The Doldrums
a spell of listlessness, despondency, stagnation
AND ALSO
a region of the ocean near the equator where sailing ships sometimes get stuck on windless waters; known for calms, squalls, and light baffling winds
I didn’t know that The Doldrums is (are?) an actual place where sailors get stuck.
My sister died on a May 15th and every year, like clockwork, I find myself lost in The Doldrums around that time. Here I am. It helps me to think of it as a place that I sail into and, if I pay attention, I can find my way out of. #wayfinding #thealchymista
I don’t find it easy to draw or paint something that I like but I can cut up some paper and mash it all together in a way that feels euphoric to me. I originally collaged something just for me - a visual way to collect my scattered wayfinding notes. When I realized that this process is an important part of my WayFinding, I went digital so I could share it. #wayfinding #collage
I’ve been retreating for years - since we lost my sister, really. Then Covid in the wake of that grief. Eventually moving to a remote island across the planet ;)
This essential ebb of social life left space for a bigger conversation with myself. I’ve been diving into my personal archives and finding the memories and objects that have meaning in my life. The process is reorienting me.
This island life evokes, for me, a rich oceanic imagery that helps me navigate my own way forward. The techniques of ancient Polynesian wayfinders, in particular, have offered perspective on how I find my bearings and chart my course.
I feel like I’m WayFinding.
The Time Map practice that I’m sharing is a piece of my WayFinding process - navigational tool, memory keeper, diary. I am starting a different instagram to hold this WayFinding world because it feels like its own thing to me. @awayfinding . Come if you like. xo. 🌊💕✨
