Living in Creative Cycles: Ritual, Rhythm, and Digital Space

Collage by Claire Lefebvre

Our culture values constant productivity.

It can be difficult to remember that creativity is inherently cyclical. Like the turning of seasons or the waxing and waning of the moon, our creative lives move through distinct phases: inspiration, expression, rest, and renewal. Each is essential, yet only the visible outputs (finished works, polished ideas) are celebrated.

The Mythic Nature of Creativity

After two decades of painting, writing and teaching, I’ve seen how vital it is to create space for all parts of the cycle. The quieter phases (reflection, gestation, and integration) are where the deepest transformations happen. When we slow down enough to listen, our work begins to feel less like a performance and more like a relationship: alive, unpredictable, and deeply rooted in the rhythms of life.

Translating Rhythm and Ritual into Digital Tools

I deeply believe in devotion over discipline. Over the past year, I’ve been exploring the translation of this philosophy into a digital context. How can a tool for organising and planning also feel like a supportive sanctuary? How can a daily workspace invite ritual, reflection, and a sense of sacredness?

Designing a Notion Board for Creative Cycles

The result is a Notion board I designed for myself and have now, after much research and development, decided to share with my community. I wanted it to feel like a space that feels less like an app and more like a studio table or altar. It is an experiment in weaving mythic imagery, seasonal wisdom, and digital planning together. There are pages dedicated to different phases of the creative cycle, spaces for poetry, tarot, and nature journaling, and a dashboard that feels like a map or a tide chart rather than a checklist.

Inviting a Different Relationship with Creativity

Rather than imposing order, this space is meant to reflect the truth of how creativity actually moves: with ebbs and flows, bursts of energy, and necessary pauses.

I’ll be sharing more soon, but for now, I invite you to consider: what would it feel like to honour your creative rhythms instead of resisting them? How might your work change if your digital tools felt like an invitation rather than a demand?

If you’re curious about your own creative cycles and about how this tool could help you revive your practice, see here.