Imbolc is a celtic festival celebrating the mid way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, marking the time of year when nature is slowly coming back to life after its dark sleep. As humans we are also slowly waking up into the year after our winter breaks, with many of us setting resolutions, planning ahead and our energy levels slowly increasing as the days begin to get lighter again. Therefore, whom better to hear from at this point of the year, than a creative coach inspiring us to make things happen - but in a seasonal and slow way.

Read below to hear what plans Elin has for 2020, how you can get involved and how she celebrates this early part of the year in her hometown in Sweden.

What do these early months of the year mean to you?

I'm always inspired by entering a new year, being a future oriented person who likes to think about visions and goals. So January is a time of energy for me, but over the past few years it has become a softer energy. I used to push myself a little too hard and do that cycle of setting too optimistic goals and fail at them quickly. 

Nowadays, I'm leaning into a slower way of living and creating, and instead choosing a word for the year to guide me. For 2020, I've chosen wholehearted.

In these early months much is still possible, and the year hasn't fully begun. Even if I like the time around the new year, spring is when I feel the year comes alive. February and March is for me a time of waiting and longing for spring, planning and setting intentions, feeling the sun get a little stronger each day.

How would you normally celebrate them?

Apart from New Year's celebration with friends, I celebrate the new year by thinking about what I want this year to be, and how I can make that happen for myself. As I move into the first months, I celebrate the days getting longer by seeping up the sun when I can, go for walks in the forest and lap up the weak rays of sunshine. 

Other than that, the first few months are usually not very eventful, people are hibernating just like nature. Almost everyone here is tired of the winter by February and we complain about the cold, hide indoors at home or go to restaurants, we buy tulips and marvel when the sun comes out.

What are you looking forward to create during the year ahead?

There are two big creative areas I will be working on this year: my first novel and my creative business. I've been working on my novel for quite some years now and it's nearing completion. I look forward to going through a couple of more rounds of editing and then send it to publishers to see if someone wants to publish it. 

With my creative business, I'm in the opposite end – I'm just beginning. I'm a creative coach and I launched my coaching packages mere weeks ago, so in 2020 I'm so looking forward to exploring and unfolding this new journey. 

What can be seen in nature near you around this time?

Usually, January and February are the coldest months where I live in Sweden. It's when we get the most snow and spring feels like a feeble wish. But this year is so far different – we haven't had any proper snow since before Christmas. Even if I'm mentally ready for spring, it's disconcerting that global warming is so very evident. But I'm assuming we're going to get at least one more bout of cold before spring arrives.

Due to it being so mild, I can see things I don't usually see – our rose bush in the garden has hints of buds. But mostly everything is quite dried up and colourless, the pine trees become a depleted green before things start to grow again in spring. The thing I notice most in nature this time of year is the changing light. After having only 6 hours of daylight when the days are the shortest, the sun is now slowly getting higher and higher up on the sky, and it's more often out of the clouds. It really feels like the light is coming back and it gives so much energy back.

Which dishes/ potions/lotions would you typically be preparing in the kitchen at this point of the year?

Since it's still cold, I crave warm, comforting food. But I'm slowly getting more pulled towards lighter dishes. I'll make things like broccoli and feta cheese pies, salmon with a curry sauce and rice, and vegetarian pastas. I'll also bake a lot of bread.

In Sweden we have something called Fettisdagen in February, roughly translated Fat Tuesday, when we eat a special sweet roll called Semla. It has got lot of whipped cream and is delicious. Historically, people ate it before fasting for Lent, now we just eat it because it's so good. It's always a highlight this time of year.

What tips would you give to someone wanting to live more seasonally?

Take notice. Watch what is happening around you, what is growing or isn't, how the colours and the light are changing. Spend time outdoors and in nature if you can. If you live in a city, watch the plants on your window sill. They react quickly to the changing amount of light.

Photography is a big way for me to follow the seasons, both in the photos I look at and use as background on my phone and computer, and the ones I take. Even if photography isn't a hobby of yours, just taking pictures of your surroundings with your phone can be a way of capturing the change of the seasons.

Listen to yourself and what you crave. I get seasonal urges for what I do, eat and wear. Look for that in yourself, and embrace it! Don't feel bad if something you suddenly get uninterested in something that you were into just a month ago, it might just be the seasons changing.

Think about how your energy usually is in the different seasons, and if you have creative projects, what kind of work you're usually pulled towards. Then you can plan after that, and embrace your different types of energy and interests in different seasons, rather than trying to push away your intuition.

Find out more about Elin’s writing, photography and coaching packages via her website and instagram.

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