NATURE AS TEACHER
It is almost the WINTER SOLSTICE. The shortest daylight and longest night/darkness. There is so much wisdom in nature. If we attune ourselves to it we move closer to our own nature. In my experience in deepening my connection with nature I have deepened my connection to my own spirit. What I have learned is that to obey this is to serve my artistic output. What I am also painfully aware of is how out of alignment that fact is with our current modern world. A world almost completely oriented to a digital and very UNNATURAL MATRIX. It is out of alignment with the nature of creativity. We are not robots. Artists and creatives are part of nature. Retreating is a natural process of producing. EMBRACING AND NAVIGATING THE DARKNESS….this is the call of the wild…
Because of my own values I embrace the call. I deleted my Instagram app from my phone. I take time to inventory my previous year. I look to see what my values are and if I am in alignment with them. What is working and what is not working. How is my family and home? How are my relationships? In October I made a very serious declaration to prioritize, MY ENEGETIC HYGENE. By that I mean, I have been taking all of my world into consideration. What is giving me energy and what depletes my energy. When I started looking at my world from this perspective ALOT OF THINGS BECAME VERY CLEAR. There were people in my life that I needed to let go of. I was giving a lot of myself away in areas that were taking me away from places where my energy needed to be. I had to be really honest and very brave. Not making these changes was not only detrimental to myself but to everything I was in relationship with and hold dear.
Winter is a really blessed time. To come home to ourselves and slow down. To retreat inward and ask, “how can I conserve my energy?” What is in alignment with my values and what is not? What changes can I make to prioritize my energetic hygiene. This also means, how am I showing up in life? What is the quality of my energy when I am with others? Giving ourselves the time to be still and SLOW DOWN. Slow down to hear our own heart beating. What is in that heart of mine? What is calling me forward?
Getting off IG is massive. As an artist, it has been the main way that I promote and sell. But it comes with such a cost. I won’t bore you with the list of ways that happens. If you are on it, you know. I am very curious if there’s a way to GO BACK. I never asked for this. I never wanted emails, scrolls, texts and insistent pings for my precious attention…how did we get here? What is my power in this? It has made us incredibly vulnerable and sped up. It has truly taken from our nature. LOOK AROUND!!!! Seriously. How many times a day does someone almost run into me because their attention is on the phone? How many times do you reach for connection with a loved one to find their attention is on the phone? It happens to me multiple times a day. I challenge you to try one simple thing…when you’re standing in a public space try to not be on your phone. FULL STOP. Notice.
I will be taking the winter to ask these types of questions. I will be listening to myself and abiding by my own heart. I will be engaging in my creative process without an audience. Without the continuous thought process to film and post. I will engage in the wonderment of creating from a place of PLAY, CURIOSITY and TRUTH.
Currently I am drawn to TEXTILES, WEAVING, PLASTER, SCULPTURES. I’m thinking about my 13 year old son and his upcoming RITE OF PASSAGE, from child to young man. I want to create along side of him to help both of us make sense of this transition. I want o nourish and nurture our family. I feel deeply called to be creative in our HOME. Nourishing and nuturing my friendships and family relationships. Our time here is precious. How are we spending it? Where is my ENERGY GOING?
The holidays are a wonderful time to SLOW DOWN and witness ourselves. May the GIFT BE YOUR PRESENCE. I deeply BELIEVE and know the POWER in slowing and paying attention. If you have been moving fast for a very long time, this will be most challenging to you. If this is the case be gentle with yourself. Start slow. Make it fun. CREATE tiny micro movements towards your intentions. Take some time to really consider your 2024. How was it? How did it FEEL? Think consciously about WHAT YOU WANT CREATE in 2025.REMEMBER IMAGINATION? It is our BIRTH RITE. Our God given ability to have our own thoughts and create from our own imagination. When was the last time you DAY DREAMED? When was the last time you engaged with your imagination? When was the last time you TOOK ACTION on your imaginings?
We are so powerful and I fear that we are becoming less and less attuned to our nature. Ben Harper has a song called, “FIGHT FOR YOUR MIND”. I believe we are definitely in a fight for our minds and our precious imaginations right now. He says, “you gotta fight for your mind, WHILE YOU HAVE THE TIME.” he wrote this in the 90’s…way before the internet and social media. Think about just the idea of, “INFLUENCERS”. Do you want to be influenced? Lately, I am curious about what I THINK…are these my thoughts? HOW AM I BEING INFLUENCED?
I would like 2025 to be more ANALOG and less DIGITAL. I would like to create and not have to be concerned with CONTENT. I want to promote from a place of attraction rather than promotion. Alignment and FAITH. Get back to my own heart as the greatest INFLUENCER.I want 2025 to be more connected and creative. I am half a century OLD. My days and hours are limited. I want them to count. How about you?
As always, I want this space to be a place of connection. Your comments are cherished and appreciated.
THANK YOU for supporting me this year.
I wish for us all to enter bravely into the quiet darkness wholeheartedly. Savoring the light when it’s available. May you emerge in spring restored and deeply anchored in your HEART.
L O V E,
L E S L I E