The Seasons of Creativity

How do the four seasons grant us the ingredients required in the creative process?

They offer room for hibernation, dormancy, rest, rejuvenation, growth, fruitfulness, and abundance.

By experimenting, working within the seasons, can be a way to find personal balance.

by Laurie Richardone

Summer is a vibrant season, usually offering long hours of sunlight. It can be a very creative time to immerse yourself in developing a body of work. A beautiful truth is everyone has unique gifts to offer. All of us have a creative side.

It can be expressed in myriad ways: such as writing, innovative thinking, cooking, teaching, and artistically, to name a few.

The great news is that no creative season has to happen alongside nature’s four seasons. It’s possible to feel symptoms of winter in the height of summer. Lean into your own personal creative season. Give yourself permission to allow your own goals, actions and otherwise to reflect with your internal rhythm.

Ask yourself what goals you would like to achieve in each season?

If it isn’t clear right away, I find journaling and taking notes helpful. In addition, removing myself from distractions helps to find the balance between presence and creativity.

Embracing the cycles of our own process with a gentle open heart is paramount.

We’re often unable or reluctant to recognize these. How often have we blamed ourselves for not being creative or productive at a particular time?

How often have we tried to rush on with something, only to quickly come to a halt?

We have all had times when ideas seemed to come out of the blue, or when you found a richer, deeper vein of thought in something that you’d only started to scratch the surface of.

Find a way that’s natural and intuitive for you to store your ideas, it might be using a piece of software, a simple notebook, a vision board or some other method.

I have created what I call an idea garden:

It’s a place to park your ideas. But it’s not just about planting your ideas somewhere — these seeds need sun and water, as it were. Without getting the energy and attention they need, they’ll become just more ideas that never see the light of day. Tend the idea garden and nurture your ideas. Much of the time they link to other ideas, that can be surprising and delightful.

Tips To Inspire The Creative Process

Reading regularly: Exploring new concepts, and learning new methods and techniques. You will be sure to walk away with some insight or inspiration.

Writing: Try recording your thoughts in a journal at the end of each day. Writing has encouraged me to think critically about my daily experiences and ideas.

Exercise: Taking care of your physical and mental health can help put you in an optimal position to practice and apply creative thinking. Try a 20 minute walk in nature to wake up the creative juices.

Cooking: You might have heard the expression; chop wood carry water, I translate that to chopping garlic, and spring onions.

This is a phrase that stems from Zen Buddhism: It goes something like this ~

“Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water” Simply put, it teaches us to slow down, be present: so that we can hear that sometimes faint voice nudging us to create something wonderful and unexpected.

Speaking of cooking: A scrumptious salad with one of May and June’s super foods, raspberries. Add them to dishes this season for a touch of tart and sweet flavors.

These delicate fruits have potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, and a mineral called manganese that help our bodies thrive.

I recommend getting organic berries, as conventional berries are sprayed with pesticides.

To your good health

If you are a curious cook or person, join me on my Podcast A taste for All Seasons

An exploration of food, health, and seasonal living. As always, I share a recipe, cooking tips, and seasonal essentials that will inspire you in the kitchen. All recipes at laurierichardone.com

You can listen to all shows, on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, and LaurieRichardone.com

We talk to farmers, wellness experts, and artisans where you can learn how to cook & live within the wisdom of the seasons.

Laurie Richardone is a seasonal gluten free chef and

certified health coach. To work with Laurie, visit LaurieRichardone.com