Alright, let’s go!
Hi, Silvia here. Welcome to my Magical Mundanity - a visual documentation of sorts of a slow creative life and an extension really to the letters that I send out monthly. Personally, a slow creative life means living aligned with what brings us joy, finding magic in every day, and spending time on things that light us up, or as I recently read in Katherine May’s newsletter, making space for our creativity. I don’t know about you but this feels a lot more expansive than trying to make time, right?
I’ve also realized recently that I’ve not actually done a proper introduction yet on this channel so I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to you about my art journey so far and hopefully get to know you better in the comments section as well.
Whilst I’m taking a little walk down memory lane, you’ll see me sketching out a sacral chakra mandala which will be part of a collection that I am currently working on. This collection is most and foremost for me because I want to have visual representations of the chakras on my wall. But in the background, I’m really working towards having a cohesive collection of mandalas as a portfolio of sorts. So, feel free to put me on and get on with your things and just listen in. Or if you, like me, are someone who loves seeing process videos, I welcome you to grab a cuppa and find a pause for a moment in your day.
What I’m about to say still makes me a little nervous. But here goes…
I consider myself an emerging artist with a desire to live a slow creative life. The road to admitting it to myself has been long and winding. There have been plenty of detours, dead ends, and high walls that have kept me from giving myself permission to be an artist and wanting a simple life where I can devote my time, energy, and space to things that truly light me up.
As a multi-passionate human being, I have tried so many different things. And although I have dabbled in art my whole life I’ve never committed to it wholeheartedly. Art was one of the things I was really good at in school but I was never encouraged to pursue it as a career option. In fact, my parents made me take an afterschool tourism class as something practical to get into after high school. But that never happened and sometimes I wonder if my dad hadn’t passed when I was 16, where would this life path have taken me? Would I still be here now? I digress…
Languages were my other specialty at school. So, fresh out of high school I wanted to become a translator. But the universe had other plans.
I failed to get into the only university I applied for. My plan was to study English. This, according to everyone around me, was a risky move but I didn’t care because there was nothing else I wanted to do at that point. So when that plan fell through, I was devastated. But through some weird coincidences, I ended up babysitting in Stockholm. Art re-entered my life for a brief moment. I did some photography and started an art course at Stockholm University which was at that time way too theory-rich so I quit. I craved a more hands-on approach.
I could not find an alternative I liked in Sweden and I was young and “wild” and in need of a change. So I moved to the UK where after a year of just working I committed to art yet again.
This time, I received my Foundational degree in Art & Design from Bolton University. Artistically, I was torn between studying photography and interior design. This time, others’ opinions got to me. People around me were saying how difficult it was to be a photographer and get paid work. So I ended up picking interior design, thinking it was a safer bet. Since I went against my own gut, I ended up quitting after 3 months because my heart wasn’t in it.
The years passed and I didn’t really make much art. I moved around and filled my days with odd jobs. But that little nudge reappeared after a while. So I finally did what my soul wanted to do years ago - study photography.
I graduated from Brighton University which was right in the thick of my Saturn Return, which I discovered in hindsight. Lots of things have made sense through this astrological lens that I now have in my toolbox of self-inquiry.
After graduation, I moved to Leicester with my partner Nick to be closer to his family. Seen as he moved to Brighton with me to study, it was only fair. Since then I have acquired yet another degree, this time a Master’s in Heritage and Interpretation because a few years ago I was going through a phase where I wanted to get into the cultural sector and do research. You may spot a pattern here. Sometimes, honestly, I feel like a magpie, just hoarding shiny little objects because why the hell not?
Whilst I was adding yet another degree into my toolbox, I was also on a wellness journey. I started to dabble in health and fitness because I’d finally discovered that I do in fact love exercise and, surprisingly, it also boosts my confidence. But that, as I found out, was not my dream either.
Yet, in the process of trying to build a wellness coaching business, I realized one thing - that I would love to work for myself and run a creative business. So I quit the wellness scene and instead picked up macrame. I did start to build my own creative business and ran a little Etsy shop for a short while but deep down I knew that it wasn’t quite it either.
Then, in January 2021 I was in a pretty bad bicycle accident which left me bedbound for a few months. Turns out, astrologically, the accident was right on my Nodal return which happens every 18 or so years. On my first Nodal Return, I left my home country Estonia and moved to Sweden after a pretty low point. This time, I discovered all the esoteric modalities such as Human Design, astrology, the Gene Keys, and Tarot, and I delved deep. These modalities have helped me make sense of my inner world and have provided me with a lens to have a good look at my life and find clarity for the path ahead.
Possibly for the first time ever, I felt like I understood myself and my patterns. I was finally able to stop shaming myself for trying on all these different roles and not getting anywhere. This deep dive into my inner world was the biggest permission slip to just be me and make space for things that delight me.
This takes us nicely to the present moment. “Following my delight” has become my catchphrase. These three words have become my guiding light, my North Star. And what I’ve realized is that all my life, I’ve been afraid to commit because of everything I’d be giving up in the process.
If I had to pinpoint that fear, it would be the fear of time running out, which, as it turns out is our Root chakra. That pressure to do all the things right this moment because otherwise, we might not get a chance. Fear of not getting to do all the things we want to do in this life. To the point where we’re paralyzed and not doing much at all. So we end up wasting time on meaningless pursuits. Or we just keep throwing stuff out there hoping something will stick. Or we listen to other people and what they think we should do. But that never works, does it?
I’ve found, by following my delight, I’ve started to be able to walk with that fear of missing out without the need of giving in to it. I’ve started to pay attention to what lights me up in the present moment. When I follow that thread, magical things just happen to show up. I find magic in the mundane. I find myself making space for the projects my heart is calling me to work on. I find myself creating the things I want to create instead of pleasing the outside world in return for some external validation.
I’ve finally committed to my art wholeheartedly because it’s lit a fire in my belly. Life without creating no longer makes sense. Committing is the only option left. But it took nearly 40 years to get to this point, to start following my intuition and take action accordingly. And to trust my own pace and to trust the timing of things.
What would happen if you started to follow your delight and create from a place of curiosity and awe? Where would that path lead you? I’d love to hear your thoughts so feel free to share them in the comments.
And if any of it resonated I’d love to invite you to hit that subscribe button or head on over to my Substack and let’s be email friends. The link for that will be in the description box.
Thank you for listening. Thank you for watching. I’ll see you in the new calendar year! Take care!
Notes on following your delight