When There Are No Words (aka my 2 favourite things)

This week has dished up a fair few treats! Kindnesses and unkindnesses, ups and downs and all arounds, some things didn’t work out as planned – from the little, to the spectacular! – and others are taking off beyond wildest dreams. On the phone with my mama last night, we talked it all through and she had this advice: “stay close to the trees, close to what lights you up and you’ll stay close to yourself.” We both love trees and walking and, despite being so far away from each other, often walk along the same paths of thought – I had written this post earlier:

When there are no words, stay close to your craft. There’s a magic in mastery that’ll always keep you safe.

When there are no words, stay close to nature. There’s deep power in an unplugged mind and a connected soul.

Hug your dreams. Talk to trees. There’s a greater picture in the slow unfolding of time.

I had written it as I reflected on a conversation shared with a friend about comparisonitis. (aka looking around and feeling like you’re behind syndrome and yes, it’s a thing and yes supposed to sound like a disease) The only antidote? Inspirationitis. (aka rolling up your sleeves and getting back to the drawing board – see what I did there??) Keeping close to your craft means daily practice, commitment and delicious devotion. It’s what no one can take away from you. Whatever may be said or done, it’s the deep work that speaks for itself and, in turn, allows you to look around without the weight or pressure of dreaded comparisonitis. And boy, is it contagious.

“Let nature teach you stillness.”

Stillness Speaks, Eckhart Tolle

Nature too is what so many of us turn to for inspiration, relaxation and relief from the demands of a world on the go. I’ve never been good at sitting still. Itchy feet and shiny things and perhaps, as was pointed out to me the other day, something to do with being born in the year of the dog. The whole world is full of exciting things to explore and lovely people to meet and I dive headlong into it all. But I’m finding as I get older (which I’m LOVING – the whole process it seems is giving less and less of a s*** about what others may think and allowing yourself to be more and more who you are) I’m really enjoying alone time. Maybe it’s a little known fact that I can happily spend days and days alone. And nature, without a doubt, is who I hang out with most. When the thinking mind starts to spiral, I sit down, open up a blank page and find the thoughts get lost in the looking. Whatever I’m drawing, flowers mostly, don’t ask me to be anything or do anything, I can just be myself. Conversations with roses are so luxuriously free of expectations.

So there they are. My two favourite things: craft and nature. The two things that always help me come back to myself and keep me inspired, motivated and moving forward. What are the things that help you?

DMK x