4 Seasons of the Creative Practice
The creative process is personal and typically takes consistent bravery. It’s an exchange of giving and receiving, and when those two move out of balance it can leave an artist with burnout, fear, and questioning.
4 Seasons of the Creative Process
I studied art for 4-years where I immersed myself in my creative practice on a semester basis. I took breaks during the Summer and Winter months. After school, I clumsily attempted to fit my practice into a manageable lifestyle. There were many seasons I went without much rest and others where I faced tremendous creative blocks. I sometimes would stray into a direction only to come and realize it didn’t align with my version of success.
I slowly began to experiment with working in seasons as a way to find balance and productivity in my creative practice. Taking cues from nature, I discovered four distinct seasons of creativity that I strive to experience on a somewhat consistent basis. These seasons offer room for dormancy, hibernation, rest, rejuvenation, growth, fruitfulness, and abundance.
1. Nurturing, the Artist’s Winter season
Just like the Winter season, all artists need time to go into hibernation. This period of time allows for you to reconnect with your creative foundation, align with your own success path, and find a bit of rest and rejuvenation.
2. Inspiration, the Artist’s Spring season
Inspiration is the crux of the creative process. Without it, you face creative blocks, periods of burnout, and questioning. The artist’s Spring season is a place to restore your inspiration and explore your idea of a sketchbook.
3. Creation, the Artist’s Summer season
Summer is a vibrant season usually offering long hours of sunlight. In this season, immerse yourself in developing a body of work, and telling your story. Remove yourself from distractions and find a balance between presence and creativity.
4. Sharing, the Artist’s Fall season
The artist’s Fall season offers time to share your work. This will look different for every artist—you might seek to share your work with your gallery or with your personal audience. You may create as a hobby and choose to share your work with yourself. This season is important for the creative process because it offers time away from your own thoughts and ideas and opens space for conversations.
Lean Into Your Creative Season
No creative season has to happen alongside the natural season or have a prescribed length of time. You might feel symptoms of Winter in Summer or Fall in Spring. You may find you need just a few weeks to many months to be in one place. Lean into where you are at personally, and allow your actions, goals, and otherwise, to reflect accordingly.
Take note of your intentions for each season. What do you hope to experience during your season? What goals do you want to achieve? This will help you to stay present and for a full and bountiful creative practice.
