The Seasons of Creating: How Art Mirrors the Natural Cycle

Just like nature, my creative process moves in seasons. Whether I'm painting abstract works, or developing ideas, my creativity follows a rhythm that ebbs and flows—not always on my schedule.

Understanding where I am in that cycle helps me work with more clarity, more compassion, and ultimately, more sustainability.

Let’s take the example of creating a series of abstract artworks. I might notice that it naturally flows through a kind of inner spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

🌱 Spring: The Spark of a New Series

Spring is that moment when a new idea starts to bloom for me. It might show up as a vague itch, a set of colours in my mind, or a subject I feel drawn to explore. There’s excitement here—tinged with nerves. What will this become?

This is the season for lightness and experimentation. I’m playing with new materials, creating studies, maybe preparing canvases without knowing exactly where it’s all heading. There’s a curiosity in the air. It's a fragile but hopeful time.

☀️ Summer: The Work (and Joy) of Creation

Then comes summer: long days in the studio, music on, brushes out. I’m in the thick of making. Mixing colour. Making decisions about scale and palette. Starting multiple pieces at once and letting instinct take the lead.

But summer isn’t all flow. With that burst of productivity comes challenge. Some pieces stall. I may feel frustration. One work doesn’t go to plan and needs to be painted over or set aside. This is part of it too. Summer is full, demanding, and rewarding—but it’s easy to overdo it if I'm not careful.

🍂 Autumn: The Season of Completion

As the pieces begin to come together, I enter autumn. This is a time for final decisions—finishing marks, resolving composition, and stepping back. Paintings dry. The pace slows a little.

There’s satisfaction, and also vulnerability. I’m preparing to show my work to the world—framing, photographing, uploading to my site or social media, maybe even hanging them in a gallery. There’s pride here, but also uncertainty. Will others connect with what I’ve made?

Letting go is part of this season too: packaging up sold works and shipping them to their new homes.

❄️ Winter: Rest, Reset, and Reflection

After release comes winter. The studio is quieter now. I may feel a mix of emotions—relief, pride, fatigue, even a bit of sadness. The high of creating has passed. This is a time to recharge.

I clean my brushes, sweep the floor, take stock. Maybe I reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Maybe I step away from painting altogether for a while. That’s okay. Rest isn’t a pause from the creative cycle—it’s a vital part of it.

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Every season matters. Spring is playful, summer is alive, autumn is generous, and winter is honest. Knowing which one I’m in doesn’t just guide my process—it helps me trust it.

Want to dig deeper into recognising your creative season? Let’s chat or reply here and let me know what season you're in.