I’ve written before about the Seasons of Creativity (which don’t necessarily line up with the actual seasons). There’s the Summer of Productivity where your creative fire is burning brightly and you are just churning out work. Next comes the Fall when things start to mellow a bit and settle into a quieter rhythm which leads into the Winter of Rest. Creative Winter can be a fallow time when nothing seems to spark your interest and you just don’t feel like doing anything. If you don’t know it’s coming, it can be incredibly frustrating to feel like you’ve lost your spark. But, if you can take the downtime to let your creativity get refreshed then you’ll be ready for a Creative Spring.
Creative Spring is a period of inspiration when new projects are calling to you and new ideas may be germinating. It can feel a little frenetic trying to channel all of that energy though. Consider:
- Spring Cleaning – Shake the dust off your creative space. Clear out some clutter. Sort through old projects and seriously consider whether you want to keep them or if you can let them go to make space for something new. Clear away the leaves and expose the fertile ground.
- Exploring Your Ideas – Take some time to capture those ideas that are bubbling up in your brain. Set aside 15 minutes each day for a week to just list out any idea that’s coming to mind. Then, take one idea and flesh it out. Think about how you might approach it. Sketch it out. Make plans. Try coming up with a Plan B or a Plan C to see if you like them better. Have fun playing with new ideas.
- Channeling Your Energy – I know that you probably already have something in the works and a drawer full of unfinished projects, but it’s okay to put them aside for a little while to channel your energy into a new project. Do something that’s calling to you and you’ll be even more energized to go back to the other projects that might have been getting a little boring.
May your Creative Spring be a time of renewal and inspiration and not just about the cultivation of new projects, but also the rejuvenation of your inner artist. As you tidy your space and sift through the remnants of past creativity, allow yourself the grace to grow alongside your ideas. Nurture them, give them sunlight, and when the time is right, share them with the world. Your creativity is not just a sequence of seasons but a perennial garden, ever-changing, always growing. Here’s to finding joy in the chaos, purpose in the rest, and inspiration in every new beginning.
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