Creative Cycles

Star Pose (aka Diamond Pose)
21 x 28.4 cm
Pencil on Canson sketching paper
© Cherry Jeffs 2013

Artist Goes into Hibernation

I've got first hand experience of the havoc that the seasons can wreak on our creative practice. As soon as the long nights and the temperature in my studio plummets, my bear instinct takes over and I just want to retire to a warm cave with a big pile of juicy bamboo shoots and not come out until March.

Happily, having to brave the elements and go teach Yoga, has the double effect of keeping me out of my cave on weekdays and providing an ongoing source of creative inspiration. It doesn't stop me hating winter, but at least my circulation keeps moving and when I just cant't cope any more, I get into one of my favourite forward fold postures like the one in the drawing and just pretend I'm in my cave ;)

How do the seasons affect your creative life? Do share in the comments below.

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I dedicate a whole chapter to creative rhythms and cycles in my book on Creative Block - contact me if you would like a review copy.