Tag: Reading

Spring Flings & Bright Things: a Bucket List of Fresh, Joyful Seasonal Experiences

Spring is a season I find easier to embrace than the cold winter, having waited through the dark part of the year for its arrival seemingly with baited breath.

Being a (late) spring baby myself, I’ve always been especially drawn to the season, the themes of new life, rebirth, emergence, vitality, fertility, the increasing warmth and light, and joy! From the first early blossoms and rays of Sun leading up to the Spring Equinox, to the long, bright days of the Summer Solstice, I do my best to make the most of this richly potent season of growth and development.

Leaps & Bounds in 2024 – Reflecting on a Year’s Highs & Lows

2024
quantum leaps in store
into creativity
joy + love galore!

That’s the poem I shared when I declared my Word of the Year and practices to make it so.

It was indeed a Leap Year, and that extra day in February, plus a powerful intention-setting and planning process and aligned daily habits created quantum leaps in many areas of my and my clients and students’ lives.

Here I’m reviewing my goals and intentions, highlights and lowlights, joys, lessons, and challenges of 2024, in order to move powerfully into 2025.

Winter Wonders & Warmers: a Bucket List for Dark but Festive Times / Solstice – Return of the Light

Happy Winter Solstice, arriving in late December in the Northern Hemisphere (June in the Southern), a time of celebrations of light in many cultures.

The stark, bleak, dreary days are here in Cologne and strings of lights, candles, treats, and traditions help to warm the cold of winter. It can be a difficult time for many reasons, so be gentle with yourself and make exquisite self-care and kindness for self and others a priority.

Building Momentum by Seizing the Back-to-School Mood: Ambiance, Supplies & Action

As a lifelong learner, educator and academic at heart, Back-to-School will always be an exciting concept for me. Living based in a temperate climate like I do in Cologne, Germany, as soon as I feel the first chill in the air and sight a colored leaf or Back-to-School sale, I feel a surge of energy, […]

Summer Fun in or out of the Sun: a Bucket List of Hot-Weather Hits

Post author By Blythe Stephens
Post date 16. August 2024
Categories In Creative Living, Dance, Mindful Movement

I find it easier to enjoy the spring and summer, as the warmer weather lends itself to many activities I enjoy, such as time outdoors, bicycling, picnicking, and eating fresh produce. So the game is not to try to make the best of more challenging times, but to seize the sunny fleeting days wherever I can and not miss out on my favorite bits before they’re gone again.

Inspiring Inputs: 2023 Reading, Listening, Viewing & Media

Post author By Blythe Stephens
Post date 6. April 2024
Categories In Creative Living, Reflective Practice

Having already published a general reflection on 2023 to the blog, A Beautiful Year of Slow Creation and Growth, here I’m recording impressions from my year in books, films, series, songs, and a variety of media inputs. Of course not all were stellar, but it can be fun to look back at the influence my viewing, listening, and reading has in my creative and personal life!
It’s just incredible the access we have to endless information in this day and age, to endless information. I try not to get overwhelmed by all the options, but focus on a mix of what I enjoy and expanding my exposure and perspective.

As a teaching artist, media such as music and video are key to my practice, and I also appreciate how cultural knowledge connects us socially in society.

2022 Favorites & Highlights – Reading, Listening, & Viewing Pleasures

Post author By Blythe Stephens
Post date 16. January 2023
Categories In Creative Living, Reflective Practice

“This moment, do I accept myself just as I am?” – Radical Acceptance 2022 was a tumultuous year for me personally and for all of us globally. I lost a beloved uncle and great-aunt, recovered from COVID, and watched as war broke out between Russia and the Ukraine, with unrest and natural disaster in other […]

Fall 2022 Curriculum – Self Study & Practices of a Creative Professional

Post author By Blythe Stephens
Post date 10. October 2022
Categories In Creative Living, Reflective Practice

I am studying, reading, and practicing a variety of “subjects” or “courses,” which overlap and could be grouped in different ways, which are related to my goals for the year. Topics encompass dance and movement, spiritual practice, creativity, business and finance (including sales and marketing), languages, travel and adventure, love, connection, and relationship.

Haiku Poetry Challenge 2021- What I learned writing 365 Poems in a year

Haiku #99 of 2021 by Blythe C. Stephens (inspired by Emerson) Poet as sayerrecognize experience,beauty, report back My Passion for Poetry I love poetry! I enjoy reading it, writing it, sharing it, using it for teaching and inspiring choreography. What do you use poetry for? Who are your favorite authors? Ever since I was a […]

Reflecting on 2021 – glows, what’s so, grows, & what’s next

I think it’s important to look back and celebrate my wins, strategizing what’s missing, what I can let go, and what I will re-commit to creating in terms of my habits, action steps, plans and milestones to foster my success in designing a creative and bountiful 2022.