I was recently asked how to reconcile being an artist and running a creative business in a way that is nurturing and filled with ease. More specifically, the person asking was interested in the business side of creativity and how we can benefit from tapping into feminine energy.
Most of the wonderful artists and creatives I work with love the act of creating or rehearsing their craft. The business side of things however isn’t always as appealing.
They often express a sense of feeling frustrated or going against the grain. The business side of creativity (especially marketing and sales) often feels like a constant uphill battle.
There may be many reasons why this is the case, but giving oneself permission to derail from the common, very masculine way of thinking about business is a common culprit. We tend to think of our goals in a linear manner, hitting deadlines and crossing items off a to-do list. We check monthly stats and review quarterly results.
And while this may suit corporate bankers, I am yet to meet an artist or creative business owner who truly thrived from adopting this model (side note: don’t believe everything you see on Instagram).
I can’t pretend I cracked the code to a happy and ease filled creative business entirely. I have however made some adjustments in the way I work recently, which has had a significant impact on my productivity, wellbeing, and enjoyment of the creative process in general. It started with a simple, yet significant shift.
You and your creative business are living things
I believe your craft or creative business are living things. Just like you. And as such, they follows certain cycles of growth, decline and stagnation. Thinking that you create in a steady, exponential pattern is not only unrealistic but it can also be exhausting and damaging in the long run.
I know this because up to recently, I was making work much harder for myself that I needed to.
I’m not assuming that we are creating in a cabin on top of a mountain completely removed from any civilization. For most of us, our creative work is a way to pay bills, it has to fit into our personal lives, and does indeed come with deadlines.
But within the time available to you to work on your craft, you actually have much more freedom than you realise. There are no rules when it comes to where, how, and when you work. As long as it supports your creativity and wellbeing, there is no reason why the business side of creativity can’t be fun and creative. This requires a certain sense of surrender and play, and becoming more comfortable with experimenting with the unknown.
I’ve found that for myself, thinking of work in relation to cycles as opposed to a linear timeline (that you keep trying to keep up with) was incredibly powerful. In short, I started planning my work around my menstrual
Embracing feminine energy
Over the last 2 years, I have become increasingly fascinated with following the moon cycles. Something about this cyclic feminine energy feels very comforting to me. I love the fact that no matter what happens in our lives, the moon follows a cycle of growth, waning, and rebirth. No matter what comes your way, no matter how badly you screwed up, there will always be a new moon and new possibilities.
My recent health issues and interest in Chinese medicine led me to start becoming equally interested in my menstrual cycle. I started paying attention to my levels of energy throughout the month, and to my dismay realised that I maybe had a week to ten days a month of top performing energy. But digging a little deeper, I started learning about the secret superpowers that come with the different phases of the menstrual cycle.
When you start to understand how your body and hormones work and influence your physical energy, focus and confidence, you can really start tapping into a source of much more subtle but incredibly powerful creative energy.
Now I just want to note that I am a cisgendered female in my 30’s who still experiences a natural menstrual cycle. If you don’t menstruate or if experience irregular cycles, and regardless of your gender, I believe that as an artist or creative entrepreneur, you can still benefit from inviting more feminine energy into your life and work by observing and following the phases of the moon, which mirror the menstrual cycle.
How to apply this to your creative business
I hope I haven’t completely lost you. Please bear with me as I share what this looks like for me. This is by no means an exact science and I will keep refining this as my work and life circumstances evolve.
I divide my week into coaching days and non-coaching days. On the days when I don’t work with clients, I tend to my creative business and own creative projects.
Now, of course, there are some admin or client-related tasks that need to happen regardless of which phase I find myself in, but for the majority of my projects, I am the one who decided by when they need to happen.
Knowing this, I looked at each phase of my cycle, and what my strengths are during each phase, and plan certain tasks according to my strengths in the cycle. I based this on Alissa Vitti’s app MyFlo and the beautiful La Luna La Femme Moon journals. Here is what this looks like for me:
1. Menstrual phase / new moon
This is the Winter equivalent of the cycle, a time for slowing down. It is a great time for self-reflection, analysis and thinking strategically.
What I priositise during this phase:
- I have my monthly “gardening day” (a strategic day dedicated to my creative business during which I review priorities, where I want to go and what I will be working on next.)
- spend more time reading and learning, and see how I can implement the takeaways in my business
- journal on the previous work cycle and think about what I want to invite more of in the future.
2. Follicular Phase / Waxing moon
This is Spring. You feel a sense of reawakening and increased energy. You’re open to new things and your creativity is high. It’s a good time to set intentions for this cycle and thinking big.
What I priositise during this phase:
- brainstorm and draft content
- take pictures for social media
- start new projects and offers
- write copy
- work on my design and branding
3. Ovulation / Full moon
This is Summer. At this point in the cycle, you are magnetic. It is a great time to be social, focus on communication, having important conversations and connect with people. You’ll find you’re at the peak of your confidence during this phase, and in a better place to receive feedback.
What I priositise during this phase:
- recording podcast episodes
- write newsletter
- collaborations and networking
- if you want to do Insta lives or record videos, this is a good time for this
4. Luteal Phase / Waning moon
Welcome to Autumn. This is a time when you’re more likely to be critical of yourself, so try to be kind! In the second part of this phase, start to slow down and focus on nutrition and rest. This time is good for detail-oriented tasks, ticking things off and work on current projects.
What I priositise during this phase:
- work on the foundations of my business: the systems, website maintenance
- edit and schedule content
- perform admin tasks
- finish ongoing projects
Being aware of your strengths in each phase can help you use the time available to you in the most efficient way. What I found too was that each task can become an incredibly fun and creative process. Just like children learn through play, we are much more inspired and therefore efficient when we bring pleasure to work. Think of it like the spoonful of sugar. Mine involves music always, candles, smells, all of which very depending on which phase I find myself in.
Since inviting more feminine energy in my creative business, I have felt more connected to my body and intuition, which allowed me to harness more of my creative power. It’s been a way to be a lot more compassionate towards myself, which has a significant impact on my health and wellbeing. This also freed up a lot of headspace for me, focusing on the task at hand, knowing that everything will get done in due course.
Whatever this may look like for you, why don’t you try to take some time to completely rethink the way you approach the business side of creativity. Try to give yourself permission to experiment what works, letting go of expectations and models you may be following consciously, or unconsciously.
You don’t need to bleed to benefit from the highly creative power of the feminine. You just have to be a beautifully imperfect human willing to honour your internal rhythms. You just need to be willing to challenge the status quo and open yourself up to more ease and flow.
I’d love to know what you find in the process!
This is so fascinating.. it’s amazing how much of the business world is structured around masculine energy and preferences, and how women have it ingrained in them how they can’t possibly be good at certain things – like making money is somehow not feminine.
I’ll be bookmarking this for reference for when my cycle starts.. Have you heard of the new book Do Less by Kate Northrup? I heard her interview in a podcast and she was talking a lot about feminine energy and slow work and her new book.. It’s what got me interested in this whole topic, because I’ve never heard it being talked about before.