On December 1, arriving home from our family’s Mexico vacation was a bit of a shock. Mexico provided warmth and light and I savoured the sun, even waking early to share in its rising whenever I could. I awoke with energy and enthusiasm each morning, excited for the experiences to come. I thought and hoped this wakefulness and internal drive would continue once home.
I found myself plunged into a heavy darkness, inside and out, upon my return from Mexico. The dim, rainy days have persisted for weeks. My mood and motivation are dulled by the dampness and grey, stagnant clouds that feel as if they are pressing down on me, like an unwanted weighted blanket.
As we celebrate the longest night of the year, it’s a well-timed reminder to use the dark to our advantage and to modify our relationship to this winter season.
Wake early and begin writing immediately. Don’t turn on any lights in your office. Allow the light of the screen to focus your attention on your task. By leaving extraneous elements unlit, you remove them as potential distractions. This is helpful to get into flow. If your screen feels too bright, then switch it to dark mode, where your radiant words stand out against a black background (try the Chrome extension called Dark Mode).
I admit that the dark scares the shit out of me. My imagination is strong and I’ve seen too many horror movies to trust what exists in my surroundings once the lights go out or the sun abandons me. I don’t put my feet over the edge of the bed at night. I feel instant panic if a motion light turns off and I find myself in the pitch black, as if things are waiting in the shadows for this precise moment. However, I take all this fear and channel it into my fiction. I know that if I am afraid of my own stories, then I’ve accomplished my goal. Try it yourself. Embrace your irrational fears and create art out of it. Otherwise, you’re just afraid with no upside.
Our family doesn’t celebrate Christmas anymore. I didn’t take joy in the festivities that often involved obligatory gift-giving, excessive eating and indulgent drinking. I now experience a sense of freedom and peace during the holiday with no expectations of presents or decorating. So, when I say surrender to the season, I’m referring to the actual season of winter, not the holidays that exist this time of year. I’m not suggesting giving up Christmas or your holiday of choice, but rather honouring winter and the natural cycles that occur. Animals hibernate and plants go dormant and conserve energy during these dark months. Modeling their behaviour makes good sense to me. What this looks like in my life: more sleep, more coziness, more internal focus, less outward energy output. I’m going to create a nest for myself when I can go to read - pillows, reading light, candles, blanket, tea/coffee and maybe even my heating pad or a cozy fire. Get inspired by the Danish practice of Hygge to truly embrace these colder times.
The days are short and light is limited. While it is important to embrace what the dark can offer, it’s also essential to bask in light between the darker moments. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a challenge for those living in the northern hemisphere. Depression can settle in like an impenetrable fog. Emerge from the shadows and expose your face to the light. Go outside, even in inclement weather and show your eyes the expanse of the sky. Another strategy is to utilize a SAD therapeutic lamp. To be effective, choose one that is at least 10,000 lux (light intensity). Also, consider other features in a light therapy lamp such as UV-filtering, anti-glare, and flicker-free illumination for the best eye and overall health. I just ordered one this week and it arrived yesterday, just in time for the shortest day of the year.
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I wish you a Happy Solstice today. I hope you can embrace the darkness in contemplative coziness. The dark can help us go internal and focus our energy towards nurturing ourselves and our craft. Appreciate these winter months, even as the light trickles in minute by minute each day.
I will be teaching a writing intensive workshop on flow for the Federation of BC Writers in January. https://www.bcwriters.ca/event-6471142
Make 2026 your best writing year yet! From craft techniques to business strategies, the New Year, New Skills Writing Intensive offers something for writers at any career stage. Join us online for a full five days of programming, Monday, January 26 to Friday, January 30, 2026, where you’ll:
Learn how to finance your projects through crowdfunding with John Ward
Add interview skills to your research arsenal with Gail Anderson-Dargatz
Experiment with editing through postcard microfiction with Hannah Bel Davis
Harness the power of flow in your writing practice with Kelli Etheridge
Use D&D basics to create compelling characters for your fiction with Rhonda Parrish
I have an article about flow tools coming out in the next issue of Wordworks, the FBCW magazine.
If you’ve been following me over the last few months, you know that our house is for sale. The process has been long and stressful and it’s interfered with my writing journey in multiple ways. Read about how my flow fucked off during this time: https://kellietheridge.substack.com/p/no-mojo-for-flow.
Well, I’m happy to announce that things are coming together with our house sale and new property acquisition! If all goes to plan, on January 16 we will take possession of a 20 acre farm and tiny 101 farmhouse. It’ll take a bit to settle in, but I’m anticipating many writing sessions in the new place in the new year!
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