How To Yule: For Creatives
At the Wheel's End, and Beginning
Ooof, friends – if you’ve been feeling the seasonal chaos the way that I have, then you are also looking forward to some quiet days (somewhere?) on the horizon. I’ve been in book release mode since October, and have noted yet again that it’s very hard to release a book and make any note-able progress on current projects at the same time. Maybe someday I will not feel bad about this?
If the world has made you want to crawl into an acorn and float away, I’ve got some encouraging* news for you . . . the Winter Solstice and season of Yule is almost here.
Yule (Jol/Jul) is a holiday originating with ancient Norse folk on the Winter Solstice (Dec 21-22) and it was treated more like a New Year festival – celebrating darkness and the re-birth of sunlight with fires, feasting, singing, storytelling, and gifting, which lasted for 12 days. The winter solstice has always been particularly special to me, because it was also the day I was born. 🤗
The energy of the Yule season – which lasts until Feb 1st in the Wheel of the Year – mimics hibernation in nature and getting into a deeply restful mode. Even during Tudor times, spinning wheels and work tools were wrapped in ivy to ensure they wouldn’t be used. Putting work away for long chunks isn’t accessible for everyone, but, to whatever degree you’re able, try to tap into this mode over the coming days and weeks.
Involves mostly setting your creative practice down:
Put away to-do lists and work projects. Tidy the chaos and clutter in your workspace, get things into their right places and turn off the lights; decorate with candles or some winter bunting.
Fill the days with reading, non-work-related crafting, cozy movies and games. Go through your bookshelves and make some piles of books to peruse with cups of cocoa. I love browsing through old art books and re-reading illustrated fairytales during this time of year.
If you keep a journal or sketchbook, do some reviewing and reflecting. Keep it soft and gentle. Ask:
What do I want to celebrate the most from the past year?
What area of my work life is asking for more rest?
What has been nurturing my creativity lately?
For more in-depth, gorgeous writing about tapping into mid-winter energy, I can’t recommend enough the work of Katherine May, author of Wintering:
When the Sun Stands Still
Keeping the Long Midwinter
I hope you fill these weeks with as many candles, goodies, and books as you can.
P.S. Celebrating Love In Picture Books
I’ve gotten the most lovely messages and notes from readers about my new book A COZY WINTER DAY, with especially sweet responses from kid readers.
But there have also been some bummer comments and down-ratings on Amazon simply because the bunny family has two gay dads. For young readers, seeing depictions of diverse family structures living together in community with empathy, acceptance, and mutual respect helps build the muscles of these qualities within themselves. Please show love for inclusion in children’s books!
Here’s a great list of LGBTQIA+ picture books from Diverse Picture Books.
I love this time to put away those to-do lists too and just enjoy life. This is always when I read more than any other time of year, and December is my month when my Switch typically comes out! It's so restful. Also, I'm so sorry about those negative reviews. I've been there, and I'm sending so much love. It's so appreciated that you include families of all kinds in your beautiful work!
Happy Birthday, Eliza!
We call Christmas "Joulu" in Finland, but I wasn't aware that it used to be celebrated for 12 days, I looove the idea!
Thank you for the questions, too, they are great add for my yearly reflection.
And I just finished reading Wintering by Katherine May, it was truly inspiring. I have been wintering all this year (actually more like two years) and now I have a name for it. I also feel like my personal spring might be around the corner, but we'll see.
It takes as long as it takes.