Seasonal Creative Living - Spring 🌸

Exploring how nature can influence life and work

Mar 29, 2024

Lately I’ve felt really called to explore what it means to connect with seasonal living and allow nature to influence my creative practices. Perhaps this was sparked partially by a recent change to my physical environment. With over a decade of San Francisco city living, I didn’t notice much change in the seasons at all, beyond the swapping of Christmas lights for spring wreaths and pumpkins popping up in vestibules. Of course there were even those neighbors who left the same holiday decorations up year round!

After recently making a big transition of 1) buying my first home and 2) moving north of the city to a more suburban area, I find myself in a new place and space with a different climate, different views, and an opportunity to get to know the surrounding natural world more closely.

Naturally my physical environment inspired me to reflect on my internal environment. Everything is connected isn’t it? I wanted to feel more of a sense of connection to time and place so I began researching how nature’s seasons can creatively influence my life and my business. All winter long I spent time devouring content all about how nature is one of our greatest teachers and supporters. I discovered that many others are interested in this topic too - see all the resources at the end of this newsletter!

For 2024, I’m setting intentions to both cultivate seasonal observations and define points of practice for my life and work throughout the year, starting of course with spring.

SPRING SEASON

The northern hemisphere officially crossed over into spring following our equinox last week. I’m digging in deeper to what the season of spring reveals to us in its offerings:

1. Spring shows us patience

🧐 The observation: Spring may SEEM like a quick burst but its timing is actually much more nuanced. Emerging from winter stillness is a dance, a few steps forward a few steps back. We feel it with the dynamic temperatures, the rain showers, and the selection of blossoms still in bud form. It may feel like a “say yes” season but we don’t have to be so bouncy, we can also ease into this new pace of life and way of being.

🌸 The practice:

Harness buds of ideas and creative sparks by recording them, but then set them aside to plant later when the time is right (my Asana kanban is used for this).
Say no, or maybe later - limiting new expansive (non-client related) calls to 2-3 per week.
Remind myself that nature does not subscribe to urgency.

2. Spring shows us curiosity

🧐 The observation: There are so many plants I’ve never seen or known before, all with unique beauty and intrigue. What are they called? When will they bloom? My husband hung a bird feeder and daily we observe how backyard birds are curious about the seed and the new flowers. And at the sound of a ‘who-who’ we grabbed binoculars and ran outside to spot an owl on the telephone pole at night. Yeah, we’re basically birders now. Are you also curious about all of nature’s interactions?

🌸 The practice:

As I move in to planning my schedule for May and beyond, get curious about what intentions planted this spring season might grow into come summertime
What would having more time for dream projects look like?
Or what could a short summer sabbatical look like, and what do I need to do now to be able to put that into practice in a few months time?

3. Spring shows us a fresh start

🧐 The observation: Spring, as the true start of the energetic and astrological new year, certainly offers us an opportunity to refresh and clean slate. I also celebrate my birthday late March so I think I feel this even more. Fresh starts remind us to clear out what needs to go, and make space to welcome new possibilities.

🌸 The practice:

Spring clean the studio space - this one has been easy as I’ve literally just finished a home office renovation project (perhaps I’ll share photos soon). Having this reno allowed me to sort through desk drawer items and paperwork I no longer needed and create a fresh space with more organization and purpose.
Bring in something from the outside world into your home or office to represent new energy and beginnings (so many great plants and flowers to buy right now).
Make a list of habits to start. Spring is a good time for new routines. I need to reboot my commitment to exercise and my morning meditation.

4. Spring shows us interdependence

🧐 The observation: It is never clearer than in spring the amazement of our interdependent ecosystem. Everything is connected to create balance and harmony. If you haven’t seen the film The Biggest Little Farm, nothing depicts the supportive community of nature better. Spring serves as a reminder to reconnect with others, share, support, and lean on one another after emerging from a more solitary winter season.

🌸 The practice:

Join communities to meet new people. See the communities I’ve joined recently on my LinkedIn post.
Work to proactively make meaningful connections (not just passive Slack use), like setting up virtual group gatherings and 1:1 Tea Time calls (if you’re interested in joining either of these please let me know!).
Identify where support is needed. I finally found a great partner to help me build my business website redesign, because of course it kept getting deprioritized by trying to go it alone.

Spring is so wonderful is so many ways. I’m curious to hear if any of this resonates with what you’ve been feeling and experiencing as we shift seasons. If you are also called to put seasonal living into practice I’d love to hear from you.