Seasonal Flux
every one is different for our artists
We are creatures affected by weather and the seasons. Our mood and ability to create are influenced by the forces of nature. Being outside in nature has a sway on our mood and energy. Most of my clients feel a deep connection with nature.Â
What about your artist? How does your artist respond to the seasons?Â
I like to think of winter as writing season. It feels easier to focus in winter. I often write my books during the dark months.Â
Summer is when my illustrator likes to come out. The colors, textures, and flavors of summer engage my senses. The garden gives me a state of endless wonder and delight right in my backyard.Â
Illustrator and children’s book author Melissa Eggleston has clear seasonal parameters. Summer is a very stimulating season for her when she enjoys creating in her gardens and taking day trips with family or friends. She jots down ideas and sketches but does not spend as much time in her studio. It is a time of inspiration and nourishment to fuel her more introspective winter months.
The artist manual you are developing here could be seen as a sort of seasonal almanac for your art. Instead of listing the moon's phases and the planets' position, your almanac guides your best practices.Â
Go with your seasonal flow instead of thinking you should always be ‘on.’
INVITATIONÂ
Map your creativity along the calendar year, according to the seasons. When is your dormancy period? When do you feel most active and focused? See how the seasons are reflected in your work style and subject.Â
Affirmation: I know and respect my seasonal rhythms.Â
In the comments: What does your artist love or loathe about each season? Which seasons make it easier to create and which seasons shut down your creative juice?Â
I keep wanting to "winter," to shut down and absorb. But it can actually be a productive time for me. I get spring fever in the spring and want to get out and about. Summer in San Francisco is paradoxical ... colder and grayer than many summer days. I get depressed and cranky. To find sunshine I have to go somewhere else, maybe just an hour away, but still an interruption. I'm not one to write in coffee shops. My desk is where everything is. So going somewhere else is not a productive adaptation.
Seasons may not be the best lens to for thinking about my productivity.
When I was knitting it was like this:
Winter = Plan and knit
Spring = Knit and teach
Summer = Relax and travel
Fall = Publish and teach
I'm finding new seasons now for being retired from my biz and making comics and art instead of knitting patterns. I'm still discovering what that will look like.
Also this is a beautiful watercolor! I love all the art you share as part of this class.