Up a Hill

A jewel of a day

There was a beautiful sunny day last Saturday. A jewel of a day amongst many a rainy day experienced recently. A day I am holding on to in my mind’s eye as it glowed with radiant light. I am fortunate to be spending more time in the hills as my new (ish!) partner lives in rural Derbyshire. Those hills have been shrouded in mist, rain, sleet and snow so a day of blue sky lit up this solar powered artist.

I realised how low my energy is as we trekked those muddy paths. I realised how I am craving warmth and brighter days. But! There was something in the joy of the one-off, the grabbing the moment and getting out, the way the light and the imagery of the landscape scored itself in to my brain.

This week I have been playing with that imagery, the sense of space and place. In spite of life having felt heavy and ‘up hill’ I found time to create and process the experience of that sunny day in nature. If it’s bright all the time, if your energy is high all the time, if there is no light and shade, no seasons that change, perhaps it is harder to stop and notice and be in awe.

It gave me a lesson to live in the moment, to plan less and experience more. To start even if at a low ebb, to make art without knowing how it will develop. It reminded me to prioritise self and put down the grey everyday stuff and seize the blue-sky days with open arms.

(That said, I cannot wait for warm sunshine on my face!)