cycle-conscious creativity
I used to put a lot of pressure on my creative life to produce equal output nearly every day.
“Five to ten pages a day” is the agreement I set with my creative energy, among other agreements, as if it were a contractor with fixed hours.
After all, I was only mimicking what I knew best. A fixed, repetitive work week. A fixed routine. The fixed systems of discipline and productivity that modern society had programmed me with. It was easy, productive, and efficient - until it wasn’t.
My body often disagreed with this system. Some days, I wrote fifteen pages, exceeding expectations. Other days, five. One. A sentence. Then there were days I didn’t want to write at all. My body protested this pressure with moods, fatigue, cravings, body aches, and my personal favorite: a blank slate of a mind that regressed to toddlerhood and disregarded the concept of language as a whole. In Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird, she describes my inner experience with remarkable accuracy when she quotes Kurt Vonnegut and says, “When I write, I feel like an armless legless man with a crayon in his mouth.”
Needless to say, I sometimes felt at war with myself.
Through trial and error, I began to recognize that I was the problem, not my creative energy. My expectations were unfair, unrealistic, and unkind. I was treating creativity like a 9-5 employee without lunch breaks, instead of honoring it for the sacred ritual it is. A pathway to purpose, not payroll.
I gradually created a new system of productivity for myself that was rooted in intuition. I considered my bandwidth and worldly responsibilities when reframing my expectations. In listening to my body instead of forcing my body to listen to me, I heard the way my energy, focus, and mood shifted from day to day, week to week. I started writing without focusing on a set page number, and if my body didn’t want to write, I switched to editing or outlining instead. When I suffered from writer’s block, I stopped trying to break the blocks down and turned to the Ritual Response - a practice I developed to help me respond to creative blocks, which you can read more about here - or whatever else my body needed, such as play or rest.
If you want to learn more about the power of ritual, then be sure to download my free e-guide, Rituals to Enhance Your Creative Life, where I talk about the Three Pillars of Vitality that are essential to your creative life force.
I used the Ritual Response and other practices before I came across cycle syncing, or as I’ve named it in the context of creative life, cycle-conscious creativity.
Before I dive into this, I want to share what I find most fascinating about my process. Prior to my exposure to the concept of cycle-syncing, by choosing to trust and listen to my intuition and body, I began to naturally align my creative goals, expectations, and expression with my body’s cycle. This is why as women, it is essential we nurture our intuitive abilities and bodily wisdom, which are vital for our creative life. It’s just as important that we become conscious of and educated about our bodily systems and cycles, as this cyclical awareness will only serve to empower us.
What I didn’t know for most of my life, and sadly what many women don’t know, is that the mundane, repetitive 9-5 work week, and almost all systems of productivity, are more suited to a man’s physiology than a woman’s. In other words, they don’t take into consideration the physiological and psychological needs of women. These are systems that generally operate on a repetitive, 24-hour cycle. Men’s bodies function on a 24-hour circadian cycle. Women’s bodies, on the other hand, function on a 28 day (give or take a few) infradian cycle. This means our energy, mood, cognition, and physical performance fluctuates over the course of a month as a result of shifting hormones across the menstrual cycle. So it’s unfair to expect ourselves to show up with equal energy, focus, and output every single day.
Now this doesn’t mean we stop going to work and school, and start rejecting all productivity systems. I’m not saying these systems are inherently bad. They certainly have value, and we can all benefit from them in various ways. What I am saying is that it’s time to start changing our relationships with these systems.
Cycle syncing is the practice of aligning your lifestyle with the various phases of your menstrual cycle, with the intention of optimizing your well-being.
I recognize that women’s bodies and cycles come in many forms.
While some women experience a typical menstrual cycle, others have irregular cycles, no longer menstruate, don’t menstruate at all, or don’t have a uterus. Regardless of your cycle, an alternative approach to cycle-conscious creativity involves using the phases of the moon as a creative or energetic framework. The moon’s cycle averages 29.5 days, which closely mirrors the menstrual cycle. I’ll be referencing the moon’s phases throughout this post as an alternative rhythm to align your creative flow with.
Since my focus here is creativity, I’ll reframe the definition of cycle syncing for the creative context: cycle-conscious creativity is the practice of aligning your creative goals with the various phases of your menstrual cycle and/or the moon’s cycle, with the intention of optimizing your creative life force.
God divinely designed a woman’s body with a system that reflects balance between “doing” and “being,” action and rest. Many earthly and cosmic systems reflect this same design and divinity. To learn more about the power of the creative feminine, you can read my blog post here.
The Menstrual Cycle
The Menstrual Phase (Days 1-5) - New Moon
The Follicular Phase (Days 1-14) - Waxing Moon
Ovulation (Days 13-15) - Full Moon
The Luteal Phase (Days 16-28) - Waning Moon
While there are several hormones at play throughout the menstrual cycle, I’m going to briefly touch upon the two headline hormones of estrogen and progesterone.
In short, estrogen plays a role in boosting energy, mood, and motivation, as well as supporting brain functions such as focus and memory. Progesterone balances out estrogen by providing a calming, soothing effect, and can also cause bloating and slower digestion. Their levels fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, which can impact our creative life force.
The Menstrual Phase (Days 1-5) - New Moon
Hormones: Both estrogen and progesterone are low.
During the menstrual phase, you might experience fatigue, low energy, increased sensitivity, and physical pain and discomfort (such as cramps and body aches). You might notice you feel more withdrawn, craving rest and solitude rather than social engagement.
Remember that your relationship with creativity, as well as your creative goals and expectations, are dynamic. They change as the needs of your mind and body change.
The menstrual phase is a good time to slow down and rest. Consider taking a day or two, or three, off from engaging in your creative work, and instead turn to rest, reflection, and journaling. If you choose to continue working on your creative projects, then at minimum ease your expectations during this time. When I write during my menstrual phase, especially days one and two, where I experience a heavier flow and cramping, I might write one page and call it a day. Or else, I’ll shift my focus to editing and outlining. Often, I’ll turn to reading as a source of relaxation and inspiration. This stage is not about “doing” but “being,” and returning to your inner self.
Like the new moon, often referred to as the dark moon, this is a time of stillness, listening, rest, reflection, and renewal. Here, the moon reminds us of the importance of new beginnings and transitions. To slow down and contemplate before it’s time to build momentum once more. The new moon symbolizes a new level of consciousness that will continue to transform our ever-changing creative life force.
The Follicular Phase (Days 1-14) - Waxing Moon
Hormones: Estrogen is steadily rising and progesterone is still low.
The beginning of the follicular phase overlaps with the menstrual phase. Throughout the follicular phase, your creative life force strengthens as energy and ideas grow and blossom. Ideas might emerge for an existing or new creative project/pursuit. You’ll start to feel less tired, more energized, and more playful and creative. You’re transitioning into the “doing” state, and your creative energy is ready for outward expression. This is a good time to actively brainstorm, plan, and initiate projects.
Like the waxing moon that begins to grow and take shape, this is a time of building energy and momentum, of developing ideas, and taking action toward creative goals. The steady course of the moon is a sign that we too must be steady and reasonable in our creative pursuits. As the moon grows, so does our creative energy.
Ovulation (Days 13-15) - Full Moon
Hormones: Estrogen peaks and progesterone begins to rise.
During ovulation, your creative life force is at its peak. It is peak “doing.” Your energy is highest, alongside confidence, connection, magnetism, and expressiveness. Because creativity and energy are at their greatest, your ideas may flow like water in a stream.
This is a time to continue riding the wave of your creative life force. Continue working on your creative projects. With connection being a central theme during ovulation, this can also be a good time to discuss or share your creative work and ideas with others - if comfortable.
The full moon is radiant and abundant. It symbolizes peak potentials and possibilities. Its presence reminds us to appreciate and enjoy the high points in life, and to be fully present in them. Just as the full moon wholly illuminates the night sky and serves as a guiding light, our creative life force can shine through our vessel and guide us to our highest, most creative self.
The Luteal Phase (Days 16-28) - Waning Moon
Hormones: Estrogen is moderate to high mid-phase, and progesterone is high mid-phase. Then both drop before menstruation.
The luteal phase consists of an early stage and a late stage. In the early stage, estrogen and progesterone are relatively high, so you’ll likely be carrying forward with your creative streak. The late stage is what’s commonly referred to as PMS, or Premenstrual Syndrome. It’s around this time when both estrogen and progesterone drop to low levels before menstruation. In the late stage is when you might start experiencing low mood and energy, increased sensitivity, bloating, body aches, irritability, and the urge to withdraw.
It might be useful to use the early stage of the luteal phase to prepare for the late stage, as well as for the menstrual phase. Maybe it’s time to finish a creative project or divide it up into parts so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. Plan soothing rituals that promote rest and reflection, and reframe your creative goals and expectations.
The waning moon reminds us to wind down, release, and let go as the cycle prepares to reset. It is time to gently prepare and once again shift from “doing” to “being,” to harvest our creative life force. With every ending comes a new beginning, with every return comes a renewal.
It’s important to remember that every woman’s body is different. While one woman may need more creative rest during their menstrual phase, another woman may be in a state of creative flow. Ovulation can be a time of peak creativity for some, and a low point for others. I’ve experienced both the need for creative rest and creative flow across all phases of my menstrual cycle. Regardless of the variations, cycle-conscious creativity continues to serve as a helpful framework for my creative life. It’s important to discover what is “normal” for your body, and to honor its needs.
I want to draw your attention to the number four for a moment. In Jungian psychology, the number four is a powerful symbol for wholeness and the authentic Self. Four represents balance and unity. You’ll find similar associations with this number across many cultural and spiritual traditions. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that the menstrual cycle and the phases of the moon (not to mention the four seasons, the four elements, the four cardinal directions, the four stages of consciousness in Sufism) adhere to the concept of quaternity, a four-part structure.
Therefore, through an archetypal lens, cycle-conscious creativity (whether through the body’s cycle, the moon’s cycle, or other earthly and cosmic cycles) points to the wholeness of the psyche and a circular path of creative integration.
Whichever cycle you choose to align your creativity with, may it serve as a reminder that your creative life force, and life itself, is cyclical, not linear.
