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ViewI am always looking for new and creative ways to engage with seasons and natural transitions. This page provides the details for these ideas in case anyone wants to do the same.
Seasonal Pacing
I have been comfortably living and focusing on a seasonal pace in my projects & how I spend my free time. This is an intentional, reflective practice that involves a lot of mental/emotional effort.
Living Seasons
I started timing my life through seasons during the pandemic, preferring a 3.5 month structure over 365 days. I've never been a "look ahead 1 year, 5 years, 10 years" person and the pacing of 3.5 month-cycles makes more sense to me.
This page provides a brief overview of some of the practices I've adopted (and some abandoned) while trying to figure out what works for me.
Living Seasons
I started timing my life through seasons during the pandemic, preferring a 3.5 month structure over 365 days. I've never been a "look ahead 1 year, 5 years, 10 years" person and the pacing of 3.5 month-cycles makes more sense to me.
This page provides a brief overview of some of the practices I've adopted (and some abandoned) while trying to figure out what works for me.
The most wonderful thing I've learned from keeping these exercises is that seasons don't have much to do with the weather or color palette. Previously, my view of "seasons" was very limited to background knowledge and I wasn't often being intentional in my observation of the world.
I now see and understand more about the cycles and patterns throughout the year, and instead of 4 separate seasons, time flows fluidly into the next micro-season from the last, and at all moments we are in a transition period.
On this page:
Seasonal Observation Projects (2022-2023)
Seasons Tracker Spreadsheet
Season Craft
Season Letter
Season Cryptid
Seasonal Reflections
Seasonal Engagement Projects (Fall 2024 - Fall 2025)
BINGO
are.na channels
Obsidian Setup
Seasonal Zines
Seasonal Reflective Projects (Winter 2026 on)
The above page goes into detail about what I've been doing since I started this in 2022. I made some pages about certain activities as highlights below.
TBD: Crafts, Letters, Small Goals
BINGO
BINGO is a good activity for people who prefer a grab bag of options and little commitment.
Seasonal BINGO (Fall 2024 - Summer 2025)
The goal was to engage more in seasonal activities and get at least one BINGO (4 activities), and I'm calling it a success for each season. The bingo card not only had me doing more than I might have, but it is also a useful tool to help observe my patterns in energy levels throughout the year.
Highlights
Seasonal BINGO (Fall 2024 - Summer 2025)
The goal was to engage more in seasonal activities and get at least one BINGO (4 activities), and I'm calling it a success for each season. The bingo card not only had me doing more than I might have, but it is also a useful tool to help observe my patterns in energy levels throughout the year.
Highlights
Fall: 4 BINGO wins (completed 13 activities)
Watched the Terrifier movies and gave myself horrible nightmares for weeks (I still sometimes think of that dismembered girl in bed like an earworm song stuck in my head)
Recorded lots of videos/took lots of photos of falling leaves
Went to a pumpkin patch with friends and now a picture of me exists with a backwards baseball cap holding one baby in each arm
Made pumpkin soup
Made gluten-free soul cakes (shortbread cookies with cranberry, basically)
Winter: 1 win (completed 8 activities)
Spent solstice in Phoenix, AZ, with family, and we hung some string lights for festive cheer in the Airbnb
Wore lots of sweaters! I usually forget because I default to hoodies.
Watched the New Year's Eve celebrations around the world
Spring: 2 wins (completed 10 activities)
Had a really lovely spring camping trip among dandelions
Constructed some new LEGO flowers for my home
Went to the Japanese Street Festival for food and fun with friends!
Tried catnip bubbles with Zenny (she didn't really get it)
Did more gender exploration and shared my thoughts
Summer: 2 wins (completed 10 activities)
Writing
Journaling seasonal observations is one of the lowest effort ways to engage. You just need to remember to write things regularly.
Zines
The photo albums (below) were a great way to send my life experiences in bulk, but after a while it was clear I was using them to zine (except the Summer album which apparently I never filled out). So I started making zines instead.
Seasonal Zines (2026)
This page reviews the zine packets I created each season in 2026.
Winter Zines
Seasonal Zines (2026)
This page reviews the zine packets I created each season in 2026.
Winter Zines
A collection of reflections on my winter season.
Standard issue (new every season):
Winter, Collected: Quarter size 16 page zine exploring my thoughts throughout the season (the state of the USA, my cat, my digital garden, shows I'm watching, winter social media break).
Companion - Seasonal Debris: Quarter size 8 page zine collecting creative artifacts from the season (journal pages mostly).
Zine Therapy: Quarter size 8 page zine discussing my desire to feel less guilty about having low social needs
Winter only:
Ongoing Creative Projects: Brochure size 1 page zine summarizing the projects I have ongoing in my personal creative life.
Art & Eat: 8 page minizine about a monthly creative practice I facilitate at work. You can alternatively get this minizine free as a download from the gallery.
Spring Zines
A collection of reflections on my spring season.
Standard issue (new every season):
Spring, Collected: Quarter size 16 page zine exploring my thoughts throughout the season (microseasons, nature, cycles, communication/boundaries, joys, what I'm reading, body/gender).
Companion - Seasonal Debris: Quarter size 24 page zine collecting artifacts from the season (art, photos, screenshots, writing, memes, media).
Zine Therapy Issue 2: Quarter size 8 page zine discussing metacognition invalidation, therapy wins, and neuropathways.
Cicadas in the summer.
Ideas
These aren't explicitly part of my seasonal reflective activities yet but I want to collect these ideas somewhere anyway.
Syllabi
Seasonal syllabi are especially attractive for folks who prefer structure and prompting.
Fall Syllabus
Term: Late Sept to late Dec
Required Materials: A notebook, pen, and desire to try new things
Fall Syllabus
Term: Late Sept to late Dec
Required Materials: A notebook, pen, and desire to try new things
Description
This syllabus invites you to engage more intentionally with the fall season through seasonal activities, reflective exercises, reading, and simple goals. You’ll explore personal growth through the lens of autumn: letting go, preparing for rest, savoring small experiences, and grounding yourself in the passing of time.
Objectives
Identify personal seasonal goals and revisit them
Develop small seasonal rituals
Complete weekly reflection
Engage with at least 3 fall activities
Practice patience, gentleness, and sensory awareness
Strengthen creative or reflective habits
Lessons
This syllabus has 5 time blocked lessons. Pick at least one activity and reflection to complete from each lesson, or make your own that fall under the lesson themes.
Lesson 1: Settling into the season (September - early October)
Themes: Transition, noticing, shifting routines
Activities
Winter is over and the syllabus will be ready before next winter (maybe).
Spring is over and the syllabus will be ready before next spring (also maybe).
Photo Albums
In 2025 I created photo albums containing all my adventures and connections to the seasons. This was my first full year without sharing on social media and I needed a stopgap until I got rid of the feeling that I needed to share everything.
background source: TextureTown