Light's Return and the Necessity of Flowers
Between the tangles of dead raspberry canes, the barren branches of the blueberry bushes and the drooping mugwort stalks that my kids like to pretend are catapult launchers, my garden is a late-winter wreckage right now. But one persistent clump of snowdrops has bloomed again in the middle of our yard, signalling the start of my floral lifeline that will carry me into spring.
Every week now, I’ll look for what’s coming next. First those delicate white teardrops, and soon the vibrant purple crocuses that pepper our lawn and front beds. Then later in February and March will come the narcissus, whose green spear-like leaves are already thick and lush. And then, the glorious two or three weeks in March when a blizzard of pink cherry blossoms drowns our street and I get to twirl in the falling blossoms.
By then, the sun’s grown strong enough to bake our front room in the late afternoons and I can find at least fleeting moments to soak it up like the starved plant I am.
We just passed Imbolc on February 1st, which marks the halfway point between winter solstice and spring equinox and carries the energy of stirring creativity and new growth. Unlike last month, which felt firmly rooted in the darkness of rest, these early days of February lend themselves to a little more action, and I’ve taken advantage of that to begin outlining my next novel as well as indulging in my baking cravings.
It’s a wonderful time to revisit projects and ambitions that got shelved over the winter break. What stories ache for your voice to tell them? What pies are calling you to bake them? How can you feed those first stirrings of longing to make and create?
One of my favourite writing exercises to get my creative impulses flowing is to choose a colour, and then do a bullet list of associated things. I like to pay particular attention to the senses beyond sight. For example, yellow could be the sweet-pucker of lemon curd on the sides of your tongue. Purple could be the smell of lilac blooms in warm spring sun. Set a timer for ten minutes and write without limitation. You might be pleasantly surprised what comes out.
Inspiring!❤