Let there be light – a message from our founder
As we enter the dark months of winter and with the shadow of the pandemic still hanging over our lives it would be easy to allow that darkness to envelope our hearts and minds..
We need to bring what light we can into our own lives and the lives of others. I live near the Stour estuary which always seems to be a shining river of light: I love the misty mornings when the world is gradually revealed; and the pearls of dew on the grass; and the shine of holly berries and rose hips in the hedgerows. Nature has been such a solace and an inspiration for many of us this year, but of course Its the people dear to us that light up our lives and keep us from disappearing into darkness. Connecting is difficult at the moment because of lockdown but it’s good to try & keep in touch in whatever way you can. I have been in the habit of collecting postcards over the years, mostly from exhibitions and now have a draw full. It has been a delight sending out postcards & receiving some in return. In the winter I like to meditate each day to candlelight. Whether you meditate or not it’s a lovely practice to spend 30 minutes or so wrapped in a cosy blanket, being still and quiet, focusing on the candlelight. I find it’s gentle flame casts light into the darkest corners of my inner world. Music too has the power to lighten our hearts. For several years now I’ve been a lover of choral music and recently discovered an ensemble, new to me, called Voces8 I have never heard anything so beautiful as their harmonising. Angels from some light filled realm could not sound more wondrous! They have generously put a lot of their songs on Youtube. What brings light into your life?

Perhaps we should be more welcoming to darkness. I was reading a piece by two female scientists who spent the winter in the arctic studying climate change. There the ‘polar night’ lasts one hundred days. To quote the authors: ‘during that time we learnt much about ourselves; we danced with our fears & insecurities allowed them to visit us but never to stay too long’. Winter can be a time of rest and reflection. A time to dance with our sorrows and fears. A time to allow the stardust in us to shine. I love that song by Eva Cassidy True Colours; all of us long to see our ‘true colours shining through’. Perhaps that is at the heart of the creative exploration that takes place within our creative community at Inside Out.

Love & light to all of you our wonderful members.

Peter
Co Founder Inside Out Community