Navigating the Seasons of Creativity

Some creative seasons are short, lasting only a few days or weeks, while others can last a year or more. Every artist is unique, and the way you move through your creative seasons will be singular to you. You may enjoy long stretches of productivity followed by a short season of dormancy or vice versa.

For most artists, each season comes bearing gifts. Understanding your creative flow and the seasons that dictate the rhythm of your studio practice can help you capitalize on what each state inherently contributes to your workflow and output.

For instance, resting during your winter season will keep you from getting run down or losing interest in your work and will also help you avoid burning out. It takes longer to recover from burnout than to start up again after a much-needed break. New concepts need time to germinate, and when you give your brain some time to relax, it can start to make new associations and connections that often result in fresh perspectives. This is what your Creative Winter is all about.

Another example is recognizing the onset of your Creative Spring. This puts you in a position to prepare yourself to capture the flood of new ideas that will inevitably start to pour in. Documenting your new concepts will come in handy when you later enter into your productive summer season and provide you with a library of inspired ideas as a source of reference.

In anticipation of your summer season of high energy and increased productivity, you may want to restock your studio supplies ahead of time to ensure your creative work goes uninterrupted when things begin to ramp up for you.

Knowing that your Creative Autumn season will be a time to show your work and take a victory lap, you may want to order new business cards in advance, update your website, or tidy up your social media profile beforehand. Don’t forget... it’s okay to toot your own horn and celebrate all of your hard work.

An important part of every artist’s journey is learning to identify, navigate, and capitalize on our creative rhythms. When we allow ourselves to fully embrace each season, we can move through our creative practice with more ease, focus, productivity, and self-compassion.

About the Author

Alicia Tormey is an internationally-recognized artist known for her unrestrained botanical paintings, ethereal abstract landscapes, and her pioneering encaustic techniques.

Alicia’s work has adorned the cover of Professional Artist Magazine and has been featured in the Boston Globe, Encaustic Arts Magazine, and many others. Her paintings have been displayed in public and private collections around the world, including two U.S. embassies, and her artworks have been the subject of more than 20 solo exhibitions throughout her career.

In addition to painting, Alicia also teaches and mentors artists across the globe through her online courses, live encaustic workshops, and coaching programs.

Alicia’s art is heavily influenced by the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, where she has lived since 1981. She currently maintains a studio in the mountains near Sun Valley, Idaho.

You can view Alicia’s work at www.aliciatormey.com www.instagram.com/alicia.tormey www.facebook.com/alicia.tormey www.youtube.com/c/AliciaTormey/featured www.pinterest.com/aliciatormey