So interesting, definitely recognise these daily and project creative cycles but after 25 years of having a menstrual cycle, I’m only just starting to pay attention to the effect that it has on my creativity - a week of hormonal driven crippling self-doubt each month to throw into the mix!
I love that! What I’ve noticed since I started lining up my creative cycle with my menstrual cycle, is I’ve had more easeful periods. I just feel more balanced overall in the experience. I take the entire week off from scheduling any interpersonal interactions or creative goals. I give myself the space to sit in the unknown and just tend to myself. Then I notice I have more natural energy for things in the second half of the month.
Yes, I do think there are all sorts of cycles — for each day, for each project, for each season... I think I'm currently having a bit of project-to-season mismatch: need to drive this book to the finish line right at the height of summer when I'm feeling maximally lazy / unfocused 🤦🏻♂️
Great advice! I totally agree that understanding your own creative cycles can be so beneficial and help release some of the shame and doubt when things aren't flowing as easily. It's something that I've been thinking about a lot, especially in regards to creating vs engaging--I've noticed that sometimes I go through periods where I'm very creatively stimulated and writing a lot, but find it more difficult to engage with other people's art and keep up with reading-and vice versa. I'm trying to pay more attention to those patterns of mine and accept that they're all just a part of the process.
I also relate heavily to Lillian Hellman's cycle of “elation, depression, hope" XD
Yes, totally agree. I've always kind of hated the phrase "trust the process". . . but I do think it's worth trying to understand and accept your own process rather than fighting against it (though sometimes I think fighting against it gives me some good writing energy, lol).
Hi Mason, I just subscribed because I saw your post in Notes and thought — huh, my kind of people! I like the drawing assignment and will give it a shot. Anything better than the place I'm currently in: the in-between space (that I’ll drum up a phrase for, and will probably wake me during the middle of the night, of course) the I just finished a piece (mixed media) and got two commissions but I'm frozen with fear and decided the dog needed a bath and the piano needed to talk to me and wow maybe I should meditate since its midday anyway and then I can at least prepare the paper for said commissions and perhaps work on my watercolor course syllabus. By then it'll be time to eat and walk the dog. Day almost over! Haha! Rinse and repeat! Its good to be here and I look forward to digging around!
Hi, Maureen — welcome! Glad to have you here. And would love to see your drawing — can very much relate to your description of the in-between space!! 🫠
I love this so much! A few weeks back I drew a few approaches to creativity - while they got polished up for the newsletter, I kept my tea stained drawings and they give me great pleasure 💞
So much wisdom in remembering that wherever you are—creative flow or staring at a blank page—it’s not forever. Also love the prompt to draw your cycle!
This is so helpful. I don't think I have quite figured out my creative cycle yet, although certainly 'elation, depression, hope' is very familiar (over a longer span than a day for me)!
I was despairing last week that I spend so, so long on taking notes and playing with ideas before I can really get a proper handle on what I'm trying to write. But... it's been like that for the last thirty years, so I guess I have to accept that that is what my creative process looks like. Sigh. It's slow, hard work.
Yes, I can so relate! I frequently beat myself up for stages of the process that happen *every single time* — so I think recognizing that this is the case helps a bit.
Substack just served this up to me and I'm so grateful. For me, figuring out my own creative cycle helped me then see what support I needed to keep creating. In my case that was a system so I could keep finding ideas and reduce the friction of making decisions or finding things. Thanks so much for this post, I really loved it.
I’m a song-writer/music producer myself. About 8 years ago i did an experiment with my daily routines, and found out i’m a morning creative. I try to get to the studio as early as possible, write down a to-do list on my commute. Get the creative heavy lifting done before my lunchbreak (which includes a 30min walk taking photos), then I’ll refine things until it’s time to go home. I never push my days to the point of exhaustion or that i run out of ideas. The trick is to leave some thread to pull for tomorrow. My days are short, with the occasional ”night shift” at home (mixing, editing).
This sounds like a very good schedule! I'm a morning creative as well, and almost always go directly to my desk upon waking (after a brief stop at the coffeemaker). I usually run out of energy after lunch, but then often have a second wind around 4–5pm, before breaking for the day (usually). I like your trick of never working to the point of exhaustion — unfortunately, I'm now trying to finish a book project and it's proving impossible to do without pushing to that point, over and over... Anyway, thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Well crunches are a bit different for me too. I just finished an album that took 1,5 years to complete. The last 2 months were definately the hardest, and it demolished my routine. On those occasions i just try to prioritize rest as best as i can. I wish you all the best for your final push! I hope the book turns out well ✨🌿✨
As I think about my creative cycle, I also think about all the naysayers, the doubters, the rejection notifications who don't believe in my life of an artist and how much that affected my creative process.....woof.
Ah, yeah, they are part of it too, unfortunately. Hope that your cycle includes moving past all the rejections / reconnecting with what you are trying to do regardless of what others think.
I was feeling frustrated with writing and was thinking that maybe I just need to read until I'm tired of reading. I feel extremely validated by your post about Maggie Nelson!
Something I’ve found helpful this year is the concept of the “messy middle” - I was covering for a colleague who was on secondment for 9 months, and I tried to move various things along. I had expected several tasks to take about 3 months, but we have spent rather a long time in the “messy middle” so I have either just finished them or handed them over to my colleague who returned to the team a week ago!
La analogía del “viaje del héroe” aplicada al proceso creativo es brillante. La creatividad es cíclica, no lineal, y sigue patrones reconocibles pero únicos para cada uno.
So interesting, definitely recognise these daily and project creative cycles but after 25 years of having a menstrual cycle, I’m only just starting to pay attention to the effect that it has on my creativity - a week of hormonal driven crippling self-doubt each month to throw into the mix!
Ugh, like any of us need *more* self-doubt!!
I love that! What I’ve noticed since I started lining up my creative cycle with my menstrual cycle, is I’ve had more easeful periods. I just feel more balanced overall in the experience. I take the entire week off from scheduling any interpersonal interactions or creative goals. I give myself the space to sit in the unknown and just tend to myself. Then I notice I have more natural energy for things in the second half of the month.
Recognizing there is a cycle to the creative process has been reassuring.
Creative cycles are so fascinating to me - I think I need a graph for each seasonal cycle as well!
Yes, I do think there are all sorts of cycles — for each day, for each project, for each season... I think I'm currently having a bit of project-to-season mismatch: need to drive this book to the finish line right at the height of summer when I'm feeling maximally lazy / unfocused 🤦🏻♂️
That mismatch is tough when deadlines don't follow seasonal alignment! Wishing you lots of gentleness <3
Thanks, Carolyn! ☺️🙏
Great advice! I totally agree that understanding your own creative cycles can be so beneficial and help release some of the shame and doubt when things aren't flowing as easily. It's something that I've been thinking about a lot, especially in regards to creating vs engaging--I've noticed that sometimes I go through periods where I'm very creatively stimulated and writing a lot, but find it more difficult to engage with other people's art and keep up with reading-and vice versa. I'm trying to pay more attention to those patterns of mine and accept that they're all just a part of the process.
I also relate heavily to Lillian Hellman's cycle of “elation, depression, hope" XD
Yes, totally agree. I've always kind of hated the phrase "trust the process". . . but I do think it's worth trying to understand and accept your own process rather than fighting against it (though sometimes I think fighting against it gives me some good writing energy, lol).
Loved this one, made me think on creative cycle too! Thanks for sharing :)
Hi Mason, I just subscribed because I saw your post in Notes and thought — huh, my kind of people! I like the drawing assignment and will give it a shot. Anything better than the place I'm currently in: the in-between space (that I’ll drum up a phrase for, and will probably wake me during the middle of the night, of course) the I just finished a piece (mixed media) and got two commissions but I'm frozen with fear and decided the dog needed a bath and the piano needed to talk to me and wow maybe I should meditate since its midday anyway and then I can at least prepare the paper for said commissions and perhaps work on my watercolor course syllabus. By then it'll be time to eat and walk the dog. Day almost over! Haha! Rinse and repeat! Its good to be here and I look forward to digging around!
Hi, Maureen — welcome! Glad to have you here. And would love to see your drawing — can very much relate to your description of the in-between space!! 🫠
I love this so much! A few weeks back I drew a few approaches to creativity - while they got polished up for the newsletter, I kept my tea stained drawings and they give me great pleasure 💞
https://open.substack.com/pub/breakthroughsandblocks/p/picturing-the-creative-process?r=1uafr&utm_medium=ios
So much wisdom in remembering that wherever you are—creative flow or staring at a blank page—it’s not forever. Also love the prompt to draw your cycle!
This is such an interesting idea. I need to think what my creative process looks like.
This is so helpful. I don't think I have quite figured out my creative cycle yet, although certainly 'elation, depression, hope' is very familiar (over a longer span than a day for me)!
I was despairing last week that I spend so, so long on taking notes and playing with ideas before I can really get a proper handle on what I'm trying to write. But... it's been like that for the last thirty years, so I guess I have to accept that that is what my creative process looks like. Sigh. It's slow, hard work.
Yes, I can so relate! I frequently beat myself up for stages of the process that happen *every single time* — so I think recognizing that this is the case helps a bit.
Substack just served this up to me and I'm so grateful. For me, figuring out my own creative cycle helped me then see what support I needed to keep creating. In my case that was a system so I could keep finding ideas and reduce the friction of making decisions or finding things. Thanks so much for this post, I really loved it.
I’m a song-writer/music producer myself. About 8 years ago i did an experiment with my daily routines, and found out i’m a morning creative. I try to get to the studio as early as possible, write down a to-do list on my commute. Get the creative heavy lifting done before my lunchbreak (which includes a 30min walk taking photos), then I’ll refine things until it’s time to go home. I never push my days to the point of exhaustion or that i run out of ideas. The trick is to leave some thread to pull for tomorrow. My days are short, with the occasional ”night shift” at home (mixing, editing).
This sounds like a very good schedule! I'm a morning creative as well, and almost always go directly to my desk upon waking (after a brief stop at the coffeemaker). I usually run out of energy after lunch, but then often have a second wind around 4–5pm, before breaking for the day (usually). I like your trick of never working to the point of exhaustion — unfortunately, I'm now trying to finish a book project and it's proving impossible to do without pushing to that point, over and over... Anyway, thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Well crunches are a bit different for me too. I just finished an album that took 1,5 years to complete. The last 2 months were definately the hardest, and it demolished my routine. On those occasions i just try to prioritize rest as best as i can. I wish you all the best for your final push! I hope the book turns out well ✨🌿✨
Thank you very much! I *think* I’m in the final month or two right now; I will be sure to share more about it once it’s really, truly done.
As I think about my creative cycle, I also think about all the naysayers, the doubters, the rejection notifications who don't believe in my life of an artist and how much that affected my creative process.....woof.
Ah, yeah, they are part of it too, unfortunately. Hope that your cycle includes moving past all the rejections / reconnecting with what you are trying to do regardless of what others think.
I was feeling frustrated with writing and was thinking that maybe I just need to read until I'm tired of reading. I feel extremely validated by your post about Maggie Nelson!
Glad it helped! I do think reading until the point you feel compelled to write is a pretty solid strategy in any project
Something I’ve found helpful this year is the concept of the “messy middle” - I was covering for a colleague who was on secondment for 9 months, and I tried to move various things along. I had expected several tasks to take about 3 months, but we have spent rather a long time in the “messy middle” so I have either just finished them or handed them over to my colleague who returned to the team a week ago!
La analogía del “viaje del héroe” aplicada al proceso creativo es brillante. La creatividad es cíclica, no lineal, y sigue patrones reconocibles pero únicos para cada uno.