'Tis the season for

Learning from nature.

A cartoon

A thought

Back in work mode, I am obsessed with how to escape the time and productivity catch-22. I’m looking to all sorts of places for alternative models of how to be. What can the seasons show us about our relationship with industrial time?

Nature models uneven productivity. Periods of high growth, periods of hibernation, of death and renewal.

I’m guessing most of you live in the WEIRD world (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) where we expect that the natural cycles of the seasons should not impact our consistent, day in day out, perpetual productivity. Heating and air conditioning create an indoor everyday climate with no excuses for a drop in productivity.

Anyone who still works outdoors knows the seasons remind us to go with the flow. That we are part of the world, intricately linked with it - not masterful techno kings who can afford to ignore it.

As a lens of self-reflection, we can ask, what season am I in right now? Nature shows us that there is beauty and value in every season. Having just finished a season of wintering and retreat in my own life, the energy conjured from that experience is full of possibility, just like spring. We are also reminded that phases and opportunities are cyclical, FOMO can take a back seat as there is always a pattern of return.

You can ask, will what I am worried about today matter in a year’s time? as a way of prioritising what is meaningful to you - use the seasons as a reminder to zoom out.

As part of wondering about seasons, I got curious about the calendar of the Ngunnawal people, the traditional owners of the place I call home. I am aware that many Australian Indigenous cultures count more than 4 seasons. There are some calendars from different Indigenous Nations that have been published in collaboration with communities, you can see if there is a calendar for your part of Australia here: CSIRO Calendars and BOM Calendars.

There is not a publicly available calendar for my part of Australia. A common thread in all the calendars, however, is that they are tied to regular reoccurring patterns in the natural world. In the calendar of the Gariwerd region, which would be most similar to where I live, there are six seasons:

Gariwerd Calendar from the Indigenous Weather Knowledge page.

Reading about these calendars has made me want to record a calendar for my farm, a calendar specific for me as a way of regularly paying attention to the more-than-human goings-on around me. I know that wildflower season would definitely be on it, competing with the return of the Welcome Swallows nesting. The fristy, frosty, sparkling season will also be there! What seasonal change stands out to you about your part of the world? What would mark a season for you?

Glimmers and sparks*

My glimmers for today are:

• I’m enjoying my daily bush walk. On Sunday I took my macro lens with me to hunt for treasures. How crazy is that lichen? I have called it Satellite dish lichen. There was something spiritual about hunting for beauty and then kneeling down in reverence to capture a photo. I think I will make this a ritual at least once a week on my walks.

• Finding a lovely sit-spot, a fallen tree provides a perfect seat.

• Getting excited about Risography - printing with a Riso machine - the Risograph is a stencil duplicator. A kind of cross between screen printing and photocopying. The Riso prints one colour at a time with a limited range of soya-based vibrant inks. I love the imperfect look of the prints and discovered I can get digital brushes that emulate the finish. You might notice L’il Bean getting a Riso make-over in the next few weeks as I have fun playing with them.

Li’l bean is your reminder to pause and ask: What are your glimmers for today?

From your friend and your small, steadfast companion,

*Drawing Li’l Bean helped me navigate out of a period of depression in 2023. A good friend 13, 595km away, helped, too, through a ritual of swapping daily glimmers via text.

A glimmer is a tiny spark of hope, enthusiasm or joy that lifts your heart. By helping me find three glimmers each day, she gently helped me see the joy and beauty already around me.

I’d like to share this practice with you and invite you to reflect on your glimmers for the day when you read this. Think of Li’l Bean as a reminder to notice the glimmers and sparks in your life. We’d love it if you would like to share your glimmers in the comments or by hitting reply (if you don’t like sharing publicly).