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Maybe it's not so much the weather that's affecting us. Maybe mousy quiet January is just the unfortunate month that immediately follows hyper-supped up, roid-induced jingle bells Crazy Town Holiday Hoopla month of December. I mean we get bombarded starting in August, and things ramp up second week of November and go full tilt through December 31st.
Then, all of a sudden - nothing. It all goes quiet.
In the quiet below zero, dark days of the Midwestern New Year, I start to think about what I want to accomplish ...and then get completely intimidated and overwhelmed with all that I want to do, and frankly, January is the PERFECT excuse to just go to bed. That's it. Stop the presses. I'm going to cover my head with a blanket and wish everything would just go away.
I hate when I get in these moods because I have so much to do. So much to plan! So much paint to play with!
I'm glad it's nearly over. I'm glad that red and white full of hearts February is right around the corner. And then after that March, which is foreplay to Spring. And then Spring!!
Not that I'm a hater of January, but I'm never very sorry to see it go each year.
How do you fare in January? What do you do to overcome the January Blues?
When I get the "January blues," it's time to rock out. One of my favorite things to do, especially when it's cold and snowy and I don't have to be anywhere is put on Pandora and work on a project!
ReplyDeleteOh Cathryn! That's a GREAT idea! I forget how much rocking out can really put your head in a good place. I'm going to do it! :o)
DeleteI'm freezing up here in the Northeast! Brrr! Right now, I'm just trying to sustain.
ReplyDeleteMe too, gurl! Sippin' some piping hot green tea, and wearing lots of layers. :o)
DeleteI use the opportunity to hole up in my art studio, still in jammies, layered with the soft bulky sweater my mom knit me for Christmas. All. Day. Long. Some days the only reason I leave the house is to go on a brisk (crisp, flippin freezing) hike with my dog Barley. Oh and then I read in front of the wood stove all night until it's time for bed!
ReplyDeleteOmg, my toes just got all toasty thinking about reading in front of a wood fire all night til bed! You life the life, m'dear! I can almost feel the heat from the stove...in my freezing flippin' cold mind! lol xoxo
DeleteI can almost hear the fire crackling!
DeleteMusic and journaling are the tools that work best for me to get out of the funks. But I do have those days when I don't have the motivation to get motivated and it's simply easier to let things happen as they happen. If that makes any sense at all...
ReplyDeleteThat totally makes sense, Deborah. Sometimes I get all riled up because I'm trying to motivate myself to get motivated, when in the long run, if I don't 'feel' like it at that moment, do something else. The motivation will strike when it's ready. I guess you really can't force it. :o)
DeleteI actually like the winter months. I am a gardener and now that I have discovered art gardening seems to take a back seat. Sometimes I feel bad about that BUT.... not in the winter, I just art away.
ReplyDeleteHi, Teresa! I appreciate that you like winter months. I used to like winter when I was younger and more fashionable. Now, it's a fight with the big puffy coat to get the seat belt on without the bell going off and I'm the lose, lol. But yes, winter is a good time too to spend lots of hours designing and creating, because as we all know, when it gets warm out, we're usually outside gardening, or enjoying the beautiful weather.
DeleteWhen I get in a "funk"... whenever it is, I usually watch someone else create. I've taken several classes that have lifetime access or very long access. And there is always U-Tube. I just allow myself the luxury of watching someone else make something. Sometimes I've done that all day. Sometimes just for a few hours. I usually feel like doing SOMETHING after that, even if it's sometimes the next day. So far this has been a pretty productive month for me. I can get the "Why doesn't spring just GET HERE" blues in March. Where I'm sick and tired of the NW grey skies and rain and I'd just kill for a sunny day! Creating something bursting with color usually helps.
ReplyDeleteI do that too! I watch other's create - I have my favorite demos on You Tube that I literally watch over and over again. It's true, too - if my muse has left for the day, I spend time watching others' create and appreciate their methods and know how. Definitely helps when all I want to do is hunker down and drink tea on a cold grey day.
DeleteEvery winter I think, hey, I'm going to spend my winter getting things organized, cleaning out my email, etc. and I will be so productive. But, every year, I get the winter blues. It seems like January & February are always filled with some kind of stressor, not to mention bad weather. Appliances that need to be replaced, car accidents, health issues, relationship issues, etc. I usually look forward to March & April when life seems to perk up a bit. I try to just let myself relax and not feel guilty about it. I tend to read a lot and listen to music a lot. I also like to catch up on blogs and videos of others who inspire me.
ReplyDeleteYou know, now that I think about it Jan / Feb are highly stressful. Always in the work place this time of year things are nuts. I'm like you - when March hits, I feel my mood lift. Means bright days and sunnier weekends lay ahead.
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