Right on Time Bloomer

A message from a sunflower (and Donna Tartt) on sticking to our individual authentic blooming time scale.

Dear Reader,

A few months ago I was pleasantly surprised to discover we were going to have a random new sunflower from last summer’s sunflower garden I planted from seed. I thought to myself, ‘awe...a late bloomer!’.

We decided not to cut the grass and weeds around it because we found out a bunny lives in there.

I actually didn’t make any plans for my raised garden box this year due to fire ant infestation and the wood planter starting to rot. So I just came to terms with the fact that the area was going to be a bit of an eye sore for a season or two. But once I saw a new sunflower emerging I decided to just leave it alone and wait to see what she had to offer. It turns out the year wait it took her from sow to sprout was worth it because she is a beauty and huge! She has grown almost twice the size than any of the sunflowers we grew last year.

It’s been so fun and gratifying to watch her rise to the very high top. And to think I may have mowed her down before her moment to shine. I’m so glad she stuck it out, weathered the winter freezes, and then bloomed when she was fully ready because now I have an unexpected beautiful sunflower to enjoy in the midst of a not so great space otherwise. So really she isn’t a late bloomer at all, she is a “Right on Time Bloomer” because she bloomed at just the right time when she would be needed and enjoyed the most.

I feel we as individuals can so easily get caught up in trying to fit into a time scale that is expected or recommended for the so called best and most successful results. When sometimes that time scale doesn’t really feel right deep down inside or flow with our unique groove or creativity. Which then feels rushed, anxiety induced, less enjoyable, less heart, and ultimately runs the risk of never reaching the fullest potential.

I often think about an insightful interview I watched with the successful author Donna Tartt who is best known for her novels ‘The Secret History’ and ‘The Goldfinch’. She is also known for taking roughly 10 years to write each one of her books from start to finish. I’ve noticed she is often asked why she takes so long and if it is possible for her to generate her work quicker so her readers don’t have to always wait a decade for her next book. And she responds:

“...I’ve tried to write faster and I don’t really enjoy it. I don’t enjoy the process of doing that. I tried to speed it up,...it was a mistake. ...I tried to write a book in a year and I just didn’t enjoy it at all, it wasn’t fun for me. No fun for the writer and no fun for the reader.” - Donna Tartt

Art, creativity, and even life itself should not be rushed. Nor do we want it to be. I would much rather wait for my favorite artist’s next work of art knowing they are putting 100% into their craft that inspires me than experience several that are rushed and incomplete just to meet a time table guideline that someone else created. Art and inspiration just doesn’t always work that way. Life sometimes needs to happen first, lessons need to be learned, individual observation and processing is sometimes needed. So naturally our individual time scales for our unique delivery or arrival will vary. I feel that should be ok. And the artist shouldn’t have to apologize for that or feel less than if they choose to sit it out for awhile. We should respect the process behind the artists that inspire us and consider it a gift when or even if they choose to share it with us.

Every single one of us has something special to offer in our own way and appointed time. Some offerings fill in the gaps. Some offerings are big, impactful, and visible by many on a global scale. And then some offerings are small, go unnoticed by most, yet impactful for the few who needed it. Every single one of these is important, valid, and needed. The key is to just keep growing and creating...the purpose will follow, right on time.

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” - Rich Karlgaard, Late Bloomers

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” - Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

“The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.” Rich Karlgaard, Late Bloomers

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Below are some images of my sunflower garden last summer:

So perhaps we follow my new solo sunflower’s example and stick to our own authentic blooming time scale, whatever that may be. And in the meantime we can enjoy the process and just have fun with it until we are ready to be the “Right on Time Bloomer” we are designed to be.

This is a photo of my sketch reflecting the layout plan for the 8 varieties of sunflowers I planted. My concept was to have all the taller sunflowers in the center and the shorter varieties along the border. I’m not sure my precise and detailed plan was completely necessary for the end result. However I do remember really enjoying the creative and design process regardless. It just made the overall project so much more satisfying for me. *It looks like this years sunflower was one of the 14ft Mongolian Giants that was planted in the center.

Thank you so much for reading. Have a blessed weekend.

Love,