I found it really refreshing the other day when a dear friend of mine nonchalantly expressed that he was sad. He said it in such a way that it seemed he did not need to know why he was sad. He just leaned in and allowed himself to feel. I never realised that was a possibility. Whenever I feel something, I almost immediately prescribe the cause of my feeling. Maybe I've worked too hard, accomplished too little. It might be that I've not been sleeping well. That weird dish I made for dinner. Or something he said. Perhaps the anxiety about getting back to 'normal' and what that means. No it's most definitely because of the nagging pain in my hips... The reality is that it might be all of that entangled within a singular feeling we particularly relate to for a brief moment. Or none of it. It's almost as if my friend recognised this truth and simply acknowledged his feeling, trusting whatever comes will also pass. This space between feeling and recognising is something I am presently pondering upon, in an attempt to untangle the immediacy of labelling. We are a web of wonder after all, from our ocean of thoughts to our complex and layered physiological self.

A selection of Chinese proverbs I think of upon spring and my personal take on them at present... Remember the source of your joy, abundance or success. Every season has its unique charms, as does every person. Take time to recognise this. Unconditional love and kindness cannot be repaid, but can be embodied in gratitude. When beauty or inspiration blooms in abundance, ushering vibrance with a new wave of energy. Let your senses guide you through the experience of time and change. Do you have a favourite? Would love to learn any other beautiful sayings you know of and especially interested in how different cultures depict spring. Please do share!

I spent the last day of 2023 honing in on how I'd like to feel in the new year. This moodboard is a collection of visuals I was drawn to in the passing. As the year of the Wood Dragon is soon approaching, I'm sharing some contemplation upon these images : There are no strangers, just potential friends. Read slower. Stay on the page a little longer. Honour tea as portal. Take smaller steps. Question up close, what you were told to never question. Schedule more life into your day. Practise consistency. The creative eye before the critical eye. Youth is a state of mind. Practise gratitude often to those who helped you along the way. Home is the most sacred place to return to. Allow yourself to outgrow things. Wear the damn thing. P(l)ay attention. See the poem in the problem. Take space. Hold silence. The wound is also the place where the skin reencounters itself, asking of each end, where have you been? Notice. Nature is near. Nature is accessible. Nature is everywhere. Lean into the collective. You cannot do it all. Stop curating. Start creating. Maintain your anchor while moving with others. Do the imagining. Don't be the idea. Share always. What might be mundane to you, others can find inspiration in. Gather with intention. Say no otherwise. Stay with a story. Revisit it. Let the possibility of a different experience arising. Were there any you resonated with? I'd love to hear your thoughts.