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.
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.
Ah, somehow this comment got lost in my inbox but wanted to say 100% yes to this cycle! (I am currently locked in the Doritos closet and never coming out.)
This was a comforting article read as I am in the "nothing is ever going to happen so why try" phase. Taking a few mins to jot down my previous experiences and see if there were any commonalities to further give me hope on getting out of this rut. Thank you for this!
Glad this was helpful, Rosemary — I have been in the "nothing is ever going to happen so why try" phase many times!! For me, if I can get some rest / do something nice for myself / reconnect with the things that inspire me / spend time with friends / take off some of the pressure on myself, then the dynamic starts to change and things seem possible again (for a while at least). Good luck!
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.
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! ☺️🙏
Recognizing there is a cycle to the creative process has been reassuring.
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.
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.
I can't draw, but I can label.
1. Braingasm
2. Floating in clouds of elation writing luminous words with a golden pen.
3. This is shit.
4. Lock in closet with Doritos.
Ah, somehow this comment got lost in my inbox but wanted to say 100% yes to this cycle! (I am currently locked in the Doritos closet and never coming out.)
LoL funny and so true
This was a comforting article read as I am in the "nothing is ever going to happen so why try" phase. Taking a few mins to jot down my previous experiences and see if there were any commonalities to further give me hope on getting out of this rut. Thank you for this!
Glad this was helpful, Rosemary — I have been in the "nothing is ever going to happen so why try" phase many times!! For me, if I can get some rest / do something nice for myself / reconnect with the things that inspire me / spend time with friends / take off some of the pressure on myself, then the dynamic starts to change and things seem possible again (for a while at least). Good luck!