Do You Know Your Creative Cycles?

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “know your creative cycles”?

“Cycles” remind me that nature breathes new life in different seasons. Similarly, you follow that pattern when creating anything. There is a specific time for a specific activity.

Every creative discovers their own cycle. If you conduct a quick Google search, you will a variety of perspectives. However, there are some common denominators that involve three major phases:

  • Time to consume information or explore new interests
  • Going on hermit mode and integrating what you consumed
  • Time to create and share (if you’re called to share)

There’s no ‘one size fits all’. Not every cycle is meant for creation. There is no set timeline for each phase of your personal process. Only you determine where you are and when it’s time to move to the next part.

Heck. Your creative cycles might not even sound like the ones listed above.

There might be long periods of contemplation where it looks as if “you’re not doing anything”. As Austin Kleon puts it, “I’m not languishing, I’m dormant”. This stage is as important as any other to create.

It’s a matter of asking yourself: What do I know about my creative cycles?

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Little Things Are Not So Little

Everything you do, everything you say has an impact.

No matter how ‘little it seems’.

You might never know for sure, but that thing you’re doing and are sharing online does have an audience. It might be silent at first. They may choose to not interact with your creation. However, the impact is there. There might be a change in their thoughts because of you.

Never underestimate the power of ‘little things’.

Keep creating.

Create for You First

For all creators out there.

Remember: Create for YOU first.

The beauty of creation lies not in universal acceptance, but in the courage to express what is uniquely yours.

The value of your work is not measured by the number of eyes that behold it, but by the depth of feeling it stir in you and, eventually, in those who find a reflection of their own untold stories within it.

Create. Repeat.

 

Happy leap day!

Planting Seeds As Creative Process

Planting seeds in the creative process is a major responsibility. It is the core essence of any endeavour that involves creation. Every effort is significant and paramount for further steps.

It’s also an act of faith. It’s believing that a small idea that was born in the abstract can turn into a tangible form for the world to use or experience.

However, the process itself is invisible to your eyes. The seeds you plant today will grow at their own pace and in the darkness. Brian Eno, musician, composer, record producer and visual artist, has an invaluable take:

My kind of composing is more like the work of a gardener. The gardener takes his seeds and scatters them, knowing what he is planting but not quite what will grow, where, and when.

Quote taken from improvisedlife.com

Not knowing is the aspect that causes the most uncertainty. This is the part where it’s tempting to abandon a creation and move on to a different endeavour. It’s difficult to continue when conditions are, at first glance, discouraging.

While the seeds metaphor is subject to multiple interpretations, the common denominator is to remind the gardener or the creator that growth will take place sooner or later. Every little step compounds to a result, and the waiting process can be satisfying and joyful.

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20 great things about 2023

A great year is ending. Since 2020, I’ve been posting 20 things that have been making my year wonderful.

I’m really pleased to see that there’s a little bit of everything. This time, even food made it. Whoa. At the end of the day, experiences are what matters most. I’m glad I could capture most of them.

So here’s 20 great things about 2023.

  1. Celebrating my son’s second birthday
  2. Having my mom around for two months
  3. Creating art with my mom
  4. Playing my mom’s favourite childhood game with her
  5. Writing 100 pages of my new book
  6. Having fun in my writing classes and meeting some great and inspiring women.
  7. Seeing Depeche Mode live for the third time in my lifetime.
  8. This specific video from the concert. You can actually hear me scream!
  9. Enjoying Memento Mori, especially My Favourite Stranger and Soul with Me.
  10. Reading Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
  11. Reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle
  12. Getting to know Kurt Kobain through his personal diaries
  13. Trips to the zoo on Sundays
  14. Paul McCartney’s lyrics
  15. Tuna and salmon poke bowl
  16. Janet Jackson’s music
  17. Rediscovering some old songs I’ve always loved: Happy Together, Kiss the Rain, I Can Dream About You, The Hustle, Reasons, Hold Me Now, Don’t You Forget About Me.
  18. Sade’s music. Anything she sings is powerful.
  19. Alicia Keys’ music
  20. Discovering Neo Soul and Nu Urban Jazz.

Layers of Feedback: Going Beyond Someone Else’s Comments

Feedback has many layers. It’s easy to associate this word with what other people think about our work, our ideas, our performance and so on. It causes a certain level of nervousness as observations are presented in a way that you might not be ready to face yet.

I recently came across this illustrative quote:

Feedback is not a judgment of your worth or talent, but a way to help you grow and achieve your goals.

AI and the LinkedIn Community

One of my favourite authors once shared a comment someone posted on Twitter regarding his brand new book at the time. “This book is bad. I didn’t read it, but I just know it’s bad.” Yep. There’s always someone…

This example is a reminder that you always get to decide how feedback impacts you and whether you take it or not.

On the other hand, if you think about it, other layers of feedback can be found within you, and they can give you clues about yourself. It’s not always about someone else’s comments. It also involves the environment where you’re creating your best work. The times when you feel your best self or even your worst.

Feedback is also in the quality of the contents you consume everyday. It is in your recurring thoughts. It is in your own body.

Are you noticing what all those different internal aspects are telling you?

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Failure Culture: Reframing Mistakes to Grow As a Professional

Failure culture is an uncomfortable topic in any professional setting. Even if you are an entrepreneur. There’s an inner voice that constantly says “you can’t afford mistakes”, “defeat is not an option.” There’s a constant pressure to succeed almost flawlessly.

If you were to reframe failure, though, your work would gain more depth. In any creative process, missteps, ups and downs, and losses are bound to happen. That’s the nature of any initiative.

I remember the time when I was discussing marketing strategies with a former manager. We were going to launch a new product, and we had clear goals to reach. As we were wrapping up our meeting, I said: “If some parts of the strategy don’t go as planned, then we’ll learn a lot.” His response was unforgettable: “Yeah, but let’s try not to make any mistakes. We can’t do that.”

Failure culture is almost taboo. After careful planning and investment of time and resources into a business, why would you welcome it? You are aiming for great results. However, it’s worth reflecting on two key factors: the input that learning experiences can provide and the idea of embracing discomfort to grow as a person and as a professional.

As President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: “a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

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Momentum as a Mindset: Make it a Habit and Become Unstoppable

Momentum is a mindset. It goes beyond the sum of actions to produce a desired result. It’s a habit. It’s a commitment to create impact for the long term. At the same time, it’s hard to find a precise definition. Paraphrasing Solomon Timothy, this concept can be a broad term whose meaning varies depending on the context.

In sports, it’s a great play or a struck of luck. In music, it’s taking a basic idea and eventually turn into a structured song. The best example that comes to mind is Paul McCartney composing Get Back out of the blue.

While Paul makes it look easy, it is important to state that building momentum may take longer than expected. Dan Cumberland, author of The Meaning Manifesto, uses a great analogy to explain how the process works. I’m breaking it into four bits:

  1. Momentum is like a merry-go-round: it will take a good amount of force to get it moving.
  2. You have to push with everything you have to get the first few inches of rotation.
  3. As it gains speed, less force is required to keep it moving.
  4. Once you have momentum, it is much easier to keep going.

It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop, as philosopher Confucius once said. That’s why starting small is a great decision.

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Salir del Hoyo #LetrasDesnudas

Normalmente soy de sueño pesado. La única vez que me desperté a horas que no son de Dios fue ese jueves maldito.
Abrí los ojos nomás porque sí. Mi despertador marcaba las 2:10 AM. Era como si estuviera listísima para empezar el día. Como que mi cuerpo sentía que ya era hora de moverse.
Luego me acordé de un dicho pedorro que dice que cuando te despiertas en la madrugada es porque un muerto te está viendo. Justo estaba pensando en eso cuando vi que Marcela, mi roomie, estaba sentada en mi cama. Me sacó un pedote pero no le pude ni reclamar.
Estaba cabizbaja. Sus cabellos largos le tapaban el rostro. Balbuceaba algo pero no le entendía nada. Quería hablarle pero no me salía la voz. Nunca la había visto tan desangelada. Alguna vez platicamos del divorcio de sus padres, de cuando se cortaba para sentirse viva o de cuando se le pasaba la mano con los antidepresivos.
Todos fueron episodios muy duros, pero siempre encontrábamos la forma de carcajearnos de nuevo o de hacer el asunto más ameno. Esta vez era otro nivel de tristeza. Me dieron muchísimas ganas de llorar al verla derrotada en su pijama blanca y sin expresión.
“Ayúdame.” Por fin la escuché con claridad.
“Sí, aquí estoy.”
“Ayúdame a salir del hoyo.”
Me miró y la desconocí. Su cara estaba toda moreteada. Alcanzaba a distinguir esos golpes por la luz de luna que entraba por la ventana.
Cuando me acordé que Marcela se había ido de viaje hace unas horas, me empezó la taquicardia bien cabrón y empecé a sentir frío como nunca en mi vida. Grité con todo mi ser y ella me regresó el grito diez veces más fuerte. Ver sus dientes chuecos me hizo dar un salto de rana donde terminé aterrizando frente a mi escritorio. Agarré el celular para marcar el número de emergencia, pero Marcela desapareció.
Esperé a que se me pasara el jadeo. Si marcaba, no me iban a entender. Creí que se me iba a salir el corazón por la boca, pero no. Algún tiempo después, mis manos recuperaron la destreza para volver a tomar el celular y en mi pantalla había una notificación de la aplicación de noticias: “Accidente en Carretera Deja Al Menos 15 Muertos.”
Por inercia leí la nota, que prevenía al lector por las imágenes fuertes que presentaba. Cuando encontré a Marcela moreteada, vomité tanto que perdí la conciencia.
Hasta le fecha, sigo tratando de encontrar una manera de ayudarla a salir del hoyo. Pero ahora que vivo en un cuartito de paredes acolchonadas con puerta de acero, está más cabrón.
Los textos de este blog pertenecen a la autora Alicia Strathern.

Producing Your Most Impactful Work

This Instagram post made me thoughtful and nostalgic at the same time:

Why does it feel like that layout made us more productive?

Maybe it’s because it felt more personal and inspiring. There were still a lot of analogue elements to interact with. These days, technology is more minimalist. Plus, work is result oriented and less fun oriented.

What are your thoughts?