Blooming with Friends

In the last week, I have come across multiple photos and articles about cherry blossom trees in bloom or ready to bloom. It reminds me of a year ago when I was in awe of a tree in my neighbourhood. The beautiful tree lit a fire inside me to write for days. It also birthed three newsletters about trees (Part 1, Pt. 2 and Pt. 3 can be found in the archives).

Many trees are budding and blooming in my neck of the woods, yet some hesitate due to fluctuations in the temperature. I wonder - can trees have fears of their own? Do they fear growth or blooming? 

Their annual journey is not 100% clear, yet they find a way to blossom with the support of mother nature, its environment, and the willingness to try. One’s creative journey is not always clear. In uncertain times, a supportive community alongside tools and insights that work best for you will help clear the path for the creative blooms to take place.

Recently, I wrote about having a strong community along the creative journey.  It is important to surround yourself with people who will support your explorations and not go out of their way to pull you down due to their fears or goals.

As I grow along my creative path, I have had the pleasure of witnessing many individuals within my communities bloom along their paths. When our paths intertwine, it is beyond magical. The magic is a part of a relationship’s foundation. Every day, I give thanks to my acquaintances, friends and family who have supported my creative journey and allowed me to be part of theirs. 

In the past, I placed a lot of weight on my friends, and vice-versa. I placed unrealistic expectations on them, assuming they would naturally know how to be my friend. We turn to our friends often without communicating our needs and understanding theirs.

I spent a fair amount of time writing about friendships within the first 100 days of my writing journey. These brain dumps focussed on the “evolution” or transformation within friendships. For some reason I cannot explain, looking back at one particular journal entry reminded me of last year’s experience of the tree. 

The growth and radiance of the tree could be easily compared to some of the best friendships I’ve ever had, past and present. Rather than using the word “evolving,” friendships can better be described as “blooming.” 

“The best relationships will transform and adapt as each person continues along their journey. This may include meeting new people and saying goodbye to old ones. Have gratitude for the time you had without regrets… Send them peace and love as you continue on your path…”

I was in a creative blooming stage when I wrote down these thoughts. I was excited to rediscover my creative side while exploring what types of friends I wanted to have in my life.

I still believe in my words from two years ago. Friendships can’t be linear.  They are better represented by the rings of a tree. You can see how difficult a year was by its rings. Friendships come and go, and they will have their rough patches. Yet they will continue to bloom in their own way when both parties nurture it. 

Friendships may be found in the unlikeliness of places. The world is massive and you will always have people coming in and out of your life.  I am now more open to new experiences since I started writing daily.

Friendships can also be chopped down. They may need to end when they are unhealthy and not serving each other well. I have gone through phases in my life where I had to do friendship pruning and deforestation.  I realized many of my friends were not my friends… they were draining my soul and my aspirations (roots). It caused me to create less or not at all. On the flip side, there were times when I came to unfortunate conclusions where I was not serving certain friends in the way they required from me at the time. Don’t hold onto relationships for nostalgia's sake. It will destroy your essence over time, as well as theirs. Friends blooming in different directions can still be friends when they are clear about their expectations of each other. Communication is key. Old friendships may either wither away or have a renaissance years or decades later. I want to be a good friend. Through daily writing, I have improved my ability to communicate my needs, while also gaining a better understanding of the needs of others.

Despite what is depicted in mainstream media to scare off one’s vision, a creative’s journey is never in solitude. Surround yourself with friends who want to bloom together. Be true to your friends and yourself. The friends you need will find their way to you, or back to you, and vice-versa.

Wishing you all continuous blooms, fellow creatives.

(And I hope you are all still my friend after I write THE TREE, Part. 4!)

See you in two weeks!

Nadine