Spring Equinox Writing Challenge Day 2: Awakening

"The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also." 

– Harriet Ann Jacobs

Welcome to Day 2 of the Spring Equinox Writing Challenge. We’re delighted that you’re here. Today’s theme is ‘Awakening’.

Awakening: A Fresh Start

Awakening lies at the heart of spring's magic – it's the moment when dormant life stirs and possibilities emerge. As writers, we often experience similar moments of awakening: sudden inspiration, clarity after confusion, or returning to creativity after a fallow period. The equinox invites us to notice what's awakening within our creative practice. Like seeds responding to the warming soil, our ideas need only the right conditions to burst forth. Today, consider what dormant stories or images have been waiting for your attention. What creative energies are stirring beneath the surface of your consciousness? Just as nature doesn't rush its re-emergence, trust the timing of your creative awakening.

Throughout history, cultures have marked this time of renewal with myths and rituals. In Norse mythology, Idunn, the goddess of spring and rejuvenation, kept the sacred apples that granted eternal youth, a symbol of life’s cyclical renewal. In Celtic tradition, spring was celebrated through the festival of Imbolc, honouring Brigid, the goddess of fertility, poetry, and inspiration.

Japanese culture celebrates hanami – the ritual viewing of cherry blossoms – not just for their beauty but for their profound symbolism of life's ephemeral nature. The brief, exquisite blooming reminds us that creative inspiration often appears in fleeting moments that must be honoured when they arrive.

Many folk traditions include ‘waking up the earth’ rituals: making noise to rouse hibernating spirits, planting by the cycles of the moon, or creating spring altars with the first flowers. Writers might create their own awakening rituals – perhaps morning pages as the sun rises, writing outdoors among emerging growth, or decorating a designated writing space with symbols of creative renewal.

Spring rituals often involve cleansing and planting – sweeping away the old to make space for new growth. Many people celebrate the season with acts of renewal, from lighting candles at dawn to welcome the lengthening days to planting seeds as an intention for the months ahead.

Whatever awakens in your writing practice this spring, remember that nature's re-emergence is both inevitable and perfectly timed. Your creative stirrings have their own wisdom – trust their unfolding.

Writing Exercise

Write a scene that begins with a character waking up – not necessarily from sleep, but from a metaphorical slumber. Perhaps they're realising something important for the first time, breaking free from routine, or rediscovering a forgotten passion. Does this realisation come to them quickly, or dawn gradually? How will their day – or their life – change as a result?

Journaling Prompt

What creative project, idea, or aspect of your creative life has been lying dormant and is ready to be awakened? What conditions would help it flourish? How can you cultivate it to allow it to thrive and bloom?

Today’s Affirmation

‘Like the earth in spring, my creativity is awakening and thriving.’

Happy writing ~ check in tomorrow for Day 3.

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