Monthly reflections for thoughtful creatives from author Samantha Garner, a creative advisor for introverted or ND creatives. Learn more here.
Where I live, it’s the day before the summer solstice. I have to admit, I’m dreading summer a little bit. Every year I try to like it a little more, but I feel it sapping my creative energy no matter what I try.
Late fall is my favourite creative season. I always feel very drawn to the grey sky/bare trees feeling of creativity in those days. In that cooler time of year, I always feel a bit more creatively alive. Slowness, quiet, the half-awake feeling of ideas in transition, lying in wait. It carries on into winter too, where cold coziness is perfect for descending into my work - that deepening of curiosity helps mitigate the effects of early dark.
Spring this year started jangly as it always does. It’s the season that makes me feel the most creatively fractured, ideas buzzing around almost quicker than I can capture them. I’m restless, in a fun way. But it’s not always a great state to be in when the summer heat decides to squish me down with a searing hand.
Every year I try to adapt a little more, try to adjust my creative times to avoid the most overwhelming heat and noise of summer. I’m thinking of it as an experiment in seasonal creativity - a curious act instead of a hostile one. Fingers crossed.
Your turn to get curious
Reflection: What seasons or times of year affect your creativity in different ways? How can you adapt your work or creative rituals accordingly?
Happy creating,
-Samantha.