Healing through art, nature & heritage - Life on the Northwest Coast of Sweden
Healing through art, nature & heritage - Life on the Northwest Coast of Sweden
As promised, here is what kept me up till the wee hours of the morning! Welcome to my life in the Nordic nature. I have seen more mice in the two weeks that I have lived here, than all the years I rode the London underground haha London did not prepare me for this.
Here's a little video from one in the morning on Wednesday. It's a happy ending, I promise ♥︎
I'm quite proud that I put together a 30 minute YouTube video in less than a day. But ouch do my knees and back hurt. I feel like I have been hunched over a laptop for hours, sitting in awkward positions in multiple areas around my home. So today I will take rest by moving my body haha And giving it some love by taking a break from the screen.
I rewatched my latest YouTube video and tears swelled in my eyes within the first 2 minutes. The goosebumps and waves of emotion I feel that this is my new reality. It's a dream come true. The feeling I have for my home, the fjord, and the island is so intense it almost hurts. But in a good way. I can't wait to express my love for this place. Just me and my camera.
It's a beautiful sunny day here so I might go and take my first Summer swim in the Fjord that I showed you in my recent YouTube video. I hope you like the video. It's a mix of everything; happiness, plans for my art studio, healing thoughts from my heart. I hope you find it healing and inspirational.
Have a beautiful day my friend, and I will speak to you tonight. I have a very funny story to share with you about what kept me up till 3 in the morning last night!
Annika ꨄ
Yesterday, was a beautiful day where I walked around admiring the land that I now own on this 1860 homestead on the Northwest Coast of Sweden.
I made a YouTube video sharing my dreams as an artist and photographer. I also share some moments with Leiana, my newly adopted cat.
I’m so looking forward to sharing more glimpses of my new life here on the Swedish Coast, away from the city and office jobs. Here I’m surrounded by bird song, farms, sea, wildlife. I feel like I’m in heaven.
Sending you lots of beauty and magic from these coastal salty winds.
Annika ꨄ
Good morning sunshine!
It is officially Summer! Now that Midsummer celebration here in Sweden has come and gone, I feel like it's a clean slate. A fresh start. I'm trying to embrace the mindset that every day is a fresh start, which works wonderfully. But when it's a new season, I truly feel new fresh energy coming in. I love Summer! It's a time where my true self can shine. I love the elements, the wind, the sun, the birds, the energy in the air. It's a beautiful time here on the coast, and I can't wait to share the wonder here in photos and words. I also recently made a post on my Instagram account, which some of you might have already seen. It was a statement about my commitment toward creating this Summer. I hope to have a webshop running this Autumn so you can make orders! If you have any favourite pieces, feel free to contact me to make a special request: [email protected]
This week I will test a new schedule to see what I can realistically get done in a week without burning out. I have plans to paint, take photos, and embrace other artistic disciplines and healing practices through art. A recent one that I have become interested in is drama therapy as a way to evoke emotion. The more I read about inner child healing and the healing arts, I become more and more convinced this is a powerful solution to find one's authenticity. It doesn't mean you have to become an artist. It's the process of creating that unlocks something special in our hearts.
In my recent Instagram post, I announced that I will dedicate this Summer toward creating Nordic Nature inspired art, with a focus on coastal landscapes and healing messages through self-portrait photographs.
I plan to share my process here on my blog as a new artist category if you are interested in following the artist journey of making, experimenting, and exploring. I hope you find it inspiring. I will also continue on YouTube where there is a mix of everything. I plan to create separate playlists so you artists out there can follow along. I will continue to make daily vlogs of my every day life. I don't have a specific upload schedule for this. I usually just pick up my camera when inspiration strikes. But I will try to make at least 1-2 videos per week.
I would also like to address important emotional topics that can help unlock creativity and authenticity. I have struggled myself for years with self-doubt and insecurity around creating art. I still struggle with it, but I'm much more mindful of these negative beliefs, and overcome them through awareness and compassion. But it's a daily practice, which is why I believe starting the day with meditation or yoga is a great way to set myself up for a day of unlocked creative potential.
And for other readers, I will continue to show the world the beauty here. I have a special love for this magical island in the North Sea. I will also share glimpses of my home, my garden, my cat, and some little projects I'm doing around the house to restore this beautiful 1860 farmhouse that I recently bought with my Swedish Grandparent's inheritance.
Finally, I would like to make a commitment to this part of the world by advocating for the nature here, the wildlife that thrives on the West Coast of Sweden, and it's rich cultural history. In my photography, my blog, my YouTube videos, and my paintings, I wish to convey Bohuslän's rich natural landscape.
Now it is Summer! It's a time to open our hearts and let it shine like a thousand suns. Happy creative healing everyone!
Lots of Love,
Annika ꨄ
Here come two long video blogs from this week. I am so sorry for the late upload. I got internet this week, and it's taken some hours to upload the videos (with some failed uploads and re-uploads). I will need to take this into consideration for my future work. Life in the rural parts of the world has its beauty and challenges. But at least they are all uploaded now, so I can continue to create and share more of my life from this beautiful part of the world.
I have spent all morning planning my Summer creations, now that it's officially Summer here in Sweden! There is so much to look forward to now. I am dedicating my Summer to create Summer inspired Nordic Coastal art to hopefully sell on my webshop this Autumn. If there are any pieces you like, feel free to pre-order or make a special request by emailing me at [email protected]
Anyway, here come some video clips. Enjoy!
Have a beautiful Sunday ♥
Annika
Today is so quiet and rainy. Everything feels so still in the air. I am sitting here with my cat by my feet, occasionally I find myself starring out of the window, observing the Summer rain pouring down. I'm tempted to go for a healing walk in the rain. A cleansing walk to reward myself for spending all morning editing this summer Solstice video.
From Winter to Summer. As I edited this video, I reflected upon the beautiful contrasts in life. And how much healing can be done from one solstice to another. For me, Summer is about opening my heart and letting my inner light shine. Winter is about me remembering who I am. We grow every year, and each solstice is an opportunity to shine brighter. Summer is a wonderful opportunity to open our heart as wide as a thousand suns.
I hope you have a beautiful day. Filled with wonder and light.
Happy Swedish Midsummer weekend from the magical Northwest Coast of Sweden.
Annika ꨄ
Happy Midsummer from Sweden's beautiful coast. I hope you have a wonderful day ♥
Good morning!
I sit here with a morning cup of coffee, and my cat nudging my hand away from the keyword as she seeks affection. It's a beautiful day outside, the birds are twittering, and the wind is brushing through the trees. Pinch! I live here.
Have you seen Frozen? You know the sound the wind spirit makes? Well, it's here! It's real. I'm curious what bird makes this sound. Would you happen to know?
I wanted to drop in to say a quick hello since I haven't blogged these past few days. This has been because I haven't had internet and did not go to the cafe everyday as planned. I have been doing some other things around the house and taking care of Leiana, my cat.
On Tuesday this week, she went to the veterinary clinic for her annual vaccination and a groom. She is a long haired cat, and her fur was knotting on her stomach. Hopefully this is the only time she will need a groom because she was so out of it the rest of the day. I don't like that she got sedated. She's not an aggressive cat and I know it makes it easier for the groomer, but still. I was not happy when she came home with two cut nipples. It made me very sad. She was shaking for the rest of the day and I was so worried that I had traumatised her. I held her in my arms most of the night to try and soothe her. I kept thinking, "what have I done?!" But the next day, thankfully she was a complete joy. She was back to herself. Happy, trusting, and exploring the outdoors. Because she was sedated, she was not allowed to go outside for a whole day. For an outdoor cat, this day was her worst nightmare! But I'm glad she is back to her playful and affectionate self. Phew! Only difference is, she looks more like a fancy city cat now 🙁 I prey her fluffy wild Viking forest cat hair grows back quickly.
While Leiana was at the vet, I waited at McDonalds. I spent my time working on my laptop. I bought this salad that I took home to have for dinner. I then added some of my own ingredients: spinach, almonds, tomatoes and chia seeds. It was delicious!
Hello!
I'm so excited to announce that I will start making regular vlogs of my life in the Northwest coast of Sweden. In my first video I introduce myself and give you a taste of everything: my dreams, my hopes, my personality, my past, and much more! Enjoy ♥︎
My first time collecting firewood from the supply the owners left behind. They said it will last about two winters. That will give me enough time to strengthen my chopping skills haha
