What Does Your Creative Fire Look Like?: The Phases of a Creative Life-cycle

Are creatives really phoenix? Pheonii? Phoenixes? Whatever the grammar there I believe we are. It’s a powerful image. A majestic, vibrant bird, feathers of flame and smoke, bursting into a wild fire that smolders to ash and begins a cycle of death and rebirth clothed in majesty and brilliance. Yet at its core, beneath the gorgeous imagery and the life and death of it all, it is a message of quiet consistent resilience. And that is the heart and soul of a creative - it is the ever turning wheel of their life cycle, of the creative journey itself. 

My first introduction to the phoenix was Harry Potter; bursting into flames and being reborn from the ashes. Amid their startling life cycle we also learn that they carry immensely heavy loads and their tears can heal all kinds of maladies. Then Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon (McQueen) used the phoenix to symbolize power, and again this idea of rising from the ashes stronger than before. Most recently Kerri Maniscalco’s Throne of Nightmares uses the phoenix not only as a symbol of dreams and nightmares, grief, and longevity, but to illustrate second chances and classic rebirth, this time through choice. 

Closely linked with the phoenix is fire - burning, ashes, vibrant colour. It’s an element used time and again to depict passion, a sign of life, but also one of destruction and danger. One that devours fuel at the risk of burning itself out, unstoppable and untamable, though we never cease to try. Yet it also resides as the hearth in our homes, the candles that light our way, and warmth to keep us company in the dark and cold. A message of hope. 

Here I am now, coming to the point. As creatives our practice and projects have the same life cycle as a fire, from embers that lay banked to flames that consume, and ash that lays a new foundation; always cycling around like a phoenix that is enduring. Our creative lives also reflect at different times different incarnations of fire. From blazing and hot to slumbering coals that are cooking, our creativity goes through these phases with alarming inevitability. Therein lies the message of hope, of endurance - creativity is energy and energy cannot be destroyed it can only shift and change states. 

The Fire Phases of Creativity

Embers - I like to start the cycle here in the banked embers of a previous project, the smouldering glow that reminds us that our creativity is never truly at rest, never over, but waiting and simmering. This could feel like percolation, observation, those nature walks that lead to musings and jumbled ideas. The thread of your creativity that is always pulsing even when it’s faint. 

Spark - This stage is exciting. Inspiration has struck, the thrill of an idea leaves shivers across your body and you itch to get started on a new project. It feels active, adventurous, even refreshing. It’s that Ah-ha moment in the creative process. 

Flames - This is creation. The doing, the making, the progress. It can flare up into wild fire or burn consistently and calm like a wood stove, even flicker and sputter like a candle. However the flames of creativity show up in your life or during a project that flame is actively using energy to burn and heat and glow. 

Smoke - A by product of the creation. This might look like spiraling, blocks, burnout, or even mild obsession as you work through a project. It can sting, be uncomfortable, and get the tears flowing, but it can also signal a shift in the project or a loss of fuel. It's an important system to pay attention to. 

Coals - They may not look like much but they are hot and active all the same. Coals are the fuel that gets the job done. It’s not flashy or exciting, but it’s the grind to complete, the will to keep going and actually see it through. Coals burn hottest. They are the power behind the engine, the driver of results. 

Ash - The end. The finish line. Ashes can mean one of two things - you have finished a project and are saying goodbye, or you’ve burned it all down and are ready to start over. Either way ash marks an ending and a beginning. 

Whatever stage you are in, whatever version of fire your creativity is looking like, honour your creative life, your creative projects and know that the energy cycling through it all is inevitable, is enduring, is all you. Just remember: fire needs fuel. You need to first take care of yourself, give yourself and your creativity some love, respite, and grace.