"There is literally nothing in nature that blooms all year long, so do not expect yourself to do so either."
Creativity has seasons and I think I’m going through a creative winter right now.
Just like nature, creativity seems to go through phases of activity and rest. And I feel like my creativity is in some sort of hibernation right now. Since I am no patient person this is really hard on me. I want to create and it just doesn’t work. I have a lot of images waiting to be edited, to be processed, to be played with. But as soon as I sit down to work on them, I lack motivation, I lack enthusiasm and the images just don’t speak to me as they used to do. And when I force myself to work on an image, nothing feels right. It feels like my creativity has abandoned me. So I guess in the middle of summer, I’m in a creative winter season.
It’s annoying and some days I feel like I lost my drive, that I might even have lost my craft. But as much as I want to create again, I know that I need to give myself time. Maybe this season wants to teach me something, maybe I should just let myself rest, don’t force anything and enjoy my “free time”. I started to read a lot (and I mean a lot… more than I read anyways), I started to clear-out my stuff (actually our whole flat), I take naps when I feel like it, I think and reflect a lot, I do more yoga and workout, I go outside more often and I just enjoy my day. I decided to slow down and give myself space. And I am hopeful that sooner or later my creativity will awake again.
Actually there are little moments when I feel the urge to grab my camera and take a quick little shot. Mostly images of rather ordinary things and the magic I see in them that I want to grab hold of. Images that are totally different from what I usually do. But I don’t fight it and just go with the flow. Something’s at work underneath all the snow, waiting to grow and sprout as soon as it’s ready. I’m curious what my dormant creativity will finally wake up to.
Have you ever found yourself in a creative winter season? And how have you handled it?
My advice is: just go easy on yourself. Take your time and fill your days with joy. Don’t get obsessed over it and try not to worry. This will make things worse, trust me. I’m sure there’s a reason for our creativity lying dormant at times. Maybe this is the time we need to grow - creatively and as humans.