The winds of change are blowing.
Quite literally, too.
In the past week our weather has shifted from the hot and dusty south-easter to the cool, wet north-wester. The north-wester is the winter wind; it brings rain and cool air from the Atlantic. I think this change in season, from summer to autumn, has instigated a change in my routine. I feel like I need to hibernate. All I want to do is burrow under the covers and read novels, and philosophy (or novels that are full of philosophy).
But aside from the change in seasons, there are lots of other changes afoot (which I'll be sharing here in due course, but not right now). I don't do well with change. I always want to start back-stepping when it seems like too much is happening at once.
I'm trying to spend a few hours each morning working on my next book project (very exciting one too!). I'm still in the sketching and "moodling" stage, trying to figure out how the story will look and feel. I have a big, black, Seawhite of Brighton sketchbook that I'm filling with thumbnails and character sketches. The whole project is due in a few months, so there's not much time for second-guessing my choices.
Once I'm satisfied with the day's work, I curl up under a blanket and pick up where I left off in "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco. It's a medieval murder mystery set in a monastery, full of mysticism, philosophy and intrigue. I'm reading it slowly, because I want to bask in the rich atmosphere and delicious language. (This is also a change, because I almost never read slowly otherwise)
So, in the midst of all this change, I'm so grateful for the work I'm able to do. I'm so grateful that I can do something that fills my soul and recharges my batteries. I'm not always equally inspired, but I always leave a studio session feeling lighter and happier.
How do you welcome the change in seasons? Or change in general? Do you have any coping mechanisms or tips to share?