Hibernation Season

A new comic about embracing the cold and quiet

Dec 24, 2022

Image description: A six panel comic. The first panel shows a long panoramic view of a clear sunset sky over mountains, with bare winter trees in the foreground. Below, thee small panels show a robin sitting on a branch, then flying off the branch, and then a light snow beginning to fall. On the bottom row, two panels show first, a human and dog walking in front of the mountains as the snow begins to fall. In the last panel, the human crouches down and offers the dog a treat.

Image description: A wide landscape coverd in a fresh fall of snow, beneath a clear evening sky. A human, and a tiny dog on a lead, run across the huge expanse of white, towards a bare winter tree in the forground.

Image description: A three panel comic. The first panel is tall, and shows a humanstanding next to a bare winter tree in the snow, while their small dog sniffs some stalks of plants on the ground. The second panel shows a close up of a knothole in the tree with a sleeping squirrel inside. The final panels shows a burrow of four sleeping bunnies, safely underground beneath the snow.

Image description: A five panel comic. The first panel is a landscape view of the mountains shown on the first page. Night has fallen and the peaks are lightly dusted in snow. The second row has three short panels. One shows walking boots, removed with a bit of melting snow beneath them. In the second panel, and hand lights a candle with a match. In the thirs panel, and cream mug with a picture of a cute dog on it contains a a steaming hot drink, and is lit by golden candlelight. In the final panel, the human and dog are cosied up beneath blankets, lit by candles. The human is knitting a stript sock with hot drink close by. The dog is curled up asleep at their feet, content.

At this quiet and dark point of the year I always find myself craving rest. There’s something about the pressures of the season - to buy stuff, to see people, to travel and be merry - which seem to mount up and overwhelm me. Then I remember that my body is a creature, and most creatures are hibernating this time of year. More than ever, I feel the need to do the same.

2022 has been a wild and tumultuous one, full of great adventures and personal challenges. I navigated an unexpected house move, in fact a relocation to a different country. With that unfolding in the background, I focused my creative work on just one project: the Fairy Ring Hat and Socks, though I found myself unable to resist creating some other goodies to go alongside them.

I also made a lot of videos. Something magic happened this year, which saw me embrace video making as central to my creative practice. Previously I had seen it as a side project, an accessory to the ‘real’ art making. The shift in perspective to understand my videos as an act of creativity in their own right has helped me prioritise them, and enjoy making them a whole lot more. This year I’ve made 38 Green Bean episodes (including Patreon exclusives), and a much greater variety of them as I’ve had fun playing with different formats and styles.

So it makes sense that I am tired. As has become a precious annual tradition, I’ve closed my shop for mail order until the end of February, to afford myself a proper extended break. I was preparing to travel and spend time with my family, but circumstances have prevailed and that will not be possible. I’ve been angry, frustrated and sad about this turn of events but now, I find I’ve softened into a place of acceptance. This is what my body needs after all. Jack, me, the mountains, and some quiet.

I have one last video to share with you to round out the year, which I recorded before this change to my plans. It’s full of chatter about woolly craft projects and features a beautiful walk in the mountains in the recent spell of cold and icy weather. I hope you enjoy it.

For Patreon supporters there will be one more video to come, which I’ll look forward to making for you during this period of quiet hibernation.

Whether this message finds you enjoying some precious time with loved ones or some quiet time alone, I wish you gentleness and warmth. If you’re feeling lonely this time of year, please know I’m thinking of you especially and sending you comfort.

Thank you so incredibly much for your support throughout this year.

Katie x

About the comic: I gave myself the gift of an ipad this autumn, and have been learning to draw using Procreate. This is the first effort I’ve deemed acceptable for public viewing. I’m really enjoying learning to use a new medium, and how this brings an aspect of play back into art making that sometimes gets lost because it’s also my job. Huge thanks to my friend and Procreate whizz Katriona Chapman whose lessons and pointers are the only reason I’ve made anything even vaguely acceptable to look at!

Aurélie D.

Merry Christmas Katie :) Thank you for all your newsletters, your podcasts, your shared creativity throughout this year. They were sparkling bubbles of joy and comfort. Thank you for everything ! Have a good rest this winter. And I look forward to seeing you again next year, invigorated!

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Lynn

Thank you!

I love your comic. It has such a peaceful and freeing feeling. It’s an appreciated and wonderful Holiday gift.

Your walking trail is a place of beauty.

Enjoy your rest.

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