Earlier this month I completed my Psychology Degree, so I always knew I would be making some changes this Summer but until I had time to really stop and think properly, I couldn’t quite work out what I wanted to do with this Substack. And now that I’ve worked it out, I’m here to share with you.

Flowing Through The Year is going to become All Sorts of Lovely, the name of my IG and my blog. It is going to be my place to share the things that bring me joy and happiness….all sorts of lovely things! I have been doing that here already, so you might not notice much changing but for me, the space will feel more free and creative. There will still be seasonal content because I live my life deeply connected to the seasons.

I am going to make it FREE.

For current paid members…I’ve paused payments and I will be sorting out refunds for annual memberships and anyone who has just paid for June etc over the next few days. Substack handles it all, so it should be straight forward but I just want to keep an eye on it! What I share here will not be the focus of my future paid work. It is just a corner of my world that I want to share with you.

Last week I had the absolute delight of going to the Chelsea Flower Show and while I was wondering around taking lots of photographs, I knew I wanted to share them with you! And it was then that I knew that I couldn’t close this Substack, I just needed to give it a refocus. It might not be my paid work but by having this special, dedicated space for things like ‘photos from the Chelsea Flower Show’, it keeps me in my creative flow. And, importantly, it really helps me not to keep trying to squeeze things into my new work and losing focus there.

Thank you so, so much for all your support over the past two years. I deeply appreciate you all and I hope you will stay and keep flowing through life with me! xo

Here are a few images from my May so far. It’s been very chilly and grey this past week, so I’m hoping the sunshine returns very soon.

I will be sharing more inspiration for your May with you this coming week, so watch this space! xo

January asked us to arrive gently.
February asked us to notice what still glows.
March asked us to begin, to softly emerge.
April asked us to trust what is taking shape.

May asks something deeper.

Not just to begin.
Not just to form.

But to come alive within it all.

There is a fullness now.

The days stretch.
The light lingers.
The world hums with energy, colour, movement.

And today, at the threshold of Beltane and under the Full Moon in Scorpio,
we are invited into something powerful:

Aliveness, truth, and transformation

This month’s theme:

Coming Alive

Where in your life are you no longer just beginning
but actually feeling it?

Where is there energy?
Desire?
Truth waiting to be seen?

A Beltane & Full Moon Reflection

Beltane is a festival of fire, fertility, life force.
A celebration of the body, the senses, the spark of being alive.

And Scorpio asks us to go deeper,
to look beneath the surface,
to uncover what has been hidden,
to meet ourselves honestly.

Together, they invite:

To come alive not just in light…
but in truth.

Mantra for Today
(from The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2026 by Lia Leendertz)

“I will do whatever it takes to uncover what is hiding.
Afraid to be noticed, parts of myself lurk in the shadows.
Now is the time to shine the light of Beltane into my soul to reveal my truth.”

A Simple Beltane Ritual

You might like to mark today with something small and meaningful:

• Light a candle (or sit by a fire if you can)

• Step outside and feel the air, the light, the life around you

• Place your hand on your heart or belly

And ask yourself gently:

What is ready to come alive in me now?
What truth am I ready to see?

You might: Write it, speak it softly, or simply sit with it.

Let it be enough.

Creative Invitation:

Photograph What Feels Alive

Look for:

• Movement—wind, water, fabric, light

• Colour that feels vivid, expressive

• Growth that feels confident, embodied

• Hands creating, touching, making

• Moments that feel fully lived

It doesn’t need to look like May.
It only needs to feel like life moving through something.

Reflection Prompts:

• What feels most alive in me right now?

• What truth is asking to be seen or expressed?

• Where am I being invited to step more fully into my life?

• What feels ready to be released so I can live more freely?

• What would it look like to trust my aliveness?

Live Creative Gathering:

Sunday May 17th, 4–5pm (BST)
Zoom (link coming soon)

Together we’ll explore Coming Alive
through creativity, reflection, and shared presence.

Remember…

You don’t need to wait until everything is ready.

May reminds us,
life is already here.

And you are allowed to feel it.
To follow it.
To live inside it.

Fully. Gently. Honestly.

PS I haven’t had a chance to start my Spring pocket book yet but as soon as I have I will share it with you!

What feels more real now than it did a few weeks ago?

What am I starting to trust?

What wants my attention right now?

Learning from past seasons of Spring

What have a I learned from past Springs?

What has supported me at this time of year before?

What didn’t feel aligned in past Springs? What can I do differently this year?

How am I slowly shaping a Spring Season that works for me?

Pocket book of Spring Inspiration

A creative invitation to make a little book full of Spring inspiration. Words, images, collage, stickers, photographs, things you would love to plant and/or photograph, book titles, films….Whatever inspires you!
I am going to start making mine this week, so I will share when I have got it started.

Golden Hour over Bath from my hotel bedroom window!

I trust what is taking shape in my life.
I do not need to rush the process.
I give my energy to wat is growing and I allow it to become in its own time.

I am in the middle of writing my dissertation and tomorrow I’m going to go and stay in Bath for a couple of nights, so I can really focus without any life stuff getting in the way. I only made these decision a few days ago and it means that I need to change the plan for this month’s Live Gathering that was originally scheduled for tomorrow. I am not sure how these next couple of weeks are going to go, so I have decided that the best plan is for me to record April’s video for you at some point next week rather than going Live. I hope that is okay for this month. There is going to be a additional content in May to make up for it!

For today, I wanted to share some new Tulip images with you and remind you of last year’s Photographing Tulips post if you need some inspiration.

This gorgeous mixture of Tulips are a combination of ones in my garden, ones at Stourhead and locally grown ones. I love them all and am already planning to grow twice as many for next year.

I would love to see any Tulip images you have taken or if you have any Tulip related questions….either growing them or photographing them! xo

April asks something quieter, steadier.
Not a beginning or a leap.
But a forming, of all that is coming next.

There is more light now. (Hooray!)
More colour and more life visible on the edges of things.

What was once hidden beneath the surface is starting to take shape.
Not fully formed or finished but definitely recognisable.

This month’s theme: Taking Shape

Where in your life are things beginning to become clearer?
Not complete but very real.

Something you can see, something you can touch.
Something you can begin to trust.

April invites you to:

• Stay close to what is forming

• Give attention to what is growing

• Let things develop without rushing them

Creative Invitation: Photograph What Is Taking Shape

Look for:

• Blossoms opening into fuller form

• Leaves that have moved beyond the bud

• Patterns emerging in nature

• Something you are creating mid-process

• Objects arranged with intention

• Evidence of growth that now feels visible
  

Journal Prompts:

What is beginning to take shape in my life right now?

What feels more real than it did a month ago?

Where am I being asked to stay present with the process?

What am I beginning to trust?

What would it look like to support this gently, without pressure?

Ways to Work with April’s Energy:

• Continue something you started in March

• Give structure to an idea

• Revisit a creative project and take one small step

• Notice where things are becoming clearer

• Create without needing to finish

Live Creative Gathering:

Sunday April 19th , 4.30–5.30pm (BST)
Zoom (link coming soon)

A space to explore what is taking shape,
through creativity, reflection, and shared presence.

Subscribe now

• What is beginning to emerge within me?

• What do I want to nurture over the next 6 months?

• What am I curious about exploring or becoming?

• If I imagine myself at the Autumn Equinox… what have I grown?

• Shedding (What wants to fall away):

  • What feels heavy, outdated, or no longer aligned?

  • What am I ready to gently release or loosen my grip on?

  • What might I leave behind so I can grow more freely?

Closing Affirmation (you can read slowly):

I trust what is emerging.
I do not need to rush.
I plant these seeds with care,
and I allow them to grow in their own time.

Thank you for your patience in waiting for the details of today’s Creative Live session. My son’s football match got rescheduled, so family life had to move around and I wanted to be sure of the logistics before posting this. It’s probably his last football match for this team, so I want to go and watch him do his thing!

I will now be Live at 5pm today and I’m going to hold the session for 30 minutes this time, instead of a full hour. I feel it might be easier to fit into life…either Live today or at a time that works for you when I share the replay.

Today’s session is going to be based around the idea of Emergence and the beginning of Spring.

If you are joining Live please bring a notebook, pens, felt tips and/or pencil crayons and if you like stickers, magazines, scissors and glue…and washi-tape.

I hope to see some of you Live today. If you can’t join me Live I will be posting the replay this evening for you to enjoy at a time that works for you.

Zoom Details :

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4901009049?pwd=kCadxJfaoSQVhflXFeALQIblYyRfb6.1&omn=83321718427

Today I took time this morning to create this Equinox alter for my meditation time. I reflected that during this next quarter of the year I will be completing my degree (7 years after I began…so a really big deal and commitment) and then making time to really deep dive into what comes next. I am setting an intention of curiosity and I will be sharing more about that with you very soon!

If you want to take some time today or over the weekend to reflect on the Equinox, here are some journal prompts you might like.

• What is beginning to bloom within me right now?

• What have I moved through during the darker months that I can now honour or release?

• Where in my life am I being invited to begin again, with softness rather than pressure?

• What does this next season of my life want to feel like?

• What am I curious about right now? What wants to be explored, without needing a clear outcome?

• What am I ready to commit to over the next few months?

• Where can I bring more light, balance, or ease into my daily rhythm?

• What would it look like to trust my growing, just like the seasons do?

• If I could choose one word, feeling, or intention to guide me through this next season, what would it be?

  🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

My March Pockets of Joy!

Tulips in my garden. Life was really tricky when I was planting my bulbs, towards the end of 2025, so I had completely lost track of how many I had planted. I am thrilled at how many pots I did actually fill. I don’t remember choosing this red one but how beautiful she is….and as I keep wearing red, she feels very appropriate for my 2026 tulip collection!

Still working on my stamps and it’s just the best thing. I don’t manage it every day but catching up is easy and it’s such a wonderful way to use my magazines.

One big sticker haul! If you grew up in the 1980s, you might have had these squares of stickers too. I gave myself a lovely, joyful pocket of time to choose my selection and then a second boost of joy when they arrived in the post!

Before the sunshine finally arrived, the Magnolia trees have been keeping me happy.

I saved the opening of my Ffern Spring 2026 perfume for today. Heaven in a bottle and the packaging and attention to detail is magical. And it’s made here in Somerset, so it feels even more wonderful.

I will pop back tomorrow for paid Members with the details of Sunday’s Live Creative Gathering (4-5pm, March 22nd)

January asked us to arrive gently.
February asked us to notice what still glows.

March asks something different.

Not effort.
Not urgency.

But emergence.

There is a subtle shift in the air now. The light lingers a little longer. The earth softens. The smallest green things begin pushing through cold soil, not because they are certain, but because it is time.

This month’s theme: Soft Unfurling

Where in your life are you beginning to open?
Not fully. Not dramatically.
Just slightly.

March is not about full bloom.
It’s about the courage of the first stretch.

The email you’ve been drafting.
The idea you’ve been circling.
The walk you take without layers.
The window opened.
The first “yes.”

This is a month of quiet expansion.

Creative Invitation: Photograph something emerging.

Look for:

• Buds forming on branches
• Shoots pushing through soil
• Windows open to fresh air
• Fabric moving in wind
• Something mid-process
• Your own hands reaching, making, planting

It doesn’t need to look like spring.
It only needs to feel like movement.

Capture something that feels like a beginning.

You might not see the growth clearly.
But if you sense that something is shifting, that’s enough.

Reflection Prompts:

What in me is ready to open, even slightly?

Where am I being invited to take up more space?

What feels tender but alive?

What would it look like to unfurl at my own pace?

Let these be lived questions.
Write. Walk. Voice note. Plant something. Rearrange a corner of a room.
Let the body participate in the answering.

Live Creative Gathering:

Sunday 23rd March, 4–5pm (GMT)
Zoom (link coming soon)

Together we’ll explore emergence. More details to follow soon.

I have been thinking about Tiny Pockets of Joy since the beginning of this year and I couldn’t quite work out where it should live. My online world feels a bit scattered and this year I am determined to work hard to make it all make a bit more sense…at least to me!

In ten weeks time I will have finished my Psychology degree. It’s taken 6 years of study over a 7 year period of time. I started with young children and now have big teenagers. I started it living in London and am finishing it living in Somerset. I started it thinking I wanted to be a therapist. In the middle I had too many ideas for PhDs (I did almost finish a PhD 20 years ago…but then all my babies arrived!) and now I’m very nearly finishing I have a million ideas and am trying to work out where to begin.

So, Tiny Pockets of Joy are even more important to me than ever. They help me to lean into my creativity, to enjoy nature, to give my home love and give my neurocomplex brain plenty of pops of healthy dopamine!

Each month (for now!) I’m going to share three of them here with you. Enjoy.

Daily stamps from packaging and magazines. You might have seen this on Instagram. I was intrigued enough to buy myself a stamp maker and now I’m hooked. I make one most days but when life gets too busy, I don’t worry because I can so easily catch up. It is so very satisfying and my family love seeing what I find next, so there’s joy in the creating and the sharing. I’m going to do it all year long….and I expect for many years to come.

Wearing Red. For some reason I’ve avoided red for many years. You won’t find it in my home decor and until this year in my wardrobe either. However, I fell in love with a top that has a pink and red combination, and realised that I actually really suit red! So I bought a couple of red t-shirts in the January sales and a cute little red triangle scarf. and it brings me so much joy to wear this colour. I’ll have to take some pictures of me in red when it next stops raining to share this joy with you! Here is the red/pink combination that started it all off for me.

I popped into Liberty on a recent trip to London and fell in love with these balloons! I didn’t have long in the store as my teenagers were waiting for me in a cafe, so this really was a little pocket of joy in the middle of a busy day.

Wishing you a beautiful end to this month. xo

Over the coming two weeks I will take some new images to share with you using some of the things I’ve gathered in this video.

If you have any questions please pop them in the comments and I will do my best to answer them for you.

Wishing you a beautiful week ahead. Let’s hope we all get some sunshine!

Found Light
Sunday 22nd February 4-5pm (GMT)

Zoom : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4901009049?pwd=kCadxJfaoSQVhflXFeALQIblYyRfb6.1&omn=81478533798

Together we’ll explore the art of noticing:

• Bring a few small objects or light sources that feel warm, glowing, or personally meaningful

• We’ll do a slow, guided “creative scavenger hunt” to find beauty in the everyday

• Then we’ll build a simple still-life or photo setup + optional journaling or poetic captioning

• You’ll leave with 1–2 small images, and a deeper connection to your spark

(Replay will be available if you can’t join live.)

January asked us to arrive gently.
To breathe. To cross the threshold slowly.

February brings us a little more warmth.
A flicker. A glow. A small fire, not yet roaring, but real.

This is not the spark of pressure, productivity, or performance.
It’s the hidden fire, the one inside your chest when you remember something you love.
The one that doesn’t burn you out, it lights you up.

This month’s theme: Hidden Fire

Where do you hold warmth inside?
What still glows for you, even when no one sees it?

February is the invitation to return to those sparks.
Not to fan them into flames but simply to notice:
They’re still there. And they’re yours.

Creative Invitation: Photograph something small and glowing.
Literal or metaphorical. Light or feeling. Warmth or wonder.

Here are some places to look:

• Candlelight

• A cup of tea, steaming in the early light

• An object that brings you warmth (a scarf, a letter, a shell)

• A moment of care, a touch, a glance, a kindness

You might not even “see” the spark in the photo.
But if you feel it while capturing, that’s enough.

Reflection Prompts:

1. Where do I feel warmth in my life right now?

2. What lights me up quietly, without needing applause or validation?

3. How can I keep that spark close to me this month?

Let these be felt as much as answered. You can write, voice note, collage, or carry the questions in your walk.

Live Creative Gathering:

Found Light
🗓 Sunday 22nd February 4-5pm (GMT)
📍 Zoom (link coming soon)

Together we’ll explore the art of noticing:

• Bring a few small objects or light sources that feel warm, glowing, or personally meaningful

• We’ll do a slow, guided “creative scavenger hunt” to find beauty in the everyday

• Then we’ll build a simple still-life or photo setup + optional journaling or poetic captioning

• You’ll leave with 1–2 small images, and a deeper connection to your spark

(Replay will be available if you can’t join live.)

If you have any questions please leave them in the comments, so I can reply.

Wishing you a beautiful week! x

Link for Sunday 7-8pm (GMT) : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4901009049?pwd=kCadxJfaoSQVhflXFeALQIblYyRfb6.1&omn=84959473290

Thank you for your understanding! xo

💕💕💕

This coming Thursday, 15th January 7-8pm, I will be Live on Zoom for an hour of creativity and visioning for the year ahead.

I invite you to bring what feels right for you to spend an hour of creative dreaming and planning. Paper, pens, stuff for collage, paints, scissors, glue, paints, stickers….whatever you have and whatever you want to use. It doesn’t have to be complicated, it just needs to work for you.

I find that when I give myself this space, I think, dream and plan in a different way. I always love to discover what’s waiting to be revealed to me! And it’s lovely to be able to do this together.

If you can’t join Live don’t worry because I will record it and you can replay it at a time to suit you….and it will be like I’m there with you!

Please note I’ve changed the time to 7-8pm to fit in with my family life.

Zoom link :
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4901009049?pwd=kCadxJfaoSQVhflXFeALQIblYyRfb6.1&omn=84959473290

Wishing you a beautiful week ahead! xo

Let’s begin not with a sprint or a grand resolution
but with a pause. A breath. A doorway.

This month is not about doing everything.
It’s about arriving. Gently.

Theme: The Threshold

January is the in-between space.
Not quite new. Not quite known.

It’s the moment before.
The breath before the step.
The hand on the doorknob.
The light just beginning to return.

You don’t need a plan.
You don’t need a masterpiece.
You just need a way to begin, in a soft and gentle way.
A loving way.

Creative Invitation:

Photograph a threshold.
This could be literal or metaphorical.

• A doorway, a window, a crack of light
• A new notebook, the space between pages
• Your feet on a path
• Your hands hovering before beginning something
• The way morning light touches a wall

This image is not meant to impress, only to witness where you are. You can share it or
keep it just for yourself. I find so much growth comes from my art for the process practice, not just creative growth but learning about myself too.

What does it look like to be on the edge of beginning?

Reflection Prompts:

• What wants to begin in me, even if it feels unclear or small?
• How can I welcome myself across the threshold of this new year?
• What do I need in order to start gently, not perfectly?

You can write, draw, voice note, or simply hold the questions as you move through the month.

Guided Audio

Mid-Month Gathering:

Creative Thresholds Live Call
Date: Thursday 15th January 7.30-8.30pm (GMT)
Zoom - link will be emailed closer to the dayand it will be recorded if you can’t join live.

We’ll meet, share softly, and make something together, a collage, a vision page, or a creative map of what’s quietly blooming in you this season.

Remember, don’t have to do everything this month.
You just have to arrive.

This is a year of creative rhythm, not pressure.
Thank you for walking this with me.

With love,
Emily x

On Saturday I will be sharing the first post of 2026 for paid subscribers and the date of our first Creative Live of the year.

Here is my vision for Flowing Through The Year 2026….

There’s something beautiful about creating space to move through a year slowly.
Something deeply nourishing about living with the seasons not in resistance to them.
And something quietly powerful about weaving your creativity into that rhythm.

That’s what Flowing Through The Year is here to offer.

Not a course.
Not a challenge.
Not a wheel you have to keep up with.

But a creative companion, to walk beside you through the next 12 months with beauty, curiosity, and connection.

What is included in the Paid Membership of Flowing Through The Year 2026?

It’s a fortnightly rhythm of creative invitations + seasonal reflection
for women who want to live more attuned, inspired, and connected
without the pressure to be constantly productive.

It’s rooted in the natural world.
It’s guided by intuition, not dogma.
And it’s held in community, softly.

What’s included each month?

Each month you’ll receive:

A “Seasonal Creative Guide” at the beginning of the month
A gentle email (text + audio) including:
• Creative photography prompt
• Journal questions
• A seasonal reflection
• 5–8 minute guided audio to drop into presence

A Live Creative Gathering in the middle of the month
A calm, nurturing session where we:
• Reflect on the season
• Explore a creative practice (visual, written, or intuitive)
• Share gently in a small, intentional space (no pressure to speak)

This is for you if you’re craving:

• A reason to slow down and make something just because
• A deeper connection to the seasons and yourself
• A photography practice that’s soulful, not performative
• A space to be creative without being judged or rushed
• A rhythm that helps you keep showing up, softly and gently

A note about photography

You do not need to be a photographer to join.
Just someone with a phone, a heart, and a willingness to look at the world (and yourself) differently.

These aren’t assignments, they’re invitations.
Ways to see. To witness. To remember.

If you’re a current Paid Subscriber I hope you will stay for another year!
If you’re a Free Subscriber, I hope this tempts you to upgrade to Paid and journey through 2026 with us. xo

Subscribe now

And now, we arrive in the space between,
between the years,
between the cycles,
between the stories.

This week is not for planning.
It is not for becoming.
It is for being.

There is a deep, sacred hush here.
And you are allowed to rest inside it.

You don’t need a word for next year yet.
You don’t need to resolve or reinvent.

You are allowed to unravel.
To breathe.
To let the edges blur.

This is the cocoon before the blooming.

JOURNAL PROMPTS: Resting in the Cocoon

1. What do I feel when there is nothing to plan, prove, or prepare for?
   (Let your truth rise, it might be relief, discomfort, quiet, or even resistance.)

2. What is softening in me right now?
   (You don’t have to make it bloom. Just notice what’s loosening, unwinding, shifting.)

3. What would it feel like to fully rest, not just physically, but soulfully?
   (And what small act might move you closer to that feeling today?)

SHORT RITUAL: The Cocoon of Now

Time needed: 5–10 minutes
You’ll need:

• A candle or soft light

• A blanket or shawl

• A quiet space

• (Optional) a song with no lyrics, just instrumental tones

1. Prepare the space

Wrap yourself in a blanket or something that makes you feel held.
Light a candle. Let the light be gentle, not blazing.

Close your eyes and take one deep, slow breath.
Then another.
Let the silence wrap around you like a second layer.

2. Speak inwardly or aloud:

“I do not need to become anything today.
I am allowed to be.
This moment is a womb.
And I am safe inside it.”

3. Sit in stillness.

Let your body breathe.
Let your thoughts settle like snow.

Let this moment exist without needing to lead to anything.

No insight required. No healing to push toward.
Just this.
Just now.

Stay as long as it feels nourishing.

Early next week I will share my plans for 2026 with you! Take care until then xo

And still, even here
something glows.

A flicker. A warmth.
The quiet promise of return.

Solstice reminds us that even the deepest dark is not final.
It is a season. A rhythm. A place of becoming.

You are part of this rhythm.
Your light is not gone, only quieted.

Let this week be your invitation to tend the inner fire.
The one that doesn’t shout,
but hums in your belly and your bones.

Ask yourself:
What is flickering in me now?
What wants to be carried into the new light?

You don’t need to rise quickly.
You only need to tend gently.

Ritual: Tending the Inner Fire

A Solstice pause for remembering your light in the dark

Time needed: 10–15 minutes
Best done: After sunset, or during a quiet part of your day
You’ll need:

• A candle (or any soft light)

• A journal or paper

• Something warm (a blanket, a scarf, a cup of tea)

1. Create a soft space

Wrap yourself in something warm.
Dim the lights. Let the room feel like night.
Place your candle before you, but don’t light it yet.
Whisper inwardly:
“I welcome the dark. I honour the stillness.”

2. Reflect in the dark

Sit for a few breaths with the unlit candle.
Let your body settle.
Let your breath be slow.

Then ask yourself, gently:

• What has grown dim within me this year, not from failure, but from fatigue?

• What small ember is still flickering, perhaps quiet, but alive?

• What light do I long to carry into the new season?

Write what comes. No need to explain it. Just witness.

3. Light the flame

Now, light the candle slowly.
As the flame rises, say softly:
“My light is not gone. It is returning.”
Let the glow touch your face.
Let it remind you: you are still here. You are still glowing.

4. Closing Words (spoken or silent)

“I tend the fire within.
Not with striving, but with stillness.
I carry what is mine into the light.
And I leave what is ready to rest.”

Blow out the candle or let it burn for a while.

Wishing you a beautiful Solstice and lead up to Christmas. I will be sharing my 2026 plans with you in the beautiful hush between Christmas and New Year. xo