Are you feeling stuck in your creative process? You've gone through the exploration phase (Winter), and nurtured all your new ideas (Spring). Now what? You might find yourself frozen or unfocused and not know how to get back on track.

If you've been following me for a while, you know that I talk a lot on my podcast and in these newsletters and blog about creative seasons. I'm not necessarily talking about the seasons in the year (although they could correlate) but about THE STAGES OF YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS. I've shared about Winter and Spring in this newsletter. But what about Summer?

Many of my clients struggle during this 'Summer' phase of the creative process because it can be scary or confusing to go from the exploration phase to start making commitments and taking action.

Opening Up to Possibilities

The beginning of summer is all about play and action! Your creation is taking shape, and you are beginning to see what it looks like in full bloom. In the Springtime of your creative process, you let go of any assumptions that you have about your project such as it has to look a certain way or only a certain audience will respond to it. Now all the possibilities are open to you. This can be overwhelming at first, but it actually
allows you will be free to create from your uniqueness! So many possibilities are now available to you because you are motivated by what really lights you up.

Toward the end of summer, we begin to see what the harvest (end product) will look like. Now is the time to start playing with and combining these ideas to bring your ideas into reality. You may have a lot of ideas but how do they want to take shape? What ideas can you combine and what can you let go of? These ideas may very well be used at a later time. Trusting your intuition as well as getting feedback from peers or a coach is really key here. This will help you keep on track as you begin combining and editing all of your creative ideas. With Summer comes a deep satisfaction and knowing that you are free to create from who you truly are. So get clear on your intention for this project.

What combinations of ideas and products are working the best and do you feel the most aligned with? What is most meaningful to you? This can look like reducing your materials, getting clear on the ideas behind your work, or just working with certain sizes to create a cohesive collection. Just like honing in on a niche, finding our focus opens us up to more possibilities because when you find clear focus within your ideas and put them into the world, the audience and community that resinates with you will find you.

What to do in your Creative Springtime:

• Open up and embrace all of the ideas you have found as valid.

• Begin combining the most meaningful ideas that you have, let the rest go.

• Create a unique group or mastermind where you share your work and get feedback.

• Connect with a creative coach to go deeper and get clear on what this project wants to be.