It’s over three months since my last Blog and I’ve been acutely aware of this first break in my monthly posting since its inception in January 2020. There are two reasons for this, reflected in its title:
HIBERNATION: Each year I find that my energy levels, both physical and creative, diminish during November for a couple of months. Years ago this used to be more acute and manifested in symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. For the past ten years while these have diminished, I still notice a “winding down” and a feeling that my batteries need re-charging. I liken it to certain species going into hibernation and I can now appreciate and embrace it as part of my annual “rhythm”. Shorter days, inclement weather and poor light during this time of year also contributed to a lack of photographic motivation. The only time I felt driven to pick up my camera was after a night’s hard frost which resulted in me going into our small courtyard garden one morning to take some shots of the beauty of the frost’s impact:
ISOLATION: The third lockdown, starting on Boxing Day and still continuing, with the exception of schools having just gone back, seems to have impacted people more than previously. Post-Christmas blues, short days, bleak weather, continuing high infection rates etc. have played on peoples’ minds more, and the novelty of the first few months has certainly worked off! Despite the ray of hope of a highly successful vaccination programme, it will still be some time before those who are cautious will emerge into the “new normal”. Despite a positive attitude, I count myself amongst these and my barren creative period has therefore continued, and I haven’t been able to think of a project to lift my spirits and rejuvenate my creativity. The exception was a day in January after a night’s lightest of snow-falls, when I got up before dawn to capture some images. Snow is rare in Glastonbury so one has to grasp every opportunity, and the following is a selection that tries to capture different aspects of that beautiful crisp morning:
From the end of this month we can drive out beyond our local areas. I’m therefore starting to plan a new series of projects to bring my photography back into the mainstream of my life. The sap is rising; the creative juices are reappearing; the hibernation is at last receding; and I hope you’ll want to continue to join me on this journey…