From Elusiveness to Everyday Flow in the Studio

Creative Cycles Tide Chart + Toolkit.

Creative work often feels like a puzzle.

We know it’s there, but we can’t quite grasp it. Some days the ideas come fast, almost unbidden; other days, nothing emerges. For many, this inconsistency breeds guilt, pressure, and burnout. I’ve found that the secret is not in more effort, it’s in ritual and rhythm.

Our energy, focus, and inspiration naturally move in cycles. Some phases are expansive and generative; others are reflective, analytical, or quiet. The challenge is not in creating more, but in noticing these tides and aligning with them. When we honour our cycles, creative work stops being a battle and becomes a conversation with ourselves.

Over years of studio practice, I found that small rituals such as marking where I am in my cycle, noting what tasks feel aligned and creating intentional space have transformed my relationship with my work. Painting, planning, reading, or even walking through the garden became connected threads in a larger pattern, rather than isolated chores.

These observations became the foundation for the Creative Cycles Notion Board and its printed counterpart, available Dec 1st the Creative Cycles Poster. Both are designed to help artists and creatives map their energy, see the flow of their practice and build a sustainable rhythm. They don’t tell you how to work, they remind you to honour where you are.

Syncing with cycles transforms our relationship to our practice through building self-trust, agency and self understanding. It also creates a more nuanced approach to making art and planning projects. Even a few minutes of reflection each day (checking in, noting your energy, deciding whether to create, research, edit, or rest) can bring clarity and focus to studio practice.

What feels overwhelming suddenly has order and what feels blocked opens into possibility.