This hot sticky July evening has me dreaming of cool lakes and gentle breezes. I wonder how the season is unfolding wherever you are?
I spent much of the past week in the company of flowers – sweet peas and scabiosa, blousy dahlias, astrantia and achilia, purple agapanthus and many elegant dusty roses. I was on a floristry course, not because I want to become a florist, but because I want to have more flowers in my life and learn how to care for them, and because I needed a break from my screen, doing something creative with my hands.
Isn’t it funny how so often, we tell ourselves we don’t have time to get creative, at the very moment we need to be creative. The reasons we give ourselves for not making time for creativity are often the very reasons we need that time. This was certainly the case for me last week.
Getting on a train to London last Monday felt like an outrageous indulgence, knowing that I would be offline, conditioning stems and arranging bouquets instead of working through my to-dos. But here’s the thing. I have come back from that week refreshed, rejuvenated, full of ideas and with a whole lot more energy, not to mention an archive of photos I can use for work.
As an aside, watching the flowers wilt in the heat, and then seeing them rally again with fresh cool water, reminded me how we also need to nourish ourselves properly to be at our best. I am now using the sight of flowers as an aide-memoire to drink more water!
This week I want to encourage you to find some time to be creative – whether that means taking a whole day out to make or do something, or finding a small pocket of time to create some beauty in your day – and see how different you feel.
In other news, I will shortly be announcing two brand new workshops I am going to be teaching in California in September, at one of the most amazing venues you can imagine. I would love to share the experience with you. More on that in my next newsletter – stay tuned!
Have a great week,
Beth Xx
