A nudge from January

There is still lots to bring joy and wonder outside

Hello, I’m Rachel. I write about nature and creativity to encourage connection and wellbeing. This is from my collection of posts to nudge you to connect with nature, noticing, collecting, and maybe even creating. To read other posts from this series, go to my homepage and click on the nudge from nature tab.

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January calling!

Hello, how are you feeling about January? Here in the UK, on the south coast we’ve been having a mixed bag of weather, but as part of that was a bit of snow, I’ll forgive the greyer days. For those dealing with floods, polar storms, and wildfires, I’m sure some benign grey days would be welcome - I hope you are ok. The fairly reliable seasonal norms of my childhood seem a very long time ago.

Rose flowers wouldn’t normally get a coat of snow.

And then, there is the emotional side of January, some might be recovering from a hectic Christmas, some might be wishing there was something to celebrate, you might have thrown yourself into the new year with energy, or want to hide under a blanket.

I’m still recovering. My body calls out for sleep frequently, it feels like I’ve been in bed more than out this week, my nervous system needs rest and gentleness. My brain can’t cope with much and the thought of trying to make plans beyond tomorrow for myself or my business seems not just a mountain to climb but one that is very far away. It’s frustrating and hard. I’m trying to be gentle, plans can wait, I’m going with a balance of what my body and/or mind need as they often aren’t the same thing, trying to remind myself that things will change.

So, for me, and for you, however January finds you, I’m giving us a few nudges from nature. Whether you want a distraction, a treasure hunt, some joy, curiosity, or just calm, it can all be found outside. Nature is doing all the things we are in January - sleeping, growing, nesting, singing, and restoring. And if you can’t get outside, what can you see out the window? And although we may be trying to do less online - I am a big lover of nature TV, both traditional documentaries and on YouTube, including live webcams.

Let’s start with some colour and hope. Have you seen any flowers? They might be winter flowering plants deliberately planted in a garden, or hardy opportunists growing on a pavement. There are even a few native flowers that choose this time of year to flower. I meant to buy some daffodils from the supermarket this morning, environmental concerns outweighing my need for some dancing yellow happiness on my table. As it was - I forgot. But going through my photos folders I noticed that by early February last year, the first proper blossom was showing and there were swathes of snowdrops in the cemetery. I don’t want to wish January away, but I do need some flowers.

Winter heliotrope in the cemetry, love in the mist in my window box, trailing bell flower on the pavement

How about something we can only marvel at in winter - bare trees. The sculptural majesty of bare deciduous trees has inspired my creative side for the last few winters. I’m useless at identifying all but the most obvious species, but I still appreciate the shapes and textures. Whether the texture and feel of the bark, or the shape and pattern of the branches, each one is different and deserving of more than a brief glance.

These I can name! Oak, birch, then beech, but only because I know them in summer.

And then, what about a feast for the ears? The birds. You might think all the birds are quiet now, busy trying to stay alive or off in warmer climes. But spend a few moments listening, even on a residential street, and more than just traffic noise will reach your ears. It might be the caw of a magpie, the screech of a gull, or if there’s a hedge nearby, the chatter of a host of sparrows. From a nearby tree, a robin or a blackbird might be triumphantly declaring its presence. It might not be the glorious orchestra of a spring dawn chorus, but it still has the power to lift the soul. You don’t have to know what it is to appreciate it. As I’ve mostly been in bed or on the sofa resting this week, it’s the chatter of the local family of magpies that have been keeping me company, occasionally treating me to a swoop of iridescence black and white. Maybe you’ve heard or spotted something else?

I intend on taking a dose of my own advice and trying to get outside, even if just to the cemetery in the next couple of days. Find a few tiny wonders and say hello to my favourite trees. I can’t remember the last time I did any green (outdoor) sketching so, for accountability, I will say I’ll do a ‘how to sketch outside in winter’ post soon as that will get me out and doing it! I received a fabulous new pair of gloves for Christmas so I have no excuse.

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So, until next time,

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