Creative Countryside
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Creative Countryside
Slow & Seasonal
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ISSUE 6

A quarterly printed magazine telling stories of nature, folklore & adventure

 
 
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THE NEWSLETTER

Live more seasonally: sign up to the newsletter & receive a free 46-page e-book

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THE COMMUNITY

Seasonal inspiration & resources, plus the opportunity to connect with like-minded folk

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EVENTS

Traditional crafts, seasonal feasts & real life connection in beautiful locations

 
 

Our slow & seasonal mantra,,,

Strive to live more slowly. Keep watch for the first snowdrop, walk outside in the rain, and listen for the return of the swallows. Share stories and seasonal feasts around campfires. Scribble ideas and illustrations on an adventure in the woods, on a mountain hike, or on an early morning stroll around your garden. Choose local, handmade and sustainable. Try your hand at weaving, whittling, foraging and bottling.

And every day, venture outside and celebrate the seasons.

 
 
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Explore the online journal…

 

Seasonal Stories

Blog
A Sky Full of Birds
Contributor
A Sky Full of Birds
Contributor
Contributor

Slow Living

INSPIRED BY NATURE

Blog
Gatherers - A Handmade Cornish Book
Contributor
Gatherers - A Handmade Cornish Book
Contributor
Contributor
 
 
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A Slow Midwinter

FRIDAY 25TH - SUNDAY 27TH JANUARY (2 NIGHTS)

The Old Rectory, Lincolnshire

  • Two nights' accommodation

  • All meals, drinks and activities

  • A journal creating workshop

  • A writing the seasons workshop

  • A collaborative nature-zine workshop

  • Imbolc reflections and rituals

 
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Meet the Team

 
 
 
 

Sign up for monthly seasonal inspiration…

We love stories and folklore, adventures in nature & seasonal celebrations. Sound like you too? Join like-minded folk and become a part of the free newsletter community today. We'll send you a free 46-page seasonal living e-book, a digital mini-magazine four times a year, & monthly(ish) newsletters, including exclusive updates on our printed magazine and events.

We'd love to have you join us. Are you in?

 
 
 
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It's here! Reasons I'm excited for this December: the CC (early) solstice celebration on the 11th, a festive family holiday in celebration of my birthday and Dan's new job, the fact I can now start to use my conscious winter calendar (made with @botanical_tales at the #ccautumngathering), aaaand I can burn my 'Star of Wonder' candle from @smallestlight all month long! (also available as part of our 'yule' bundle on the website)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What are you looking forward to this month?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo: @anniespratt⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #nestandthrive #styleonmytable #anaturalchristmashome #heitermoments #asimplechristmas
It's coming. Can you feel it yet?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #aseasonalshift ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo: @anniespratt at the #ccautumngathering
Well that was a bit of a longer break than anticipated! After the autumn gathering a week and a bit ago, I threw myself into finishing the winter issue of the magazine. It all felt a bit much and I gave myself permission to pretty much forget about social media during that time, and I'm so glad I did. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Maddy (@a_slow_adventure) talked about the conflict of 'slow' and 'busy' over on her grid this week, how they don't have to be mutually exclusive, and it really resonated. She wrote: 'slow living isn’t about completely avoiding hurry or hard work because I don’t think that’s realistic. Instead it’s about going through those moments with a sense of calm and purpose, keeping a healthy balance between productivity and rest.' ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ How about you? What's your perception of slow living?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo: @anniespratt at the #ccautumngathering⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #aseasonalyear #embracingtheseasons #aseasonalshift #slowlived
New album cover?! A snapshot of the community meet-up last month, captured by @pimandposset - I can't remember what we were so happy about, but it pretty much sums up the day! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Connecting with people who really get what I love in life - nature, the seasons, living simply, making time for creativity - is without doubt the best part of running CC.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you're looking for a place to call home in this busy online world, I'd love to welcome you to the community. Doors close at midnight, so this is your last chance.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Callum @aseasonedsoul sums up what it's like to be a member... "the Creative Countryside community is precisely that: a real community - the conversations, content and connections truly enrich my life daily."⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #communityovercompetition #aseasonalyear #gowildlyandslow #thesimpleeveryday
Just three days to go until our autumn gathering! Currently: writing too many to-do lists, panicking that I've forgotten something, watching my inbox fill up, trying to sort through my 'organised chaos' ready to pack. But most of all? I'm so excited to see/meet everyone! How do you prepare for a big event in your life or business? Ready in plenty of time, or a bit last minute?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Totally unrelated image by the lovely @pimandposset from our community meet-up last month. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #communityovercompetition #aseasonalshift #creativehappylife
While autumn is a time to draw together threads of the past year, winter - and particularly the new year - is the time of year to pause, rest, and nourish your mind, body and creativity, ready to begin again.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our first event of 2019 will give you the opportunity to do just that, with a weekend of slow creativity, mindfulness, and inner reflections.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Add seasonal feasts, Imbolc rituals, and workshops to create a handmade journal for spring, write the seasons, and collaboratively create a nature-zine (not as complicated as it might sound!). If you're interested, there's a link in the usual place.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Do you notice a difference in your approach to autumn and winter?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo: @anniespratt ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #aseasonalyear #embracingtheseasons
In my head, I'm always six months ahead, on to the next project or new idea. I have this intense need to plan, and to know what lies ahead for my business, and in my life. I think I've always been this way.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But always reaching for 'the next thing' - while a great planning tool - means that sometimes I lose sight of what's really important. So for the rest of the year I'm going to stop moving so fast, and take time to pause and really think about how things will look in 2019.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So here's where you come in, because none of this would be possible if you weren't here, and I'm grateful every single day that you are! If you have a minute, I'd love for you to let me know in the comments your thoughts about CC... Do you just read the journal posts when they appear? Is it the magazine that brought you here? Do our events appeal, but you just haven't managed to get to one yet? Or do you think our members community would be a good fit for you? (or maybe there's something else you'd like to see?!)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And thank you, again, for supporting me along this journey. It may be chaotic and stressful at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo: @anniespratt⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #communityovercompetition #whimsicalwonderfulwild #chasingtheseasons #gowildlyandslow
"So dull and dark are the November days. The lazy mist high up the evening curled, And now the morn quite hides in smoke and haze; The place we occupy seems all the world."⠀⠀⠀ John Clare capturing the month, perfectly as always. Our November days are filled with slow mornings, blustery afternoon walks up the fields, and evenings by the fire. I love the shift between autumn and winter; the melding of two seasons, always full of surprises. What's your favourite thing about this time of year?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you're inspired by the seasons and slow living too, you might be interested in our membership community. We're a group of men and women of all ages, joined by our passion for the natural world. There's resources, online chat, offline meet-ups, discounts on our events and products, and much more. Doors are open this month but only until the 15th. I'd love to welcome you.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo: @anniespratt at the #ccwintergathering in January this year.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #aseasonalshift #gowildlyandslow #thesimpleeveryday #capturequiet
After a hectic few days, we're having a simple Samhain, marking the occasion with a one-pot supper, candles and time to reflect on what's in store for the dark months ahead.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Samhain marks the death of the Celtic year. What things in your own life need to be removed before the new year begins? What can you let go of before beginning to plan and nurture new ideas over the winter months?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Image: @katebraggphoto for #aseasonalautumn⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #aseasonalyear #aseasonalshift #embracingtheseasons #slowlived
Connection has become the unintentional focus of everything I do. I started Creative Countryside because I wanted to write, to create, and to publish something tangible. But over the past year or so, creating a community has become just as important, and I love how things have evolved in this way! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Often, connections are created when someone gets in touch about contributing to the magazine, or the journal. Sometimes it might be those I meet at the events we run. More recently, connections have been forged in the members only community, a space for anyone who seeks to live more slowly and seasonally. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Membership re-opens in two days, and I'd love to welcome you if this resonates. And if you've got any questions, just let me know!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #communityovercompetition #alovefornaturesbest #simpleandstill #alifeofintention
Last month, we escaped for a few days to stay at @warbornefarm in the New Forest. Our mornings were slow, spent searching for chickens through the walk-on window, reading in bed as a family, or lingering over a candlelit breakfast. Afternoons were for walking and exploring, and this one loved watching the sheep at the farm nibble on crooked branches, or picking the last of the tomatoes in the polytunnel. In a new place, I was reminded how enjoyable these simple tasks can be. Everyday actions like this can bring so much pleasure if you approach them with the right mindset. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Sometimes a look at someone else’s everyday is enough to make you re-prioritise your own. I'm talking more about this, and the slow everyday, in the journal today (link in profile).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What everyday actions do you cherish?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #gifted #thesimpleeveryday #everydaymagic #slowlived #slowlivingforlife
Still riding high after the first meet up for the #creativecountrysidecommunity this past Saturday. We met at Attenborough Nature Reserve near Nottingham, with members travelling from all over the country to gather, drink apple and cinnamon tea, craft twig stars, try a little grounding and autumn meditation, and most of all to walk, chat and connect with others who feel at home in the natural world.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For our next meet up in January, we'll be returning to Edale (the location of our first ever event!). If you'd like to join us, community doors re-open on November 1st, and if you sign up to the newsletter you'll get a reminder email that day.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I'm curious - where do you seek community? Is it through social media? Online courses? Or are in person events more your thing?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (Photo: @anniespratt)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #communityovercompetition #intentionalseasons #thatautumnmagic #autumnlookslikethis