The Winter Shift: Maintaining Creativity in The Months That Make You Want to Curl up in Fetal Position

Winter creeps in slowly, draping the world in gray light, longer nights, and a magnetic pull toward blankets and hot drinks. 

Despite the joy of the holidays, this season can feel like a challenge. Energy dips, motivation wanes, and the usual spark of inspiration seems to hide beneath layers of cold air and early sunsets.

But winter isn’t a death sentence for creativity. It just requires a different rhythm and level of focus. Just like the seasons outside, our bodies, minds, and hormonal cycles follow natural ebbs and flows. This is a time for slowing down, reflecting, and working in ways that honor your internal seasons instead of fighting against them.

Winter is also very similar to the luteal and menstrual phases of the cycle: a natural invitation to rest, turn inward, and nurture ideas rather than push them out at full force. Creativity during these months asks you to produce with intention: to capture small sparks instead of chasing a blaze, and to let quiet observation become the fuel for your next burst of work.

Embrace the Slower Rhythm

Winter is the perfect time to shift gears. Instead of forcing yourself into a high-output, high-energy mode, focus on reflection, research, and planning. Use this season to:

• Journal your ideas: Not everything needs to be executed immediately. Let thoughts percolate.

• Collect inspiration: Create mood boards, curate playlists, or gather images and words that spark something in you.

• Revisit old work: Winter is ideal for editing, refining, and reworking projects you started in more energetic months.

Think of it as incubation: the quiet period where your creativity is still moving beneath the surface.

Align With Your Cycle

If you menstruate, winter tends to align with phases where your energy naturally dips. The luteal phase (right after ovulation) can bring introspection, while menstruation itself can feel like a total reset. This isn’t a time to push against your body’s signals; it’s a time to work with them.

• Luteal phase: Focus on polishing, finishing, and reviewing rather than launching new projects.

• Menstrual phase: Rest, reflect, dream, and brainstorm. Even short bursts of creativity—like doodling or jotting down ideas—count.

By tuning into your cycle, you’re not letting winter slow you down. You’re making your creativity more sustainable.

Create Winter-Friendly Habits

Some practical ways to maintain momentum without burning out:

1. Short, intentional sessions: Instead of long marathons, try 20-30 minute creative sprints.

2. Light and warmth: Natural light may be scarce, so use lamps, candles, or a sunrise alarm to keep your mind alert and engaged.

3. Move your body: Gentle movement like stretching, yoga, or dance keeps energy flowing and ideas moving.

4. Celebrate small wins: In winter, finishing even small pieces of work is a victory.

These habits help your creative practice feel nourishing instead of draining.

Let the Quiet Build the Next Blaze

Winter is a season of accumulation. While your output may feel slower, your internal world is rich with ideas, emotions, and insight. The work you do now—reflecting, collecting, editing, and observing—feeds the spring and summer of your creativity when energy and light return.

Instead of resisting the urge to curl up in fetal position, lean into it. Wrap yourself in the comfort of your own process, trust your inner rhythm, and know that creativity doesn’t hibernate. It shifts.

When spring comes, you’ll emerge not from inactivity, but from a season of depth, insight, and quiet creation. Your work will feel fuller, richer, and more alive than if you had forced it through winter’s natural pause.