When friend Roberta Pucci joined us in the United States this past September, Alex and I decided to host our first Purposeful Gatherings Early Childhood event with Roberta as the featured guest. Throughout the summer, as we prepared for the gathering, I was surrounded by my blooming edible flowers which influenced almost every thought I had and action I took. You might say I was obsessed! I even purchased floral peel and stick wallpaper for my office and a batch of floral 3-ring binders in hopes of getting more organized and enjoying my workspace! At least once a week I would harvest some of the pansy, lavender, bachelor button, chamomile, and calendula blossoms to add to either my freezer or dehydrator, or to eat fresh in the case of the spicy nasturtium. As I cared for my plants, it wasn’t hard to envision an event focused on harvesting the seeds from those flowers. Yes, in the summer and fall, we eagerly focus on the fruits of the harvest, the flowers themselves, the vegetables we get to preserve, the meals that will come. But on this day, we really wanted to focus on the seeds themselves.
There is so much potential in the seed that develops when we give a plant or flower the time and space to grow and “go to seed”. While we can enjoy the flowers and the delicious vegetables and fruit, the seed offers the opportunity for new growth, more growth, for change and transformation. One flower head can provide 10x (and more) the seeds to produce whole new plants in an upcoming season. This was something we wanted to explore as we met with early childhood educators and leaders and applied some of the concepts to our personal and professional lives.
We met many times to talk about what creative atelier opportunities to offer during the day of the gathering and poured over Roberta’s blog posts on The Grammar of Matter and The Grammar of Drawing, trying to narrow down our ideas. One post that kept floating to the top was a post Roberta made in partnership with Suzanne Axelsson and Nona Orbach and the Grammar of Drawing Project. It is called Every Color Seed Can Blossom and it is an inspiring read! Just think about that message for a moment – Every Color Seed Can Blossom. I feel such hope when I think about it. In the post, Roberta states that…
During winter, seeds have all the nourishment they need
Roberta Pucci
in their protective casing…
They just need the right environment to allow them to rest in the quiet ahead of the next season.
Rest in the Quiet.
All the nourishment they need.
Protective casing.
Again I feel the hope of that to my core. Thinking of winter as a time to use the dark for rest and quiet, for enjoying walks, for thinking, for savoring twinkling lights, for laughter with friends and family, for healing, for preparation. The concept behind Every Color Seed Can Blossom is that either individually or collectively, we can “celebrate the rebirth and the new beginning that follows each end.”
Ahead of her arrival, Roberta sent me shopping lists! I went to Amazon to order watercolor paints, watercolor pencils, dual brush marker pens, refillable water brush pens, and of course heavy, textured paper. The day before the gathering, Roberta sat at my kitchen island bar, using the colorful markers to dot the heavy, textured paper with the colorful “seeds.” Seeds that would await the creative minds and hands that would turn those seeds into new blooms, releasing the energy of the seed to flow onto the paper and through their spirits.
During our gathering, Roberta herself brought this experience to life in the northwest corner of a beautiful barn at the Farm at Frog Hollow near Walloon Lake, MI. The tables were beautifully arranged with large sheets of that artists paper (she modified this to an individual experience for our participants due to numbers and the space available), the materials and tools displayed with every care to the aesthetic. Even the detail in using clear glasses as containers was approached with purpose and beauty. As Roberta shared and encouraged, and the creative action grew, the smiles that also flowed were unforgettable!
My memories leave me with the deep desire to offer this kind of reflection with all ages. From our youngest children to those with many life experiences to share. Resting seeds offer new chances. Every person and every group/team/family can take that offering and nurture it through hope, care, creativity and even risk. Are you ready for it?
Consider leading yourself or your team through a similar exercise. The supplies needed can be found at local craft stores or are linked above (as an Amazon Affiliate I may earn a commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you). I also invite you to reach out for more personal support and interaction from Cozy & Flourish or from Roberta Pucci Lab (if you’re in Italy)! And while you sit (or move forward) with the beauty of this idea, make plans to join Resting in the Quiet – A Cozy Time to Restore and Replenish, the January virtual retreat!
Cozy & Flourish LLC 