In Celebration of Creativity - Winter Solstice

Join me as I wander through beautiful creative treasures unearthed in Substack this winter.

Dear Creatives,

What does your creative heart long to explore? What sparks your imagination, stirs your soul, and compels you to craft something unique?

Is it the joy of storytelling that lights your soul, the pleasure of arranging flowers that lifts your heart, the magic of shaping a poem, painting a picture, or capturing wonder with your camera that awakens something deep within? Or perhaps it’s found in baking a delicious cake, designing a cosy space in your home, or tending to a garden that blooms with life and colour.

Creativity allows us to give form to our emotions, to capture fleeting moments, and to share pieces of our souls with the world. It’s a way to connect with others through the language of making, to echo our presence through time and space, to say, "I was here, and this is what I saw, felt, and dreamed."

In a world already brimming with stories and art, maybe we sometimes question the point of making more. But creativity isn’t about necessity, it’s about possibility. Each painting, song, or photograph is a fresh perspective, a new way to connect with one another and with the beauty that surrounds us.

We have an endless need for beauty, to see it, capture it, create it, and share it. Maybe we don’t need it to survive, but our souls need it to thrive. These expressions of the heart fill our homes and lives with meaning, joy, and connection.

I’ve found so much inspiration in the creativity of others, glimpses of beauty and imagination that have made me pause, wonder, and smile. I hope they will inspire your own creative heart to explore new paths or revisit old ones, as they have mine.

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Nestled in the heart of the English countryside,

Julia Crossland

brings winter to life with these enchanting gouache paintings. Each tiny scene is a window into a snow-dusted story. Charming houses with smoke curling from chimneys, robins perched delicately on snowy branches, foxes prowling through frosty undergrowth, and serene churches framed by softly falling snow. There is even a partridge in a pear tree.

Take a moment to linger with these little winter scenes. They feel like treasures, offering a window on the season’s heart.

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Sometimes a single image can evoke an entire season, and

Tasha Goddard

’s cosy illustration does just that. In her Note, she shares a vibrant Christmas living room scene: a decorated tree surrounded by presents, a cat perched on the coffee table (where else!?), a dog curled up in its bed, and the delightful clutter of slippers, a good book, a brew, colourful cushions, and festive warmth. It’s the kind of picture that makes you want to curl up with that cuppa and bask in the glow of holiday hibernation.

Let this festive vignette inspire you to savour the slower rhythms of the season and find beauty in its quiet comforts.

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I love the simple joy of creating something by hand, and these gorgeous willow deer that

Vanessa Simpson

shared are now on my creative bucket list! I can’t wait to craft one myself.

Vanessa, a photographer, potter, gardener, and writer, shares her creative journey in

The Post House Chronicles

. In her posts, she invites us into her world, where her creative pursuits and garden adventures unfold alongside her family life.

Vanessa joined me here on While I Was Drawing sharing the story of how she came to be a potter. Because Creativity - the lure of clay, with Vanessa Simpson

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What could possibly be more festive that this wonderful fairy frog, knitted by

Tamsin Chennell (she/her/they)

. I adore this little pink froggy in her blue knitted dress and fairy wings. She would not look out of place on top of a tree.

Tamsin often shares pictures of her knitted creations; froglets, foxes, penguins, rabbits, and I love seeing them in Notes. I love fairy frog so much that I have adopted her and she’s coming to live with me!

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It used to be that Instagram and Pinterest were my favourite places to hang out for ideas and inspiration, and to enjoy the beautiful creativity of other artists and makers. But over time, they have become less of a space for creativity and inspiration, and more of a marketplace, cluttered with distracting ads and endless repetition.

I do still venture there on occasion, but I much prefer it here, where we can share our stories and celebrate creativity without the distractions of irrelevant adverts. It’s a space where our creative hearts can beat freely, in every shared creative moment.

What have you seen recently that has inspired and delighted you? What creative adventures have you been on? Tell me in the comments and share links and photos in the Chat - I would love to share more creative finds in the next Celebrating Creativity letter.

Here’s to the beauty of creativity, its power to connect, inspire, and remind us of all the joy and wonder in the world.

Bye for now,