March 2026: Partner with your inner trickster this spring

As I sit here writing to you, there is a symphony of pink, purple and lavender flowers blooming right outside my office window.

Spring has come early this year. In the SF Bay Area, we usually expect the flowers to bloom at the end of March. Perhaps this view can be your healing salve if you are still feeling the cold weather:

This shrub sits right outside my office window. It is called Mountain Lilac (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus) and it's my absolute favorite. The branches criss-cross into a intricate lattice of glossy, dark green leaves and dark blue and lavender flowers. The honey bees love it too, and when I open the window, I can hear the hum of honey bee wings. Sometimes, an Anna's Hummingbird squeaks and zips through and between the branches of the Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis) tree in the background.

There is also a Pink-flowering currant (Ribes sanguinem) that lights up in the spring time. They remind me of Christmas tree lights, because of the way the flowers hang from the branches.

With all of this local pink and purple color, I'm reminded of the Japanese Cherry Blossom Matsuri festival in Japan. As I remember it, the tradition is to go outside to a nearby park where cherry trees are blossoming. Perhaps you might come across cherry blossoms as you are walking by, or you you might invite someone you love.

If it's the latter, you might dress up for the occasion. In Japan, men and women wear a yukata, which is a summer traditional robe, or their best dress. With this type of appreciation of fleeting beauty, the skyscrapers and traffic noise of the surrounding city melt away for a little while. It's also fun to take a hot tea drink and a sweet treat on this special outing.

Consider this your invitation to do the same, whether March has brought you cold weather or warm weather. Find a cozy spot near you with a beautiful plant in view. This could be an indoor orchid you've proudly cultivated, a magnolia tree showing new buds without branches, or a Redbud tree like mine. Bring your favorite drink and a sweet treat. Maybe, you want to be most comfortable in your favorite pajamas indoors or your softest pair of jeans for outdoors. Slow down, look and look at the plant, and allow new glimmers to emerge.

Perhaps you want to bring a nature journal with you to write down what you noticed. If not, nothing else is required of you except for this moment of savoring the tea and sweet treats that you brought. It's a great time to appreciate the nature that is right in front of you.

In today's newsletter, subscribers receive:

• Watercolorists: How often do you clean your watercolor palette?
• Pursuing kitsune: why embracing your inner trickster matters in a creative practice