Would you like to live your life in a creative flow state? Would you like to get more done with less effort and in a more joyful manner? If so, take this lesson from nature.
Fall is nature’s way of letting go of the old to make room for the new. Whenever there is releasing or loss, a void follows. Winter is that void in nature. Nature does not immediately fill the space. As humans, we want to fill the voids in our lives … the gaps that happen after the loss of a relationship, a loved one, a job, a home, a way of life. Even the completion of a big successful project or event creates a void. Our tendency is to fill the void with “stuff.”
It’s been said that “nature hates a void,” but nature can tolerate it a lot better than humans can. The fact that Christmas has become all about gift-giving punctuates my point – humans can’t handle a void… we want to fill it with stuff.
But nature doesn’t do that. It allows the cold, leafless, dreary gray to go on and on until in some areas of the world it makes us feel downright S.A.D. In other regions it covers the last remaining memory of summer’s vitality with a blanket of snow.
But what happens next? Spring! Life, vitality, new and exciting things – flowers, colors, greenery, vegetation, sunlight, warmer days, blue skies and spring showers.
If the ideas aren’t coming, if everything is falling apart or has fallen apart, or you’ve suffered a significant loss… don’t rush to fill the void. Even big successes and accomplishments are commonly followed by a void of ideas, lack of energy, lack of any desire to do anything new. This is perfectly normal. There is nothing wrong with you. It’s part of the creative cycle.
Sit in that space. It’s part of the creation process. Nature rests in winter. Rest in your winters. Your “winters” happen every day of your life. Maybe your “winter” is sleeping at night. Or maybe you’re a night owl and your “winter” is late morning sleep-ins. You have “winters” throughout your months and years. There are cycles within cycles within cycles in our lives. Everyone has their own rhythm.
Pay more attention to the Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter cycles of your days, months and years. I’ve even tracked my personal seasons on a chart. I jotted down what I felt like doing hour by hour over the course of weeks, even months. You’ll start to see a pattern when you do this.
Enjoy the ideas and energy of spring. If you’re a morning person, use that “spring” time to brainstorm, come up with new ideas, and do your best creative work (like writing, inventing, etc).
Roll up your sleeves and plant during your summers. Pick your best idea and implement it… NOW… while that burst of productive energy is with you. Have you noticed when the most productive part of your day is? Utilize that time to get things done.
When is your harvest? Your time to organize, summarize, recap, and clear out clutter? Maybe you feel like doing that first thing in the morning for you. Or maybe it’s at the end of the day. Everyone is different.
Let go of what’s not serving you in Fall and relax into the rest of Winter. Maybe you’ve noticed you get sleepy every afternoon at 3 pm. Instead of fighting it, set a timer and take a 15-20 minute power nap. This is probably your “Winter” part of the day. When you awake, you may do so refreshed, ready for another round of “spring” with more ideas popping and renewed energy for another season of “summer” production.
When I’m writing a novel, and I need the next scene but it’s not coming, I harness the power of cycles to help me. I set the intention to come up with the next scene, take a quick power nap, and almost always wake up with the next scene in my head.
You’ll be happier as you allow yourself to ride the rhythm of life instead of fighting or rushing to fill the voids. I’ve been doing this for years and it has allowed me to get more done in less time and be extremely creative in the process.
“Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.” – Belva Davis
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