Art and Self-Care: February’s Journey of Renewal

Look at the gorgeousness of the snowdrop that was tucked away from the path; very few will have set their eyes on it. I have loved seeing them for as long as I can remember. These are just so delicate and pure-looking, yet they possess a strength that allows them to stand tall, even under the weight of the heavy rain from the night before.

It’s hardly surprising that February is my favorite month. It marks the arrival of the first signs of spring, as the snowdrops and cheerful daffodils begin to bloom, lifting our spirits after the winter and the dreary January days following the chaos of Christmas. Today, is my birthday which I always seem to treat as a fantastic opportunity to reflect, reset, and re-energize.

I have spent the day indulging in some mooching about, despite the persistent rain that has tried, but failed to darken the day. I am currently eating cake, drinking tea and watching Death in Paradise, which can’t help but make me feel warmer.

It’s funny how as I get older, I have never been one of those people who view a birthday with a sense of impending doom, dreading the extra year older as though this isn’t something to celebrate. I see each year as an achievement and a chance to question what have I done better in this past year? Well, I am healthier and taking practical steps to make sure I stay as healthy as I can be. I am more knowledgeable, I have learned so much about life both through experiences and research and I am excited for more therapeutic art exercises that I can now develop through what I have learned. I am grateful for everything and everyone I have in my life and I am eternally grateful to have Take That tickets for June!!!

Tomorrow I will be taking myself out on an artist date, one of the invaluable lessons that stuck with me when I read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron a few years ago. This practice of nurturing my creativity is crucial; I am off to The National Portrait Gallery, The National Gallery, and Tate Modern, where I plan to totally indulge myself in the art of Picasso, Freud, Warhol and the many other artists I am familiar with as well as some I am not. I will walk everywhere as I usually do as I prefer not to have to navigate my way around the underground. The underground feels rushed and confining; it interrupts the purpose of the day too much. By walking, I get to see more than I would if I were crammed into a crowded, sweaty tube. I can take spontaneous detours, pause to appreciate unplanned street art, and simply enjoy the outside air, all of which feeds my need for constant inspiration.

Happy birthday me!