Hi there.

It’s still dark outside. Proper early. The quiet sort of early when the world hasn’t quite woken up yet.

Ragnar and Erik have just come charging in through the back door, both of them cold, bushy-tailed and full of purpose. Side by side, tails straight up like dodgems at the fair. They always arrive like that – as if they’ve got somewhere important to be. I do love those two.

After I fed them, I did something out of the ordinary. I sat down with a cuppa and gave myself five minutes. No phone, no emails, no texts. Just stillness. And in that small pause, I realised how rare those moments have become. Even when I am sitting doing nothing though, the brain is still churning at a million miles a minute. Crazy? Nah. Pretty normal, I think. I suspect I’m not alone.

So many of us – especially women – are constantly on the move. If we’re not physically doing something, we’re mentally racing ahead to the next thing on the list. We’re brilliant at it too. Efficient. Capable. Gritty. We just get on with what needs doing.

And goodness me, there’s always something that needs doing.

But here’s the rub. We get so good at meeting everyone else’s needs, fulfilling responsibilities, and ticking boxes, that we forget ourselves. Sitting still almost feels uncomfortable – like we should be earning the right to stop. I have ALWAYS felt guilty when I do nothing.

Even crafters, who understand better than most how nourishing creativity can be, fall into this trap. We know what it feels like when our hands are busy and our minds finally settle. We know how restorative making can be. And yet how often do we still push it aside?

“I’ll do it later.”
“Once everything else is done.”
“When I’ve got more time.”

Spoiler alert: everything else is never done.

My pottery hasn’t been unpacked since the Open Days. My pottery studio hasn’t seen me since then. That was November. I know the kids have been home for a fortnight, and they have been my priority. But NOVEMBER?

I don’t think we better ourselves by becoming even more efficient at what drains us. I think we grow when we invest in what feeds us – the things that make us feel alive rather than merely productive.

Those five quiet minutes earlier reminded me of something important: stillness isn’t laziness. It’s nourishment. It’s where clarity creeps in, where ideas surface, where creativity has room to breathe.

So next year – and beyond – I’m making a conscious decision to create more space and time for the things I love. More time for what fills my cup. Not instead of responsibility, but alongside it. No. I’m not retiring! But I am going to make a few changes, so that I can do more of what feeds my soul. Who’s with me?

Because when we nourish ourselves, we don’t become less capable. We become more alive.

Last day of the year today. Good day to sit and do nothing for a bit. Go for a walk with Dave. Hold hands.

The Germans have a wonderful phrase — Einen guten Rutsch — a good slide into the New Year.
So hop on the Clarity Bus, slide on in with us, and to every one of our friends and customers: einen guten Rutsch!

Wishing you a happy, healthy, prosperous, creative New Year.

See you on the other side!

Love and Clarity

Barb x x x