The new year is here, and my creativity has returned with a BANG! Suddenly, new ideas are flooding in. 

I always forget that this is what happens in January. Usually November and December are "slump" months for me - I have no business ideas, my paintings don't work, and I worry that I will never be creative again. Then around comes January and suddenly, I can't keep up!  For the first few weeks, I am usually all over the place, making a start on every idea I have. I have so much creative energy that I forget my friends and family, have no social life, and just focus on all the exciting ideas that are streaming in. 

So far this year I've drafted outlines for two new courses, got halfway through a free e-book, come up with an idea for a novel, and completely restructured my flagship annual course. I've also started learning about Facebook ads, created a plan for my YouTube channel, and developed a list of masterclasses for my Art Tribe community (and recorded one of them already!).

And it's only January 6th... LOL. 

Now I can't possibly complete all of these things all at once, so of course I am going to have to slow down. But I think it's important to ride these creative waves when they come. There is plenty of time to sit back and relax when I'm in one of my slumps. In fact, these ideas will keep me going through those periods.

I'm sharing this because I want to encourage you to think about this for yourself. Your cycles might come in big chunks like mine, or they may be shorter. Maybe you find you're more creative at the start of the week than at the end. Or maybe you find you work better in the morning than the afternoon. 

Recognizing our own patterns can help us optimize not only our productivity but also our happiness, because we can stop beating ourselves up about our down times and recognize them for what they are. They are simply a natural part of the creative process and every artist experiences them.

In fact, I think these slumps are necessary. I think of it like winter in the garden. Each November, our plants lose their leaves or die away completely. On the surface, everything is still, but underground they are already beginning to gather their strength, preparing themselves for their next flowering. 

The plants don't beat themselves up about winter. Can you imagine a tree berating itself:

"Why do you always lose your leaves? Why can't you just keep going all year. You're so useless. You have no talent. "

I think we should take a leaf from their book. I think we should relax and enjoy the quiet times and then enjoy the bursts of energy when they come.

Everything has its season.