Winter as a Portal: Slowing Down to Awaken Creativity
Jaqueline Burgess Visual Artist
The First Frost: Finding Your Creative Fire in June’s Stillness
In the gentle descent of June, as mist clings to the landscape and dusk arrives early, a quiet invitation echoes beneath the chill
Go within.
Light the fire.
Create from the stillness.
As winter settles over us, we are invited to to slow down, to rest, to pause. But there’s another rhythm at play beneath the layers and silence
The steady pulsing of our inner flame, asking us to ingnite our creative flow. To listen differently. To create with deeper intention. To endulge in creative endevours that nourish and warm our hearts.
The Solar Plexus:
Fire at the Centre of You
At the centre of your being, just beneath your ribs, lives the solar plexus chakra — the home of your personal power, creative will, and sacred action.
While June might feel like the world is moving inward, your inner sun doesn’t go out. In fact, this is the perfect month to nourish it.
Think of it like a hearth.
Not blazing, but glowing.
Not loud, but alive.
Not pushing, but pulsing.
Winter as a Creative Portal
Early winter is fertile ground for art. With fewer distractions and more inner space, we can hear the whispers that summer drowned out.
Here’s how to begin tending to your creativity this month, be it art, cooking, gardening, journaling…
Create by candlelight, Let low light soften your inner critic and invite intuition.
Use warmth in your colour palette. Gold, ochre, sienna — colours that speak to the soul.
Write from the belly. Place your hands on your solar plexus, breathe, and write: What do I want to create? What do I need to reclaim?
Allow slowness. Don’t rush the process. Winter creativity is often deep art — give it time to root.
Artwork Print : SAFFRON
Nourishing Winter Ritual:
One of my cherished winter rituals is preparing a warm cup of Sacred Taste's Vitality Matcha Mint Cacao. This blend of wild-crafted Criollo cacao, organic matcha, and peppermint offers a gentle, sustained energy boost without the jitters of coffee. It's rich in antioxidants and minerals like magnesium and iron, supporting both body and mind.
To prepare:
Warm 200ml of your preferred milk (I love using nut milks ) my favourite is Madame Tiger .
Add 1 scoop (10g) of the Vitality blend.
Whisk until smooth and creamy.
Sip slowly, allowing the warmth and flavors to awaken your senses.
This ritual not only warms me physically but also mentally, creating a space of clarity and focus for my creative endeavors.
I like to use a milk frother, but you can also heat you Cacao on the stove top.
From My Studio
In my own practice this month, I’ve been exploring how winter affects our creative rhythm. I’m working on a series of paintings that feel like fire and breath — symbols of warmth, will, and soul.
These pieces reflect a question I’ve been sitting with:
What does it mean to keep showing up for yourself — especially when the world feels still?
You’ll see these works unfold on Instagram soon, but for now, I simply want to share the reminder that you are not without light.
A Glimpse Into My Recent Chakra Art Workshop
Last month, I held a chakra-themed Create & Connect art workshop within a beautiful retreat hosted by a wonderful spiritual teacher and mentor Heather Ivany . at this beautiful retrat space Wyballena Organic Farm
A soulful gathering where creativity, energy healing, and inner exploration came together through colour and intention.
We opened with a guided meditation, inviting in the energy of the seven chakras — from the grounding red of the root to the shimmering violet of the crown. With gentle music and a sacred space, participants connected inwardly and called in the qualities of balance, flow, and creative alignment.
Each guest then created a unique piece using their intution to represent the chakras — a visual meditation that grew from the centre outward. The canvas became a mirror: reds for safety, oranges for joy, yellows for confidence, greens for love, blues for expression, indigos for intuition, and purples for divine connection.
It was deeply moving to watch people shift from hesitation to pure presence — painting not from technique, but from feeling. These workshops are a living reminder that creative expression is a sacred tool for healing, and that every human being holds the capacity to make beauty from within.
As this season begins, I offer this to you:
Let this winter be a container, not a cage.
A space to soften into your truth.
A time to create with fewer expectations.
A time to write without needing answers.
A time to remember the fire that is always yours.
Winter Print Picks: My Soulful Favourites
Most homes today are filled with mass-produced images — things chosen to "match the couch" rather than speak to the soul.
But your space deserves more than that.
You deserve more than that.
Because the truth is, your environment is a mirror of your inner world. And when you surround yourself with art that holds energy, intention, and beauty, you’re not just decorating — you’re investing in your well-being.
As winter wraps us in her stillness, I find myself drawn to prints that feel like a hearth for the heart — landscapes and pieces that carry the energy of inner light, quiet strength, and sacred calm.
These are a few of my personal favourites for the season,
Each piece is a visual anchor — a way to hold warmth and intention in your space, especially during the introspective months:
MY TOP PICKS FOR WINTER PAMPERING
