Seasons of Creativity: Making the Most of the Gifts & Time We Have

Seasons come and go year after year, yet we can never know exactly how they’ll unfold. For example, rain never fails to make an appearance on my special day. Every year, summer rain. But never the same kind twice.

During my first birthday party, the downpour was so heavy the whole street where I lived flooded. And, unfortunately for my guests, their cars were overflowing with water, too. #Yikes. Have we been drenched like that since? No, but I can count on the heat and rain to celebrate with me when July 17 rolls around.

The same goes for the seasons we experience in our creative lives. The cycles follow one after the other, but they’ll each arrive different from the last.

Plant & Grow

Essentially, we experience two distinct seasons — Abundance and Stillness.

Abundance

• (Derived from the Latin word abundantia, meaning “fullness, plenty,” and defined as “an ample quantity” or “profusion”) Seasons of abundance are a time of ideation, consistent creation, and a plethora of resources. This is similar to spring and fall where sowing and harvesting, respectively, take moderate effort. We’re able to follow an idea, watching it bloom naturally with minimal struggle.

Stillness

• (Derived from the Old English stille, meaning “motionless, stable, fixed, stationary,” and defined as “devoid of or abstaining from motion” and “calm / tranquil”) Though seasons of stillness may conjure images of wintry chill, they’re not necessarily the absence of creativity. Instead, stillness is a time of quietness or rest. This season is a simmering of ideas or an itching to get things done without a particular end product in mind. Turnover time might take a while, but we should remember that growth is still possible.

** Consider checking out what Ali Luke of Aliventures says in “The Different Seasons of Creativity: Finding and Following Your Patterns.”

Flourish

During the seasons, we can maximize our creativity by working with intention. Consider the following approaches:

Experiencing (vs. going with the flow)

Although they share similarities, a fine line divides the two. Experiencing the season is proactive, consciously choosing to take part. 2017 has been one long season of stillness for me. However, I still try my best to stay inspired and to keep creating even when the ideas take (much) longer to “cook” than usual, like a crock pot dish as opposed to a microwaveable meal.

On the other hand, going with the flow is laid back, letting things happen as they happen. There are situations where this approach may be ideal. Group collaborations with too many heated opinions and low stakes may be an ideal circumstance for a low profile and an easygoing attitude. But going with the flow as a default could lead toward stagnation and the death of passion.

Working (vs. forcing)

Both show activity and may require the same amount of energy. Yet how we apply that energy differentiates the two. Working through the season is simply tilling the field for harvest, doing what’s necessary to ensure our creativity stays alive — making space to absorb the nutrients of inspiration, watering the ground with mindful effort, and providing protection from danger like burnout.

Forcing, though, pushes past safe limits. Working in this kind of environment usually results in meaningless projects, which wastes valuable resources and potentially risks our health. Like pulling a muscle, forcing creativity sets back everything we’ve accomplished while adding more tension to our workload.

Thriving (vs. surviving)

Sometimes, we settle for the status quo. Holding onto a 9-to-5 desk job to get by or going on autopilot while hoping we’ll make it “one day.” But there’s so much more to life! More than merely inhaling and exhaling, waking up then going to sleep.

As creatives, we have this unique gift that easily opens the door to maintaining a thriving lifestyle in every cycle of each season. If that means starting a side hustle, slowly merging our day job with our passion projects, or blazing a new path, make it happen! Multiple outlets of living life on fire are available to us. All we need to do is choose.

Whichever season you’re in now–in abundance or in stillness–though you may have limited control over your surroundings, know that you can control your actions. You can experience the season or go with the flow. You can work with it or force your way through. You can thrive, or you can merely survive. Whatever you do today will push the next domino in your life to fall into place for tomorrow.

As for me, I want to take paths that my future self will thank me for. I want to place myself in the best position to grow exponentially. I want to tell stories of how I chose to live my best life while creating work that matters.

Will you do something today that’ll make your future self proud? Do it. I dare you.

Want to start working toward a sustainable lifestyle that’ll last through the seasons? Grab your copy of The Creative’s Blueprint Workbook today by clicking here. This guide of 50+ pages helps you lay a foundation, set a framework, solidify your support systems, and put the lessons into practice. (You can unsubscribe at anytime, even after downloading it. I’ll understand.)