END OF OCTOBER

As the end of the year approaches, the weather here in Québec tends to become dark and dreary.  On rainy days the earth blends with the sky in various shades of gray.  Leaves are gone and days become short. Those who have to be at work by 8:00 get up in the dark and return home in the dark.  It's not always easy for the psyche to adjust to the disappearing sun.

But there are ways.

Fragment of work in progress

I look forward to foggy, damp days when I have to turn on the lights to prepare my breakfast. There is no hint of sun outside but there is light in my heart.  I feel snug in our toasty abode.  It's like floating in a womb. Overcast conditions provide fertile ground for creativity.  

Experimentation and innovation arise in countless ways throughout the day.  I often begin by preparing steamy comfort food to be eaten later.  A warm stove and the aroma of stew follow me into my studio.  I am free from the claws of outdoor duties and obligations.  Paper and canvas await me.  Big IKEA fixtures and full spectrum lightbulbs illuminate the room.  I alone control this sun and it often stays on until late into the night.  

Nothing tempts me to leave my studio except for another creative endeavour.  While the paint dries, I sit in the living room and knit, something I haven't done in years. There is no sound but that of clicking needles.  I think of nothing.  It's a time-honoured way to clear useless brain chatter, and the uncomplicated scarf that is slowly growing warms my thighs.  A perfect day is a simple one, filled with subtle accomplishments. 

I am obviously not yet ready for a winter jaunt to Florida or Costa Rica.