This is a guest post from Hazel Miller, a visual artist whose paintings reference art history and the body to make phenomenological observations about selfhood and the female experience. Visit her website here.
If you’re like us, you might be feeling cooped up or aimless. Though there is absolutely no “right way” to get through this difficult time, it can be helpful to engage with the beauty of the season. We’re going to come out of this as different people, so why not embrace the transformation?
That said, do not feel pressured to keep moving! If cannabis teaches us anything, it’s that doing “nothing” is an important part of being alive. Furthermore, your energy might be depleted from kids and work; your to-do list might be overwhelming you. While it is important to make time for self-care, don’t let it be one more task weighing you down. First and foremost, use cannabis to gain insight into your capacity, into the status of your health and spirit, and make sure to go easy on yourself.
If you do feel up for it, here are six ideas for using cannabis to make the most of springtime, a season of growth and glory. Get some much-needed alone time or invite your family to join in.
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1. Work Toward Minimalism.
I say “work toward” because minimalism doesn’t have to be extreme to be rewarding. Think of it as curating a collection of objects. You want to highlight your favorite items so that they come to the foreground of your environment rather than getting lost in the clutter.
This process can be intimidating, but cannabis can make it enjoyable. The key is to make a plan before you consume. You might even use a list to which you can return if you get distracted by the sentimental (or, let’s face it, by social media). Put out any baskets or boxes you might want to use to sort items. One should be a giveaway or sell box.
As for many of these activities, I’d recommend a Sativa-leaning strain for a focused but playful mindset. After consuming, choose a room, and begin sorting. Use the intuition of cannabis to decide which items to keep. What reminds you of the best in life? What inspires you every time you interact with it? Do you know someone who might enjoy this item more than you do?
Don’t hang onto something just because it’s sentimental. If you’re struggling with this, take photos of the items and save them to a keepsake hard drive, or give them to a younger relative who wants a chance to experience them (consider including a letter explaining the significance of them to your family).
This project might take a week or it might take a month! Commit to finishing it, one way or another. Work on it for thirty minutes a day and watch your living space gradually transform, or work on it for three days straight for an immediate impact.
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2. Listen to Some New Music. Really Listen.
Feel free to get high at any point in this process (CBD edibles beforehand and/or an Indica-leaning joint while listening are my personal picks). Spend time finding playlists and albums that speak to you. Technology makes it easy to find new favorites, and the selection is endless.
Create a comfortable lounging area. Get a glass of water or some tea. Have your favorite form of cannabis handy. If you have a speaker or record player, the music quality will be much better, but phone speakers aren’t too bad these days.
Now comes the deep listening. So often music is background noise. It follows us wherever we go and we become acclimated to it. Cannabis can help make music feel new again. It works on the part of our brain involved with forgetting, which centers us in the present moment and primes us perfectly for deep listening.
Close your eyes. Slowly begin sweeping away any onslaught of thoughts. This is an act of meditation and may take time. We slowly switch our focus onto the bodily senses, to the pure beauty of sound itself. Even if a sound seems unpleasant at first, it can become music. Notice the layers of instruments. Consider any noises in your environment as part of the experience. Sing along if you like, but be careful not to spend too much time criticizing your voice.
3. Get Connected to the Outdoors With Yard Work.
The word “work” can make us dread the process, but cannabis can help reframe this activity and bring us closer to nature.
First, use a weather app to help you choose a nice day. Wear sunscreen.
Consider wearing your favorite hat. Make a brief list of what you want to accomplish in the time you have. If you’re unsure about how to go about something, call a friend who might. If you don’t have a yard, think about planting a window box or potting a few indoor plants.
After you have a loose plan in place, it’s time to consume. I’d go with a nice even hybrid. If you’re smoking or vaping, do it outside and spend some time listening to the birds or the street life.
As you work, study the plants around you. Look at the light, how it shines through thinner leaves, and glints off rubbery ones. Think about how dependent we are on plants, from our food to our oxygen. They are more intelligent than many people believe them to be. Think about how we are all dependent on our sun, our star.
Every organism has its place, and cannabis can help us see that directly. We engage with a more childlike version of ourselves. We are less afraid to get dirty, and we find that the soil itself is alive.
4. Create a Breezy Abstract Art Piece for Your Home or as a Gift.
Order any supplies needed online. Acrylic is easiest for beginners, and there are many kits available. At the bare minimum, your kit should have primary colors plus white. Pick a variety pack of brushes. Choose whatever size canvas feels comfortable for you, or go with several different sizes. If you’re low on funds or space, get a pack of canvas panels or canvas paper. You can make several paintings and then choose your favorite one to eventually frame.
Once you have everything you need, begin a lighthearted research process. Cannabis comes in handy with this stage as well as the art-making itself. I recommend smoking an infused preroll (I always pick a citrusy strain) while scrolling through Pinterest to help sort through ideas and get a sense of what kind of abstract art you like. Take note of their color palettes as well as the colors present in your home.
Begin squeezing paint onto your palette. If you don’t like bright colors, the trick is to add a color’s complement to dull it. For example, is your green too vivid for your liking? Add some red. Too blue? Add orange. Purple? Yellow.
For flatter, more graphic areas, mix a large amount of color so you don’t have to remix it halfway through—it’s very hard to mix the exact color twice. If you like geometric work, use tape to make shapes or sharp lines. If more painterly art is your preference, experiment with a palette knife to create texture or wipe some of the paint off your brush and use it dry (a technique appropriately called “dry-brushing”).
You can always fall back on the images from your research if you need some direction. Zoom in on these works to see the brushstrokes. Notice the many layers.
Whatever path you choose, use the spontaneous flow of cannabis to get into it. Don’t judge what you’re creating as it unfolds. Get lost in the details, then step back (literally) and look at the overall composition. You can also hold the piece up to a mirror to get a new perspective.
5. This One Is a Classic—Spring Cleaning While High.
Another chore that can be reframed as a therapeutic transformation. Make a playlist first to get yourself energized. Caffeine doesn’t hurt, either; I prefer green tea, which contains L-theanine, an ingredient that increases tranquility and focus at the same time.
Then consume a Sativa-leaning strain, put the sheets in the washer, and begin working from the top down. For example, first dust the highest shelves, wipe cabinets and do dishes. Take a break. Change out the laundry. Then clean out the fridge and clean the toilets, sinks, baths, and showers. Take another break. If you‘re feeling it, do a little dance. Finish it off by vacuuming and mopping. Pay attention to how you’re feeling. Work slowly and deliberately or quickly and playfully. Hate that chemical smell? There are plenty of natural sprays on the market, or you can make your own with essential oils.
By the end of your cleaning session, you will feel like a brand new person. Seal the deal with a candlelit hot shower or bath. If you have flowers in your yard, put one in a vase for your viewing pleasure.
6. Use the Healing Power of Cannabis to Have a Rewarding Conversation.
This can renew your relationship with someone important to you or begin a new friendship altogether. Once again, technology comes in handy. Video chat is a lifesaver in these times.
Before you reach out, consume cannabis and examine your feelings towards this person. Imagine your conversation ahead of time and journal if that helps you.
You can wait until sober or consume only CBD or CBG if you struggle to communicate when high, or you can just dive right in. This can be as simple as thanking someone for an act of great kindness, or it can be a more difficult conversation about a conflict. Do your best to focus on your own feelings. Stay away from beginning sentences with “you,” because this often makes us feel attacked. Think about what cannabis has taught you about love and take it slow. If things get intense, ask if you can have a moment to pause and do some breathing.
Perhaps at the end, you will find no clear progress has been made in your relationship, but you will have done yourself a favor either way by expressing your feelings. Do not beat yourself up if this doesn’t go perfectly, and don’t feel obligated to continue pushing if a relationship doesn’t seem like it’s going in a healthy direction. Perhaps the conversation will make the toxicity of a relationship more evident.
Springtime is all about rebirth and renewal. These acts combined with the mindfulness of cannabis will keep you in touch with the spirit of the season. It’s okay if you come out of this crisis as a different person—in fact, it can be enlivening. If it’s not, that’s okay too.
