Hello from Westfjords, Iceland

Aurora chasing and the intentional act of leaning into what feels good in your mind, body, and spirit.

The A-house in Fossfjörður – a handwritten sign on the door reads: “Welcome! ☺ Please close the door when you leave, so the sheep don’t go inside and poop on the floor. Thank you! ☺”

Hi! I’m currently writing this newsletter from the farthest north I’ve ever been, which is the Westfjords region of Iceland.

There’s so much I could say about this trip, but I’m still processing everything. Usually I don’t like to write about a subject until I’ve reached some sort of closure, or let things come into focus a bit more, because I feel things deeply and words come very slowly to me when I am in this big-feelings stage. Sensitive person problems.

However, I think it’s good for my psyche to share something that is still developing. There have been times when I’ve waited forever to elaborate on an experience and then years will pass and it’ll still be sitting in a box in my brain. So this is a challenge to wade into waters that aren’t quite clear to me yet.

Reykjafjarðarlaug geothermal hot pool.

After a red-eye flight that landed us at Keflavík airport around dawn, Thane and I rented a car and drove 6 hours north, completely sleep deprived, to our Airbnb on the coast of Arnarfjörður. The closest place to get groceries is about 1.5 hours away in the town of Ísafjörður. By some force of magnetism, unbeknownst to us prior to booking, our hosts also happen to run an artist residency called List og Land at Laugaból Farm. The residency directors Leslie & Greg were fantastic; super welcoming, unpretentious, and open. They showed us around the residency, and felt like kindred spirits.

our first few nights were spent here.

On our 3rd night at their place, we saw a spectacular display of northern lights:

northern lights in the Westfjords.

Part of the reason we chose to return to Iceland this year is because the sun is currently at its solar maximum: the highest rate of solar activity during the sun's 11-year cycle. The heightened solar storms during this peak means that auroral activity will be at its strongest and will most likely produce the most vibrant northern lights from 2024 - 2025, until the next decade.

looking straight up

Another reason I wanted to come back to Iceland was to remind myself of, and immerse myself in, the things that light me up. I hope everyone gets to set aside the time and space and resources to do this kind of spiritual maintenance check. The act of intentionally seeking out joy and wonder is so important. This looks different for everyone and we all have different flavors of what delights us, but the important thing is to keep exploring what you love.

I love these guys.

This might be a no-brainer for some, the act of leaning into what feels good in your mind, body, and spirit. But it hasn’t always been this way for me. If you ever grew up being socialized to please people at the expense of your own peace, to bend to the will of others and assimilate, or if you’ve ever been lead to think that your needs don’t matter, then learning how to nurture your inner flame might take some hard work. It took me years to learn how to identify the things that light me up, and I’m very intentional about practicing this now. I make lists of the things that make me feel alive, lest I forget.

Westfjords highlights:

• Aurora borealis

• Meteors & falling stars

• Milky Way

• Hot springs

• Mountains

• Waterfalls

• Ocean

• Fresh air

• Berry picking

• Serenity & quietude

• Mossy lava rocks

• Freshly fallen snow

• Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft

• Countless wooly sheep

• Icelandic horses (smaller, fuzzier, and arguably cuter than other horses)

• Whale watching (from our bedroom window!)

• So much wildlife!!

  • Seals

  • Minke whales

  • Migratory birds

  • Arctic foxes

we saw an arctic fox in the wild (not pictured), and also at the Arctic Fox Center in Súðavík (above)

Seeking out colors, shapes, creatures, and phenomena that make me feel more whole and more connected with the world around me is at the crux of my work as an artist.

color inspiration.

shape inspiration.

It feels important to seek out reminders of the vastness of the universe and the smallness of humanity in the cosmos. Stargazing, aurora chasing, and witnessing how other species exist on earth helps with this sense of interconnectedness. It might not happen immediately, but over time these deposits make their way into what I create and what I hope to share with others.

a painting I started in Iceland in 2022 and finished in 2024, inspired by the solar flares that generate auroras and creatures that are sensitive to the earth’s magnetic field.

When Thane and I were looking up at the stars this week, he mentioned that during a massive power outage in Los Angeles in 1990, residents reportedly called 911 about strange lights and ominous looking clouds overhead. It turns out they were just seeing the Milky Way for the first time.

Wishing you all a happy October.

Love,
Melanie

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♥

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