How To Embrace The Energy Of Spring In Our Brands
As someone who works with nature for a living, you are probably more aligned with the seasons than most. So you won’t be surprised when I say: it’s time to enter your Spring Era!
You can feel it. In the way the mourning dove sings by your balcony, the wind carries a note of warmth as it ruffles your curtains, and the last of the snow has melted. It’s almost here.
I’m definitely a fall and winter girl, but spring is one of my favorite seasons. For one, it’s my birthday (Aries, unite!). It’s also a time of so much promise. It brings me back to the end of the school year, tree plantings, and planning my backyard garden. I feel reinvigorated in the spring, ready to try new creative ideas and explore the possibilities I had been dreaming about all winter.
Maybe you’re still shaking off the February chill, brushing the snow off your shoulders. But it’s undeniable that the season of warmth and growth is on its way.
If you’ve been wintering, it’s time for you to bloom.
I wanted to share some ideas for embodying the spirit of springtime in your brand, your work, and your creative projects. There are so many ways we can incorporate the rebirth of nature into our mission.
Let yourself be seen
Springtime means the return of color, of movement, of community, of light. Flowers are sprouting up from underneath the earth. Trees are exploding in verdant waves of leaves. Animals are emerging from their dens, blinking in the light. Once dormant and hibernating creatures are not the only ones who get to proudly declare presence!
If you’ve been hunkered down for the winter, it’s time to come out of the shadows and remind everyone of what you’re all about! It’s time to make yourself visible again, in whatever way works for you. Blogs, videos, networking events, hosting workshops, social media posts, publications, you name it! Do not be afraid to share your story as many times as you need to this season. Spring is a time of movement and energy. Throw yourself into opportunities that bring eyes to your amazing environmental work, even if it means getting a little uncomfortable.
Are cherry trees holding back, feeling too shy to let their blossoms explode in April? No! They are proudly displaying their true colors, celebrating the return of spring.
I encourage you to embrace this energy and do one thing to make your beautiful presence known! Someone out there needs your work, and only you can help guide them toward it.
Look for the pollinators
Look at all the gorgeous flowers, ferns, trees, shrubs, and grasses growing around you. Notice how their natural beauty attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators who will help them thrive.
Just like these blooms, you too need the support of those who care about you.
It’s time to see how everyone is doing. Check in with your people! You might have been hunkered down for the new year rush, but come up for a breath of fresh air. Reach out to your closest supporters and collaborators, your business besties, your warm leads. They too are emerging into the sun, ready to try new things. Be personable and genuine in your interactions. Show interest in their plans for the year. Ask them how you can support them.
Now is also a great time to reach out to any of those collaborators you’ve been hoping to work with! Dream big. You never know who will answer!
People can tell when you’re being authentic, and it really resonates. Lead with kindness, and soon you'll be surrounded by a community who cares.
Nourish Yourself and Your Brand
Like a bear emerging from the cave, you and your brand are in need of some nourishment! It’s time to get inspired again. I noticed I was in the grind of work in January and February, forgetting to take breaks to refill my well of creativity. I’m trying to prioritize inspiration again.
Make a Pinterest board, go into your favorite nature spot, read books you love! Dive into magazines, read biographies of figures you admire. Start a digital garden!
Collect ideas like you’re foraging for food. Let them simmer and synthesize into some amazing work you can share in the summer.
Don’t hold yourself back when gathering inspiration and brainstorming. Sometimes I forget it, but we have the power of free will on our side. We can do anything with our brands. If you have an idea that feels a little out there or experimental, why not give it a go this season?
Transformation Leads to New Life
Now use that inspiration you gathered for a little transformation! Like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, maybe your brand evolved this winter and your visuals need to reflect this. Consider a re-design of your brand identity! Perhaps you need to re-align your logo, colors, typography, and messaging with your growing audience. Now is a good time to assess what’s working and what’s not. A little spring cleaning, if you will.
Take a look at your brand identity across your website, social media accounts, and print. Is it consistent? Are the colors and fonts connected to your mission and personality? Maybe your vision has completely transformed, and you’re growing in a different direction than when you first started out. This means it’s a great time to create a new identity. And if you’re in need of some help with that, I’ve got you!
Grow Toward the Light
What lights you up? What’s something you love doing with your work? Move toward it. As spring arrives, your leaves are growing again, reaching for the sunlight. Follow where your intuition is pointing you.
Now is a good time to check in with yourself about your “why”. Why do you work to create a more sustainable world? What do you love the most about the outdoors? Which fellow nature-lovers do you dream of collaborating with?
It’s so easy to get burnt out these days. I just want you to remember why you’re reaching for your dream in the first place. The world needs you and your work.
Happy (Almost) Spring!
Celebrate yourself! You made it through the long winter and you’re ready for spring. I am truly grateful for all the work that you’re doing to help our world become a better place for all living creatures. I encourage you to try just one thing from this list that lights you up and gets you out of survival mode. You deserve to take this moment to assess your brand and decide where you want to head this year.
I’ll be taking a page from my own book and working on something that truly excites me: creating an online shop. I have dreamed of selling my own art and design products for years, and my goal for spring is to get my products out of my head into the real world. I’ll keep you posted!
Happy (Almost) Spring!
Thanks for reading,
Sarah
