“Down time is where we become ourselves…a hiatus that passes for boredom but is really the quiet moving of the wheels inside that fuel creativity.” – Anna Quindlen
Today is the first day in my little neck of the woods that is going to rise out of the -30 to -50 windchill weather I have been surrounded by. I have been forced into a sort of hibernation for the past week and a half due to the substantially sub zero temperatures that have engulfed the part of Canada that I live in. I was thinking about what to blog about this morning, and I felt at a bit of a loss. I have spent a week indoors with my husband, cat and dog so I have not had a lot of in depth conversations that sometimes provide a spark for my entries.
I started reflecting on what exactly I have been doing with myself over the past couple of weeks. What I realized was that I seem to have had a resurgence in creative endeavors and a strong sense of inquisitiveness. I have been painting more. I always paint a fair amount. However, I have been exploring other mediums and have discovered new artists that have lit a spark in me. I fell in love with the work of Laly Mille and she has inspired me to do more work with collage, which I always find daunting. I created a handmade journal with a page for each month that I am going to create using her methods. Super excited to try something new. I also have so many art supplies that I have bought over the years that I have tried once and decided I didn’t like them. One such product is Dylusions Spray Inks. They always made such a mess when I tried to use them in the past. I started playing around with them today and am going to try to experiment with different ways to see if I can get them to work with me and not against me.
I have also read a ton of books while hibernating, both fiction and non-fiction. I have learned of numerous authors that I am now inspired to read their works. I have also been listening to podcasts on different topics that are now going to be staples in things that I follow. Music has also filled my days in the background. Spotify has been my best friend in the cold and has introduced me to artists that I love that were unknown to me in milder weather.
Sometimes what bad weather can do for us, is force us to look for new paths. Without the horrible cold, which I still do not like, I would not have found the creative inspiration that I have this January. It came at a great time as tomorrow I go for my next infusion that will put me down and out for a few days. At least I have some great things to listen to and watch for during my time of healing. I am the kind of person who likes to be busy and out and about. However, it was just the break I needed with the cold to fuel up my previously waning creativity.
Hope you can find what you fuels you up this week.
Christine
anundefinedlife.com 