I’ve noticed that I feel way more creative in the winter.
At first, I thought this wasn’t really what winter was about. Winter is often seen as a time of slowing down, resting, and turning inward, so I thought my bursts of creativity were somehow out of sync with the season. But when I began to reflect on it more deeply, I realized I wasn’t truly grasping the full, deeper nature of winter. In fact, winter is often misunderstood.
While it’s true that winter invites us into a time of introspection, stillness, and inner focus, there's something more happening beneath the surface. What’s not often talked about is that this inward time can give rise to new dreams, visions, and ideas — a quiet, creative birthing of what’s to come. Winter doesn’t just ask us to slow down, but also gives us the time and space to listen deeply to what is stirring within.
If we look at how farmers and gardeners approach winter, we see that this is exactly the time they begin to dream about their gardens for the summer. They don’t act on their ideas right away; instead, they spend time reflecting, planning, and imagining. Winter is not about immediate action; it’s about nurturing those ideas, letting them grow quietly within us, and giving ourselves permission to explore the possibilities without rushing to manifest them.
There’s actually wisdom in what we sometimes call “procrastination” —
when we let our ideas marinate for longer, we give our minds the opportunity to uncover more possibilities.
As a result, the ideas we bring forward later are often our best, rather than acting on the first thing that comes to mind.
Winter holds the feminine, yin energy —
the energy of dreams, creativity, and reflection.
Just as human reproduction
requires both the feminine and masculine to bring life into the world, so too do our ideas need both energies.
Winter offers the space for them to grow quietly, and when spring arrives with its strong, yang energy, we can take action, planting our ideas and bringing them to life. Winter and spring work together — the patience of winter preparing us for the strength of spring.
