Every year I used to dread January, the long dark cold month when my mood invariably dropped. But that changed when I discovered The January Challenge about five years ago or so.
Now every January is a creative joy, with exciting challenges provided every day which take my mind away from the dark and into the light of creating and communicating with others.
This January has been a hard one physically and emotionally; The January Challenge has been the best therapy I could have asked for, maybe that's why I've felt particularly thankful for it this year.
Below I've shared some of the creativity I've enjoyed this month, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.
If I knew then...
If I knew then that I would lose my sight
Literally overnight
I would have learned to read braille
I would have looked for more detail
I would have appreciated every site
In the light or at night
I might have driven fast
On a racing course
Or maybe just prepared myself
But I didn't
If I knew then that my brain would backfire
I would have called you a liar
But if I'd believed
Then I'd have been relieved
To discover that disability
Is not less than ability
It's society
That makes it hard for me
And perhaps I'd have campaigned
For upgrades in how buildings are designed
But I didn't
If I knew then that I'd be loved
That I am enough
That life would be ok
That I could enjoy every day
Despite all the hard bits
That life is full of gifts
Then so many years
Might have been saved from my tears
But now that I'm here
I don't look back saying "oh dear"
Instead I tell in my way
To look for hope every day
Because it WILL be ok
Exquisite life awakens
Jubilant in frozen starlight
Cold and tired yet invigorated
Inside downy feather nests
As rose tinted skies
Come alive at sunrise
Periwinkle dreams alight
On wings of freedom
Lingering what ifs leave hope behind
Whilst lies masquerade as truth
Words of love covered in fingerprints
Emerge from imagined identities
Alone no more
Caring companions corroborate love
Warming hearts once frigid with fear
Bathe in the honesty of spring days
Memories frozen
Full of emotion
Indelible connection
Carried through the years
In laughter and tears
Are those hopes or fears?
It's as if I'm looking in at a photograph
A freeze frame
Of time again
Is that even me?
The feelings are alive
Yet the details feel contrived
In the end does it matter
If there was silence or chatter
If we remember it accurately
Emotional though our memories might be
They are part of our formation
Making you you and me me
Liquid dawn begins
Leaving glints
Incandescently
Beyond lamentations
Hearts levitate love
Breathlessly
Delicate dreams thrill
Cold hunts linger
Serendipitously
As light disappears
It feels like the beginning
Rainbows resonate
Art happens everywhere
Anywhere I lay down fear
And allow my heart to be steered
In the joy of creation
There freedom is found
In colour, shape and sound
Beyond intention
A prayerful mission
Of soulful vision
For your interpretation
Find a safe place
Take a deep breath
Close your eyes
Turn up the music
And sing
Sing
Sing
At the top of your voice
Enjoying your choice
Tapping a toe
Moving a leg
Wiggling a shoulder
Let your body move
Get into that groove
Don't worry about notes
Let your song float
Free
Freely
Sing with glee
As if no one's watching
Because no one's watching
Or listening
Or judging
Just do your thing
And sing
Incubated irregularities
Numerous neurons
Serious scenarios
Prioritised prayerfulness
Infinite injustices
Revolutionary reactions
Access availability
Tasty taboos
Individual idylls
Ordinary occasions
Neural networks
Parting is such sweet sorrow, so they say
Yet the truth is that parting is not sweet but pain
The pain of a heart string stretched too thin
As tears try desperately to stay constrained
I smile and wave as you go your way
Knowing I'll see you in not so many days
It is also said that you are the apple of my eye
But I prefer to think of you as the blossom of our tree
The perfection of creation which we tended gently
Until it was time for you to be free
Floating on breezes beyond imagination
Into a life of your own creation
But remember...
Our home is always your home
Our door is always open
Whenever you need us we'll be here
To wipe away a tear
Or help in decisions
We are as much your parents
As those days when you were small
All you have to do is call
The January Challenge is run by 64 Million Artists, a wonderful organisation that also provides weekly creative prompts. You can find them all over social media.
And finally... Here's a reel with an extremely quick flick through all my January challenge creativity.