16. Midsummer for Creatives ☀️

Seasonal Creativity Continued...

(Thank you to all who sent lovely words of condolences after my last post about my Grandma Marvel💛.)

We’ve rounded the bend on the Summer Solstice; days of the most sunlight we’ll see this year here in the Northern Hemisphere*. On the Wheel of the Year, this event is celebrated as Midsummer, or Litha (Lee-thah), which means “calm” and “navigable”.

Imagine we’ve followed the sun up the mountain peak of this year . . . we made plans, we’ve done some stuff, we have more to do . . . but we need time to stop and take it in. From this spot, we have a 360 degree view on the year to look back and look ahead, and take in the view of it all.

Before learning more about this seasonal moment, I was anticipating something along the lines of “Now is when we double-down and get productive”, calling us to match the full productivity of the natural world. I was pleased to discover it’s just the opposite! While everything is in full bloom, these are the days to bask in appreciation of the abundance of it all. Midsummer is celebrated as a National Holiday in Sweden and Finland, where folks flock to the countryside to feast on fresh foods and soak up time in the sun and nature.

Scandinavian ancestors (on my mom’s side) on a summer picnic, early 1900s America

A few ways to bring Midsummer energy into the creative realm: 

• Take writing and art outside, or on a retreat. Soaking up nature in big and small doses refreshes our creative souls, so don’t get too much done while you’re out there…lounge, daydream, re-charge. 

• Explore light and shadow, or capture the sun and nature in your chosen medium.

• If you can’t get out of the city, visit art fairs and galleries, author events and gatherings to get out of your bubble and bask in the art of others.

• Or just take a 360° view of your creative work . . . review what you’ve been able to do in the past 6 months and celebrate that (no matter how small!). Consider what you want to prioritize over the 6 months ahead. Any recommitments, or new directions that you can see from here?

Art from Wherever You Go (written by Pat Zietlow Miller)

Thanks for reading Creativi-Tea Time!

*(Readers in the Southern Hemisphere are experiencing the Winter Solstice, celebrated as Yule on the Wheel of the Year)