There's a chill in the air. A chill mixed with drizzle. A chill mixed with drizzle mixed with low light, cold wind and grey skies. It must be the end of November in Canada!
From about now to the end of the year is always tough for me. I'm not hearty enough to resist the cold, or social enough to welcome the holiday season. I kind of wither a bit without the warm sun and desperately miss the gardens in bloom, trees in full leaf and bright light in all. Even though I like me some hot soup and 'sweater weather' hikes, it's very much a time of year that challenges me in a number of ways, both in and out of the studio.
I've lived enough life to know that to weather the weather and face the dark, I need my light. Light in the form of art. Light in the process of this beautiful thing I get to do. Light that fuels my brushstrokes and guides my colour choices. It's a light that fills my imagination and has given me purpose and reason to get up and keep painting on those bleak, cold mornings. It is gratitude through and through and is the light I am forever following.
Light - real or imagined - is energy. I try to stay really conscious of the 'light' in me that I bring into the studio, making sure I hold fast to the way it feels in my heart and looks on the canvas. I keep the studio warm and bright, turning the tunes up and the kettle on and just let myself play, play, PLAY with colour because colour is also energy. Staying closely aware and connected to the pure and simple joy of it all fuels the light in me - fuel that carries me through the bleak to the colourful beyond.
So, if you're hibernating and struggling with the dark, please remember that it won't last forever and there are brighter days ahead. Think of my words here and look for the light. Find your joy, fuel your fun, dress for the weather and follow your magic.
