Coping with the "Januwearies"

That word certainly sums up the month of January for many of us. The first time I ever heard it was courtesy of talk radio host Neal Boortz. I don't know if Boortz actually coined the word, but whoever did, they certainly hit the nail on the head. January can be a bummer.

The sparkle and merriment of the holidays are behind us, credit card bills are rolling in, and outside it's cold, wet and often miserable...nope, January is rarely anticipated with joy. Unless of course we can spend it on a tropical beach sipping margaritas, then it's not so bad. But most of us aren't so lucky. We stare out our windows at the snow/sleet/ice/freezing rain and yearn with all our hearts for spring.

A gardening catalog arrived in the mail last week. I was entranced with its vivid images of perennial and annual flowers so stunningly beautiful they couldn't possibly be real. Or maybe I should say they couldn't possibly have been grown by mere mortals, flawless as they were in the photos. That thought didn't stop me from drooling over them, picturing in my mind how this variety or that would look in the (still imaginary) flower bed which will someday flank the path to my studio. Some might call perusing a gardening catalog mind candy, but I call it summoning inspiration. It not only presented me with plant combinations I wouldn't have thought of, it reignited my resolve to make the new garden bed a reality.

Encouraging creative inspiration is, I think, the best way to get through this often-gloomy month. Perhaps that's what the Universe had in mind when January was invented. Maybe the purpose of its rotten weather is to induce us to settle in, mug of tea in hand, to dream, plan and imagine what we would like to bring to fruition. Whether it's jotting down new techniques to play with in our studios, envisioning an overhaul of our home's decor, mulling over new marketing strategies or dreaming up layouts for a future garden, maybe January's weather-enforced downtime is actually a gift.

When ice and snow make driving to the office impossible, what better time to follow those subtle inner promptings that hectic schedules tend to drown out? Ever thought you'd like to try your hand at marbling collage papers? Decoupaging the top of that old coffee table? Carving a walking stick? Starting a journal? Now's your chance. So when blizzard conditions threaten, take a little "mind vacation." Settle in, chill out and see where your imagination takes you!

My cat's idea of chilling out. No need to take the concept quite this far!

Text and images ©2018 Lynn Edwards