Creative Process: Phoenix Fire Renewal

We may be cruising along and then suddenly, poof, we lose our passion. We may have lost the thread, becoming confused, bored, irritated, depressed, or visionless. We may have lost our spark. Where does it go?

You just might be in the natural waning phase of the creative cycle, a great time to make a clear space for what comes next. This can be literal cleanup of your studio or workspace. Or asking: What’s clogging the system? Where do I have energy leaks? What’s pulling focus from my stated projects? What’s not working that I can release?

We can count on the Phoenix within, the firebird who knows when it’s time to go into destruction / creation mode for renewal. Remember Fawkes the Phoenix in Harry Potter, who knew when to die and be reborn out of the ashes?

First, gather all the kindling: outgrown habits, unproductive patterns, soul-sucking relationships, unsalvageable projects, and limiting beliefs. Make a transformative fire.

Ritualize this by writing things you want to let go of on bits of paper. Literally burn and release them into ash. You may scatter that ash to the winds, release it on moving water, or bury it.

That empty space must be filled in right away with your own most loving energy as a welcoming nest for your passion and inner spark.

Ask yourself or ask a trusted friend to show you:

What people, places, things make me come alive?

What are my core values, what’s important to me?

What keeps me from embodying my core values?

Journal and reflect and re-member who you are. Then commit to taking baby steps to live more true to your core values. Write a story, make a collage, string a dance together, sing a new song about what makes you come alive. It can be helpful to play in something other than your usual medium or mode of expression. Let the renewal energy live in your creative actions and move in your life as you begin a new creative cycle.