The Creative Cycle: Why You Keep Abandoning Projects (And What to Do Instead)
If you’ve ever:
Started a project and abandoned it halfway through
Felt wildly inspired one week and completely dry the next
Burned yourself out trying to stay “consistent”
Wondered why your creativity feels unpredictable
You’re not inconsistent.
You’re cyclical.
We talk often about how the moon is cyclical.
How the seasons are cyclical.
How the body is cyclical.
But what many of us were never taught is this:
Creativity is cyclical too.
And when we try to force it into a linear productivity model, burnout is almost inevitable.
The Real Problem: We Were Taught to Create Linearly
Most of us learned to create like this:
Start.
Push.
Finish.
Produce.
Repeat.
But the nervous system doesn’t operate linearly.
Hormones don’t operate linearly.
Nature doesn’t operate linearly.
So when we expect ourselves to show up with the same energy every single day, what usually happens?
Self-doubt
Exhaustion
Creative shutdown
What changed everything for me was realizing that creativity actually moves through four predictable phases:
Pause.
Action.
Illumination.
Maturation.
When I began honoring these phases instead of fighting them, I started creating slower — and somehow producing more.
My Creative Turning Point
At the end of 2023, my primary creative outlet was my business. I was hosting retreats. Building. Producing.
But something felt misaligned.
So I entered a pause.
That winter, I went deep into breathwork and somatic therapy. And in the quiet space that followed, something unexpected began happening:
Images.
Songs.
Ideas.
Urges to create.
At first, I ignored them. I told myself I was too busy. That it wasn’t practical.
But eventually the pull became undeniable.
I found a creative mentor. I made space. And when I did, it felt like a dam broke.
Songs. Poems. Visual art.
I had to start an idea notebook just to capture what was coming through.
Through parts work, I met the part of me that loves control and management. When I asked her what she truly wanted, she said:
“I just want to create.”
Fast forward to now:
Six studio art classes
A released song and music video
Countless drawings and paintings
And the most surprising part?
I work at a slower pace now — and I’ve created more than ever before.
That’s the power of cyclical creativity.
The 4 Phases of the Creative Cycle
Let’s break it down in a practical way.
1. The Pause Phase
(Rest + Incubation)
This is the phase most people resist.
It looks like:
Rest
Space
Stepping away
Daydreaming
Brainstorming without committing
But creativity needs space.
Neuroscience shows that our best ideas often arise when the brain’s “default mode network” is active — when we’re resting or disengaged from active problem-solving.
If you’re constantly in go-go-go mode, there’s no room for inspiration to land.
Pause is not laziness.
It’s incubation.
Sometimes this looks like stepping away from a project midstream. Clearing your calendar. Nourishing your body. Letting ideas simmer.
Without pause, there is no depth.
2. The Action Phase
(Initiation + Momentum)
This is where fresh energy rises.
It looks like:
Researching
Sketching
Experimenting
Meeting collaborators
Taking small, consistent steps
But this phase is tender.
New ideas are like seedlings. If you invite harsh criticism too early, the idea can get crushed before it roots.
This phase requires curiosity more than perfection.
Momentum builds through small aligned action — not pressure.
And culturally, this is the only phase we tend to value.
But it’s only one quarter of the cycle.
3. The Illumination Phase
(Visibility + Expression)
This is the peak.
The blooming.
The sharing.
This is when we allow ourselves to be seen.
And being seen can activate something primal.
In one of my early studio critiques, my hands were trembling as I shared a drawing from my imagination. Another time, I stood in front of my class wearing a sculptural menstrual cycle dress I had created — trembling again.
From an evolutionary perspective, many eyes on you once meant danger.
So if your nervous system flares when you share your work — that makes sense.
But sharing your art is also an act of service.
When I’ve shared from authenticity instead of performance, my work has been deeply received.
This phase may look like:
Launching
Finishing
Collaborating
Completing a milestone
Taking yourself on an artist date
It’s culmination energy.
4. The Maturation Phase
(Refinement + Completion)
This is my growth edge.
This phase is about:
Editing
Refining
Closing loops
Finishing what you started
It’s where you become aware of what isn’t working.
Instead of starting something new — even if brilliant ideas arise — this phase asks you to complete what’s already in motion.
Without maturation, cycles stay open.
And open cycles drain energy.
Completion creates space.
And space allows the next pause to begin.
Why This Framework Changes Everything
When you understand where you are in the creative cycle, the question shifts from:
“What’s wrong with me?”
To:
“Where am I in the rhythm?”
Creativity isn’t random.
It’s rhythmic.
Your hormonal shifts influence:
Energy
Verbal fluency
Risk tolerance
Focus
Social capacity
You were never meant to create the same way every day.
You were meant to create cyclically.
A Gentle Invitation
Take a moment and ask yourself:
Where am I right now?
In pause?
In action?
In illumination?
In maturation?
Instead of forcing yourself forward, what would it feel like to cooperate with your current phase?
If you’d like deeper guidance in aligning your creativity, healing work, and nervous system regulation with your body’s natural rhythms, I created something for you.
🤲🏼🌹 Resource: The Cycle Support Map
The Cycle Support Map is a practical guide to understanding your inner seasons and working with them intentionally.
Inside, you’ll learn:
What each phase of your cycle supports
When to rest, initiate, share, or complete
How to reduce burnout
How to increase sustainable creative flow
It’s best to begin on the first day of your bleed or at the start of a new lunar cycle — but you can enter at any time and simply notice where you are.
You can access the Cycle Support Map here:
You were born to create.
Not in a straight line.
But in a spiral.
May you settle into the unique rhythm of you, your becoming.