Creative Living Isn’t Linear

When I first set out to build a creative life, I thought it might follow a neat, upward path. Do the work, stay consistent, and things will naturally expand. And yes, there’s truth in that. But what I’ve discovered is that creative living isn’t linear at all — it’s more like a spiral.

Last week was a perfect example. One day I felt completely in flow — walking the coastal sculpture trail, filming along the way, enjoying the process of being both present and creative at the same time. The next day I spent hours editing, and while the video came together beautifully, it felt more structured, more effort than flow. Later in the week, creativity showed up in unexpected forms: a simple morning sketch, or even half an hour of admin that cleared space in my head for the next project.

Even the smallest moments taught me something. Stopping for lunch with ocean views reminded me that presence fuels creativity as much as output does. A hot shower after a week without one felt like pure joy — not “productive” in the usual sense, but deeply nourishing. And on the flip side, pushing too hard with video work left me drained, while poor food choices reminded me how much energy and creativity are connected.

This is the spiral. I circle back to the same lessons: honouring my energy, balancing structure with flow, learning when to push and when to pause. Some days I nail it, some days I don’t — but none of it is wasted. Each loop widens the circle, showing me that growth often comes in revisiting familiar ground with new awareness.

Creative living isn’t linear. It’s messy, repetitive, beautiful, and alive. And maybe that’s the point — not to move in a straight line, but to keep circling back, learning a little more each time, and trusting that the spiral is carrying me exactly where I need to go.