Incubation Phase

Still Waters.

There is a phase of the creative process that is not loud, explosive, and shiny. It sneaks up on us quietly, and makes us not. do. anything. We hit a wall.

When things go quiet, we become increasingly uncomfortable the more time passes. We push and pull, go into ‘figuring out mode’ – we research and try looking at it from different angles, we get everyone involved in getting ‘unstuck’… or we walk away, disgusted, finding some other endeavour while we side-eye the ‘actual project’. We probably drink and eat and sleep too much.

We do everything we can to leave this phase & get back into the flow.

One reason we experience this intense discomfort, is because society tells us that if we’re not ‘doing something’, we are ‘bad’. We’re collectively unlearning that concept, so I won’t go into it.

Mostly though, it’s because Flow feels amazing. The Void feels awful. And that’s because we have completely forgotten what it’s like to be in nothingness. Still waters. No movement.

It’s not laziness, it’s just inertia.

It’s not your inability to get stuff done, it’s just not ready yet.

You’re not procrastinating, it’s just your subconscious doing the work.

Some call it ‘incubation phase’. And I absolutely HATE it.

It makes me want to rip my hair out one by one. But time and again I learn that THIS is where magic happens. We just don't often allow ourselves to fully be immersed and wait it out.

So this is me giving you full permission to stay stuck.

The gold is at the bottom of the pond, you just have to let yourself sink all the way down. And watch. Listen. Inspiration WILL come. Just probably not in the shape you expect it to.

You’ll know when you’ve hit gold. It'll be like breaking the surface and taking a breath of fresh air. You'll go into crazy action and make up for all the time spent doing ‘nothing’.

Until then, I dare you not to move a muscle.