Lesley is a super inspirational lady and I defy you not to listen to the Big Juicy Creative podcast episode 011 and not leave feeling energised. I listened to her and went immediately out for a run in the mud and rain.
Here are other pearls of wisdom from her pod:
“You need good clothes. Gloves must. Hat must. Neckwarmer must. You’d be amazed how much better you feel if you have a neckwarmer on.”
Tip: everyone feels stormy occasionally; be inspired by the Scottish Queen of Winter Beira and embrace your inner and outer storminess; let the tough year that has been 2020 go Elsa style. You’ll feel better for it. Especially in a global pandemic, we should let our dark sides express themselves / integrate our shadow sides!
As Lesley eloquently explains, winter can be hugely liberating if we let it - ironic, I know, talking about liberation in a lockdown but it's true. It's also about creative reframing. I PROMISE! Winter, because of its harshness and the way it pushes our limits, is actually the best time to connect to self, nature and others. Because of the infinite combinations of weather in winter which arouse such feelings, we can tap into this to release our own human feelings and foibles.
And yes, winter can be hard. But it's in the hard stuff where the most growth happens. It's in the struggle that we question our lives, our selves, our thinking and this can all lead to transformation; a word Lesley uses a lot in relation to winter (but go on, listen to her, not me as I am not explaining it as eloquently!).
Tip: REALLY connect to nature, don’t do it tokenistically. She explains how. She also explains how this is '100%' a creative process.
She also explains the power of tapping into stories and archetypes and talks about the Scottish queen of winter, Beira, and how we can channel her superpowers. She is the mother of all gods and goddesses she created the land and the mountains by cleaving them with a big metal hammer! Now she is not someone to mess with and she knows how to do winter well, so let's follow her example. Who's with me?