Hey First name / friend,

 

Do you ever feel like you're moving in slow motion? Like you want to get stuff done, you're trying to make progress, but it just feels like everything is mired in a swamp? Well, that was me a couple weeks ago. Of course, having a new space in disarray with no storage space, and makeshift desk setup with uncomfortable temporary chair surely doesn't help facilitate productivity! I've decided to give myself time and grace in this adjustment period and remember that momentum will start picking up the more little steps I take forward.

 

I've always felt like working towards your goals, or simply having a life full of activity, is dictated by momentum. Once you begin in earnest, it's slow going at first, but soon you're picking up speed and everything flows with less effort. The opposite is also true - if I stop moving and doing for too long, I feel stagnant, like a rock stuck in mud. Rest is needed, of course, but it's encouraging to be able to trust that even small steps will lead to momentum and flow.

I first learned of Anna Ancher when traveling though Denmark this summer with my sister. We were both drawn to her paintings because of the beautiful sense of light - one description described it as characteristically Nordic summer light because it was strong but angled low. We quickly found out that Anna Ancher was part of an artist colony in Skagen, situated at the Northern tip of Denmark and renowned for its special light. In Skagen, you can stand in two seas simultaneously, and enjoy both the sunrise and sunset on the beach that wraps around the small peninsula town like a blanket. We didn't get the chance to visit Skagen, but it's definitely on my travel list when I'm able to devote more time to it.