will never return. It doesn't seem to matter that it always does - my mind tries to tell me differently.
Winter is not my season, and because of that it has always seemed a bit adversarial. (I once wrote a poem about how I see the four seasons, and Winter had to get a re-write because I was so set against her! It's here on my old blog.)
I've been wasting a lot of energy fighting my own mind, body, and energy levels for a very long time. Add to that the sense of overwhelming pressure that even a quick perusal of social media brings this time of year. After reading Mariah's post, I am determined to shift my understanding of and response to the cycle of nature this year: I am going to focus on living seasonally. Not just living to decorate seasonally.
I'm entertaining the 'What IFs'...
What IF Deb didn't stick herself into a schedule of weekly blog posts sharing a project that took an entire week to conceptualize, create, photograph, and blog about?
What IF Deb recalibrated and defined a new way to be creative?
What IF Deb integrated more of the things that light her up and make her smile into the content she creates?
What IF Deb simply enjoyed her own creative pursuits - and sometimes shared them?
What IF Deb took her time, instead of hurrying to do 'all the things' the way the world pushes us to do?
These thoughts are all racing around my brain now, fueled by the resonance of the approach that Mariah suggests. I'm taking some time to ruminate on them, to write down my thoughts about them, and to formulate new habits that might just show up as a new way of doing everything I do.
This season of Winter now seems absolutely undaunting, one I want to curl up in and learn some new things from. I'm giving myself the gift of time, rest, and an open mind to see what gifts Winter will bestow. I won't fight her, or argue with her, or dread her visit... I'm welcoming her as a friend who will most definitely say something I need to hear. I'm ready now. When she has imparted her wisdom, I will figure out how to implement it into my life and creative practices.
I wish you all a new year that dawns with possibility, and a renewed vision for yourselves, your homes.... and perhaps a new idea that re-ignites your passion for life. Happy New Year! ~ Deb
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