Early morning writing, making ink and starting a bokashi compost
It’s Sunday morning and I thought I’d try a new format here on the blog. For so many months this space has been neglected. Much due to the fact that I’ve been busy creating courses, photo presets and trying to crack the Instagram algorithm.
Then I thought - why not share the content I would normally post on social media here instead? Things like everyday reflections, photo journals, creative projects I’m currently pursuing, quick recipes and book recommendations. I always struggle to keep my social media posts within the maximum amount of letters anyway. I think this will be a much better forum for me to keep in touch with you and share what’s on my mind.
I hope you still read blogs btw! Or at least that you will find some value from what I share here ♥️ Talk to me in the comments and let me know that you are here, will you?
February has been a very homebody month so far. It always is. This year I was out early ordering seeds for the vegetable garden, to make sure I got my hands on the best and most interesting varieties. For example I got a bunch of obscure winter squash seeds that I’m really excited about. Now they are waiting to be planted some time in April. Spring arrives late here, so there’s no point in cultivating the plants too early. Most things I grow can be planted straight in the beds right away, like lettuce, carrot, kale.
We’ve been having some problems with depleted soils in the past years of growing, so this year I decided to try bokashi composting. It’s a method where you collect food scraps and add micro organisms which will help to break down the food and prepare it to become yummy nutrients for the soil. In the springtime, about a month before you plant out your pre-cultivated plants, you bury the compost in the soil to further break down.
Of all of my friends who are into gardening, those who use this method of composting always have the most thriving gardens. Bokashi is especially beneficial when the growing season is so short, like it is here in the north. Excited to see how it turns out!
A while back I felt this ping that told me I should explore how to make my own ink from plants. I don’t know why I that intrigued me, but I listened and ordered a book about natural ink making. Last week I started reading it, and was immediately hooked!
I’ve been trying my hands on abstract painting for a year or so, but I always felt like something was missing. I wanted to capture the colors and textures of Norrbotten, the area where I live. But I couldn’t quite get there with the acrylic paints I was using. Reading about ink making and how it can captures the essence of a place and interpret it through color immediately felt like the puzzle piece I was looking for. What if I could distill the most typical plants and materials we have around here into watercolors?
Needless to say, I finished the book in a matter of days, and already after the first day I was rummaging through the pantry and freezer to see if we had anything I could use to paint. In a first attempt I used blueberry juice and coffee, which created the most vibrant colors ranging from yellow to magenta to blue to green, while the ink was wet. But since I hadn’t used any binder the color quickly faded.
In a way I love the living nature of natural inks, and how they will inevitably shift and change with time. Next step is to order some basic supplies to make inks out of less obvious materials and make the color last a little longer. To be continued!
February is also the season for skiing, and these last few days the weather has been absolutely perfect! Lots of new snow, mild weather and bright sunlight that is actually warming 🙏🏻 I can feel the “spring winter” season arriving, and soon I’ll be bringing my coffee out on the porch to sit and listen to the snow melt.
Oftentimes in the morning I write a few pages in my journal, just to get the noise out of the head. But recently I’ve also been loving a more creative form of writing, where I start with a concept, a quote or an idea I’d like to explore further. Then I write down all the things that comes to mind related to that concept, in more of a mindmap fashion. I find this to get the ideas flowing much better than starting from a blank paper or document. Then I can use that mindmap as the starting point for a blog post, a course or a yoga class.
As much as I love our home, I’m longing for new places and people. Winter is quite an introverted season - especially during a pandemic. Now I feel ready for a change of environment and to collect fresh inspiration and perspectives. It’s a challenge to keep creating inspiring content when everyday is the same and you’ve already photographed your home environment from literally every angle. But this spring two very exciting things are coming up that has to do with a change of environment (no we’re not moving!). Soon I’ll be able to tell you more 😊
Also, next week I have a deep dive into the creative process coming up on the blog. Make sure to subscribe to our weekly email letter to not miss out on what’s going on. That’s where all of our recommended reading and listenings live, plus life updates and all that.
Hope you enjoyed this little photo journal! Should I keep sharing them? Let me know what you think!
xx Agnes