Dear Friends,
Every year, when January rolls around, I feel pulled into making resolutions and, by February I regret it. I feel burnt out and disappointed. So this winter I tried on a new approach and considered how to integrate into my practice what the wonderful mythologist Sharon Blackie wrote about on her wonderful Substack, The Art of Enchantment
“[winter] is, for me, always a time to think about change and transformation, about all the ways in which we might allow the long, cold dark to strip us down to the bones of who we are. Every year, letting winter strip us bare; letting the final leaves we’re clinging onto fall. Letting it all fall, and seeing what still holds upright.”
Although, it’s not been easy, I’ve been sitting with Sharon’s words. They have reminded me that we live in a culture where “progress”, “purpose”, and “growth” are everything. Its allure is difficult to resist, especially when we need to hibernate. So this year I decided to set my resolutions in the spring, a time when the natural world is coming back to life, and I can take inspiration from the seedlings growing under my fingertips.
If you feel inspired to set springtime, rather than winter resolutions, I hope these suggestions can support you too.
“Our world-self is all electric light; full-on, productive, mega-watts of busyness.” -Jeanette Winterson: Mind Over Matter
1. Turn the lights down
Our daytimes are full of such a full-on light. We can over-index on wanting to shine bright, wanting purpose, and achievement. Just as we can’t only fill our bouquets with showy peonies, and we need those subtle, deep greens to add depth and variety, I want to add to my goal-making a sense that I’m listening to, and honouring, the quieter parts of my nature. It’s hard as a parent in our busy society, but maybe not despite that but because of it, I want to ensure that I’m growing my confidence that softer modes of delivery can be successful too, however I choose to define success today
2. Do nothing
From my sofa I can see the outline of the top of the Chestnut tree in our front garden, I can see the edge of the swallow’s nests from last spring, and I can see, in the distance, another farm house, smoke still coming out its chimney in early spring. I find that if I can remind myself to take that kind of time, new ideas drop in in unexpected ways, and often they feel more connected to my intrinsic goals, and less driven by the need to run in a certain direction simply for the sake of being busy.
3. Take one thing away
This is something that I learned from an author whose name I sadly can no longer remember. He was writing about what he had learned from his young son about creativity. They were building a lego bridge together and the father wanted to add some blocks to even it out, when his son said, “Why don’t we just take these few blocks away instead?” That got him thinking about his constant need to “add” rather than to “subtract” when it came to solving a problem. Stepping back, and touching base with my own capacities before I leap, has simplified my studio planning, and with that renewed focus, brought with it a surprising amount of pleasure.
I’ll be honest, I still feel a little tender from over-wintering in my studio. It’s not as though I’m leaping forward into the season. I’m more like one of my dahlia tubers, all gnarly looking and seemingly very unlikely to produce anything at all, let alone anything beautiful. But in the spirit of spring, I’m going forward in hope and I trust you will too
Happy writing this week
Warmly,
Natasha
