November arrived, quite different from what I was used to in the south. No slush, hardly any grayness, and none of that never-ending fatigue. Instead, there’s a darkness that feels wonderfully calming and lights that are only made possible by the deep night. The starry sky above the cabin, the quickly darkening evenings that start stealing daylight in the afternoon, and the northern lights illuminating the yard.

As I may have already mentioned, this late fall has been (and still is) filled with overlapping projects. It’s wonderful, exciting, and thrilling, but it keeps me busy. So far, I haven’t minded.

Sometimes it feels like I can’t manage everything I take on, especially all the things I want to take on, but by focusing on one task and one moment at a time, I get through it surprisingly well. Don’t be surprised if there are quiet moments here on the blog—that’s just the epilogue to something new and exciting.

The creative space has moved back upstairs after the summer, as sitting in the uninsulated outdoor building for more than a few minutes would leave you freezing. The large work desk, along with all the instruments around it, takes up the entire upstairs landing, but since both of us do creative work every day, that’s no problem at all.

I’ve been putting the finishing touches on the winter video I mentioned in my last post, which will be shown in Helsinki in just a couple of weeks, and here in the north at the turn of the year. The video is only ten minutes long, but it includes winter footage from the past three years, my own music, and a story, so many hours of work have gone into it. But it’s such wonderful and inspiring work. This is exactly what I hope to do more of in the future.

Winter has been making its arrival since the autumn break. The ground was beautifully frosted in early October, and the first snow fell on the 19th. There’s already much more snow now than you see in the pictures, but since my days have mostly been spent editing the older footage, I haven’t yet had time to capture the light and magic of the new snow. That will be remedied soon.

Before the snow arrived, E and I took a small trip to Mustavaara in Muonio. The original plan was to go to Sammaltunturi, but we ended up admiring the silhouette of Pallas and enjoying our packed snacks on the gentle summit of Mustavaara. Quite often, these trips seem to end up without reaching the original destination, but in surroundings like these, it doesn’t matter at all. The main goal is to find peace, silence, and nature—and there’s plenty of that here.

Last week, I was sick and spent most of the time sleeping. When I'm unwell, my body shuts everything down and makes me sleep for huge amounts of time, so I don’t have many memories from the week aside from restful dreams. Both dogs and, of course, E, took great care of me, allowing me to rest and recover without having to do a thing.

This was just a little hello and update so you don’t think I’ve disappeared from the world entirely. I’m still here, in the midst of winter’s winds, sheltered by the wooden walls of the cabin, dreaming up all sorts of new things.

I’m so glad you’re here 🤍

♥ Sanna