looking for some light

a short post about finding a little slice of happiness in each day

the seasonal blues are getting to me now.

when the days grow perpetually gloomy, i can feel the lack of lightness in me. i feel a little more heavy, and a little more glum each day. it makes me feel like i’m not creative. i haven’t written any poems in a few weeks. i haven’t even picked up my camera since the beginning of november.

my anxiety is has also been creeping into more places than it was this time last year. i’m trying to give myself enough grace to work on it slowly, but it’s getting frustrating when i’m basically afraid to go out for not one single reason that’s actually making sense.

all of these things are okay, and that’s what i keep reminding myself. life is often like an ocean, and our feelings are the waves. they come and go in varying strengths. there’s a lot beneath the surface, and sometimes, the water overflows, too.

i keep searching for ways to keep things at bay a little longer. i’ve tried distracting myself with getting back into drawing, watching lighthearted tv shows, or listening to music that is happier, rather than my usual sad music.

another thing i’ve been trying lately is sharing snippets from each day and “romanticizing life”—trying to find some nice moments when it feels so drab and full of melancholy. for me, at least, it’s about slowing down, being present in the moment, letting myself take a breather.

i thought that since it’s already been a couple weeks, i might as well share them here.

my guitar, making eraser stamp prints, a tasty peppermint mocha, friendsgiving appetizers, practicing drawing, an evening playing my Switch

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a very pretty hot chocolate, a cozy couch at a new bookstore, sunset light coming through a window at a museum, practicing linocut, evening journaling, a pretty bouquet

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sometimes, taking that moment of time to slow down and be more present is all we really need. it’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the world around us, especially in the holiday season. i’m already finding it hard to keep up… my family doesn’t always put a tree up so holidays can easily feel a little less… jolly.

there’s always something to look forward to, and i’m trying to look forward to some of my favorite parts of winter: drinking hot chocolate when the house feels cold, watching a movie while it snows outside, the way trees look when covered with snow, big clunky boots making tracks on the sidewalks… the way that the world is extra quiet by 7 pm…

and soup. i like soup a lot, too. :)

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well, that’s all i really wanted to say. even though this photo is up above, it felt appropriate to end with it—it’s a perfect representation of the meaning of this project: sometimes, you just have to keep looking for the light. ✨

it’s everywhere, so long as we know where to look for it.

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thank you for being here, i hope you’ve found some light in your day today.

see you in the next,

emma xo