Life can get pretty hectic, we all know that. Our daily routine can easily suck us into a spiral where we try to get too much done. I know from experience that when the routine gets too intense, and I have no time to get creative, that I feel like I’m drying up inside.
Nothing feels right, it is quickly a vicious circle – the less I create, the less I want to create and the more I slow down.
The self-knowledge that comes with age is a wonderful thing! Once I identified my need to get creative, I was able to remedy the situation, which is why this weekend, after a particularly intensive couple of months, I deliberately did nothing. I knew that I wanted a slow couple of days, and then it was time to make something pretty on Sunday.
All day Saturday, I pottered in the garden, read a book, picked up a few flowers, and started planning in my head what I wanted to do on Sunday.
Here is the result. An old display shelf was hauled in from the barn, and set up on a black dresser. I positioned small vases and glass bottles and started layering in flowers from the garden. Sticking to a limited color palette of greens and whites, with a couple of pink tones, I carried on adding flowers until there was no more room.
I’m not saying its perfect, but it looks pretty and that worked for me. I felt the soothing power of getting lost in the flowers and building up the layers as I went. Of course, anything using fresh flowers will only last a few days, but that’s fine. The pleasure was in the creation, and if we get to enjoy the display for a short while, that’s the bonus.
If you are in a creative rut, then you may like to know that we are offering a creative retreat in Provence next June. We are privatizing a beautiful Bastide, and settling in for 6 days, to visit the region and to find time for some creativity. Take a look at the details here, or email us at [email protected] for the full brochure.