Funks. Spring Rituals (potions NOT included) and Making Space

Welcoming spring….FINALLY

Last week when we officially welcomed spring with open arms (more like with an exasperated "FINALLY. Where have you been?!"), I started thinking about seasons and how it relates to our lifestyle and of course....creativity.

How it relates to creativity was a top of mind for a few reasons...the most glaringly obvious one being that I've been in a creative funk lately. And up until a few days ago I was getting totally impatient and frustrated with this funk that had been lingering for too long.

I wished the weekend away at my best friend's would do the trick, especially since it was bookended by a 6 hour drive each way with just me, my playlists and podcasts (It's my once a year solo road trip and I cherish it). I begged for music, painting, painting while dancing, naps and extra Zzzz to do the trick. They all helped in their own way of course. But I still couldn't shake the unfocused energy.

Thinking about this shift in season to spring and how it represents things like renewal and rejuvenation, I was curious to find out if some sort of ritual or "cleansing" might be the elixir I was looking for to eliminate this funk.

Were 3, soon to be going on 4 months into 2019. By this point it's fair to say the tasks, projects, ideas and information in our life, business and work has accumulated. Our calendars might be more full than they were at the beginning of the year as plans solidified. Our queue of podcasts, books and information we're consuming has expanded as we've pursued our curiosity, desire for mastery or because we somehow found ourself in 3 different book clubs at once.

At a certain point this accumulation can begin to feel heavy.

Maybe too much has accumulated and we're feeling burned out or unfocused. Maybe what's accumulated no longer fits us, our curiosity or what we're creating. Maybe what we accumulated made sense in January, but it doesn't make sense for right now.

This week I've been doing some spring cleaning, but not the kind that involves mops and window cleaner.

Spring Cleaning List Creativity Spring cleaning for business revel in the mess creativity coaching.png

The kind that involves making decisions on the ideas + projects I've accumulated so far. Deciding which ones I'm excited about and want to continue following through on. Deciding which ones I need to hit pause on. And deciding which ones I need to let go of. I know that for me too many ideas, even if they're all nicely organized and serve a purpose begin to feel draining.

The kind that involves reorganizing my office and moving my desk to the other side of the room, just because it's always felt good to re-arrange furniture.

The kind that involves clearing out the ebooks, unread emails, downloaded pdfs, podcasts and books I have in my reading/listening que. Because chances are if I haven't made time for them by now, it's unlikely I will in the next few months.

The kind that involves putting up some new artwork and quotes.

The kind that involves cleaning out my desk drawer and realizing just how many black sharpies I've been hoarding (note to self: do not buy anymore sharpies in the next year...or few months anyway).

The kind that involves looking at my calendar and seeing if the plans I made still make sense and if I need more empty space in there. 

The kind that involves finally checking off those pesky lingering tasks that I've been procrastinating on for a time span that's so long, I'm too embarrassed to admit exactly how long it has been. (a.k.a. returning the Dentist's call to book the appointment).

Maybe it just needed some time. Maybe it was the "cleansing". Maybe it was a combination of all of the above. But the "funk" is mostly gone and I think there is something to being in sync with the seasons.

Do you have any rituals or practices to transition into a new season? Any spring cleaning on your agenda or are you too busy plotting summer plans and daydreaming about walking to go get a cone of strawberry sorbet? I'm curious to hear your take on being in sync with the seasons and what practices work for you. Share in the comments below.