This year, for advent, I’m painting a small watercolor everyday. I’ve been sitting at the dining room table, lighting the advent candle and enjoying this sacred spot as a creative spot. Making art during advent has been a spiritual practice for me for many years. For many, the cold weather and dark evenings make the winter months the time of year creative pursuits. I remember when I visited the island of Iona in Scotland there was a little garage/open studio and in the description the artist wrote about the rhythm of island life, working hard during the light and warmth of the year and in the winter making jewelry, working with wool, enjoying the quiet and dark.
In years past I’ve painted the friendly beasts (with such love!), written poems, made a bunch of mistletoe out of paper and beads, made jewelry or even just simply sat and strung seed beads on a thread to make garlands. The purpose for me was to have a meditative activity to settle and center myself during a time that can take on a blurriness of busy, spendy excess.