The Art of Noticing in the Cold

Embracing the Ebb & Flow

There’s something about winter that asks you to pay attention.

Not in a loud way. But in a slow, quiet, almost invisible way.

The way light changes earlier than you expect.

The way your body starts asking for more rest.

The way silence feels fuller.

The way creativity softens, not disappears, just… shifts. Lately, I’ve been sitting with that shift.

The ebb.

The pause.

The unfamiliar spaciousness that winter brings and not just in the weather, but in my body, in my mind, and in my art. It’s tempting to fill the space with productivity. To push through the stillness. To create something “just to keep going.” But I’m learning that there’s something deeply necessary about the seasons that ask us to slow down and simply notice.

What do I really need right now?

What am I carrying that no longer feels mine to hold?

What is quietly calling me back to myself?

These are the questions winter is offering me. And in that offering, I’m realizing how much energy I spend trying to override my own rhythms. Especially when it comes to creativity. But creativity isn’t always a sprint. Sometimes it’s a simmer. Sometimes it’s not about producing, but pausing. Not about sharing, but replenishing.

It’s the journal entry no one will see.

The long walk without your phone.

The playlist that gets played on repeat just because it makes your chest unclench.

The tea you pour slowly.

The tears you let fall because they need to.

This season, I’m leaning into the art of noticing.

Noticing when I feel disconnected and gently reconnecting.

Noticing what drains me and stepping away without guilt.

Noticing what fills me up and moving toward it without delay.

It’s a different kind of creativity. One rooted in presence, not performance.

In nourishment, not noise. And when I allow myself to honor the ebb, the flow returns. Not always quickly. Not always predictably. But always.

So if you're in a slower season creatively, emotionally, physically, I just want to say that’s okay. You’re not falling behind. You’re aligning. You’re restoring. You’re being invited to listen a little deeper to what your body, your heart, your spirit actually needs. Let this be your call to fill your own cup. Not in the rushed, “self-care checklist” kind of way. But in the way that actually restores you. Return to your rituals. Take the long nap. Say no without explanation.

Notice what your soul is whispering in the quiet.

And answer.

Even if the only thing you create this season is peace..that is enough.

With warmth,

Ariel