Inspired by the seasons: summer
“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.” – Helen Keller
Summer – the season of pleasure, leisure, and celebration
Remember the sound of the ice cream van two streets away – and every kid racing to get there first? Or the feel of hot sand between your toes, the first refreshing lick of an ice lolly, or running through the garden sprinkler? Summer is a feast for the senses, and it steals our hearts, right from childhood. However old you are, and whatever the day has in store for you, there’s nothing like drawing back the curtains – and sensing the possibilities in a cloudless, clear blue sky.
Why summer heightens our creative instincts
Summer is nature’s highlight – it’s the seasonal headliner! The sun reaches its highest point, we celebrate the longest day, it’s a season of ripening fruit, abundance, prosperity and maturity. We can’t help feeling joyful and positive, more connected to nature and to each other. Those are powerful feelings that often channel into our creativity.
And summer dazzles all five senses – from the bright blue of a swimming pool to the scent of barbecues, to the buzzing of bees. Everywhere you look, the natural world is at full volume, and people are celebrating that life force. Inspiration is all around you. So…
What are you still doing inside?!
Summer is one big sunburst of inspiration – so spend as much time as you can out of doors. You deserve it – after spending six months under umbrellas and rainy skies! However much you cherish your study space or bedroom, spending too much time there can result in a creative ‘echo chamber’ where the same thoughts ricochet round your head.
Just sitting outside with a coffee, soaking up the sunshine, can inspire you to create a quick sketch or jot down a few words or doodles that capture that feeling. Summer is the season of freedom, so free your imagination and live in the moment. You don’t need to create a masterpiece – unless you’ve got all afternoon!
Our bird-loving ambassador Lois adores summer and she’s busy luring new birds into her garden with different bird feeders. “I absolutely love watching them! I’m using my favourite Zebra Mildliners to record which ones I’ve seen so far.”
“I love making my bird tracker aesthetically pleasing – my white Doodler’z add fabulous little light shades to headers. It really makes them pop!”
Create a ‘Summer of Love’ journal
If you’re coming up for air after six months of ‘eat-sleep-study-repeat’, this should be the summer to remember forever. Whether you’re off travelling or hanging out with friends that you might not see come September, why not start a Summer Journal so you’ll never forget the things and the people that you love the most right now. It’s a precious time, so make doodles, jot down those funny things people say, or just three words to fix a moment in your head, and create your own unique ‘Summer of Love’ journal.
Even if you’re still working – throw the timetable out the window!
We know that not everyone has the luxury of three months off! Ambassador Alex, our journalling superhero who juggles three young children and a career confides that she finds “summer a bit overwhelming!”
“School holidays really limit my journalling. So, I change my day around, taking advantage of the lighter mornings and longer evenings, and journal outside – as long as the British weather holds out!”
It’s amazing just how much you can do alfresco. Even back-to-back Teams meetings are more fun outside – if you can get that Wi-Fi to work! Simply being outside does wonders for our wellbeing, and restores our own emotional balance. It’s the season to celebrate yourself.
Celebrate yourself this summer
“Summer is the perfect season for self-love and self-care,” says our ambassador Peach, “so, especially after exams or big events, be sure to take some time for yourself.”
From picnics to spur of the moment barbecues, summer’s the season of celebration. So, celebrate yourself and all your achievements in the last six months too. Gather your gratitude or habit journals, your sketches, your stories or poems. Take them outside in a quiet moment and look back at those unique designs, drawings and journal entries that only you could have created. Allow yourself to be your biggest fan and bask in your own sunshine. You deserve it.
Order will return, but right now those timetables, study planners and school runs can wait.
Until then, let’s celebrate! Happy summer!