Living and working around and in a big city - Paris, France - tends to be devouring. I am an easy prey for cultural stimuli: there is so much going on, in such a variety of styles and approaches, that I just want to take it all in, learn, discover, keep, forget, expand.
At the other end of the spectrum though, urban lifestyle sucks every bit of energy I can painfully muster: the noise, the crowd, the commuting, the delays, the lack of flow in people and things can be consuming, slowly depleting the energy and creativity resources that the cultural and social stimuli had infused into my life.
Blogs are a way for me to read about other people's experiences - Creative Countryside is no exception. The two words making the title of what has become one of my favorite blogs just drew my attention: like a moth I approach their light and can only encourage you to follow my fluttering movements.
The author behind Creative Countryside is Eleanor, a 26-year old adept of slow living. I know, I know, it all sounds so trendy today... But hear me out and - above all - head over to her blog to get some fresh air. Her site if filled with mood enhancing chlorophyl: she encourages us to stop, look right, look left, breathe in, ponder, and breathe out. She urges us to pay attention to the details in a world of urgency - and emergencies. The way I see it, this helps us reconnect with our true selves and keep our mind alert, clear and vivid - and our entourage, be it personal or professional, needs us to be present. When we dysfunction, our entourage, our actions (or lack of them...) suffer.
Creative Countryside shows us that the best resources to fuel our mind, soul and body are in nature, the supreme follower of cycles, of regeneration. I started reading Eleanor's blog and immediately subscribed to her series of emails - it is a good starting point. From there, I have been able to fly on my own.
My favorite features and posts so far have been the following:
How to...Live seasonally in (month): every month, Eleanor let us in the little secrets, the latest news, the best of - including words! Every month, I feel like I have delved more consciously into what nature and its cycles have to offer. She also features a series called Eat Seasonably: I find it less interesting, but this is probably because, in spite of my urban jungle lifestyle, I still do my utmost to buy only seasonable products. And this has been going on for quite some time now...
Essential Tools for Slow Living: this is where you learn that slow living does not rhyme with...anarchy! To fully live a seasonal life, organization is a great ally.
How to start living more slowly: this is where you will learn what slow living actually is and how to embrace the slow living lifestyle - you may start with snippets here and there, or decide to go full force if you feel this is something meaningful for you. In any case, I found this introductory post enlightening.
The content of Creative Countryside is served beautifully by its matching layout: the abundance of white space makes it airy and easy to read, digest and adhere to, step by step. The photographs of nature and its details convey peacefulness and help the reader focus and... slow down. With all the buzz about creating a brand and a consistent one at that, this is a successful example of a perfect match.
Wishing you all a beautiful and relaxing reading time with Eleanor - as well as a gorgeous fall season (I cannot believe I am actually writing this - have I snapped out of my denial phase?)!
Credits: TheDaydreamer
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