Winters on the west coast of British Columbia can be drab and wet. Our current weather forecast is for 10 straight days of cold and rain. Yuck. The lack of daylight hours (only 9 or 10 hours in December and January) along with the dark cloudy skies can make me sluggish, moody and depressed.

To counteract the winter blues, I’ve planned several brighter projects. I’m working on my watercolour painting “sunlight” techniques and I will be setting up LED grow lights to start sweet bell pepper, jalapeño and chili seeds in February (which is exciting!) Meanwhile, I set up some of my bright, full-spectrum grow lights to illuminate my art room workspace.

At first, I thought all those lights might be too glaring to work under but I’m loving it. On mornings when I can’t sleep past 4:30am I simply get up, flick on the lights, add music and start creating no matter how dark and cold it is outside. I think my orchids and other tropical plants are loving the lights as well!

I’m a productive person first thing in the morning and I appreciate the quiet of our household when the rest of the family is still sleeping. Knowing this about myself, I want to take full advantage because I feel a sense of accomplishment when I have a productive day. The bright lighting is making it much easier for me to wake up and get cracking into projects.

The extra light also helps me well into the evenings when I am wanting to complete jobs or get things organized for the following morning. The additional lighting is definitely helping me stay active and engaged indoors which is mentally beneficial. Until June arrives with warmer temperatures and 17-18 hours of daylight (wow, almost double of what it is today), I will be flicking on these energy efficient light bars to keep my days creative.