Have you ever felt adrift in your business, unsure about where to focus your energy or how to regain clarity? As creatives, we often find ourselves caught in the push and pull of our work, struggling to maintain the pace and sustain the flow. But what if, instead of resisting these natural shifts, we learned to embrace them as a cycle of seasons, each with its distinct purpose and power?
I’ve been reflecting on how we can notice and honour these patterns. We all go through distinct phases in our lives and work, and I believe we can traverse them with greater resolve if we respect our cadence. These ideas have deeply connected with my Brand Seasons community. Are we all seeking more purpose and a rhythm that aligns with our true selves?
When I launched my Substack, I purposely created a publication exploring the rise and fall of our creative energy. I’ve noticed that quiet periods often precede moments of inspiration, and setbacks can unexpectedly lead to new opportunities. If we can navigate these chapters with patience and accept they’re no reflection on our abilities, perhaps we can build greater resilience.
Spring: seeding ideas
Spring is a season of new beginnings – a time for planting seeds and laying roots. In your business, this might be exploring new avenues, developing your products or services, or setting the foundations. In my branding practice, we focus on strategy, so I tend to my vision and values and begin to shape what once seemed vague into a meaningful, tangible idea.
The character of spring is often associated with growth, energy and optimism. It represents a time of awakening and beginnings, to welcome a gradual increase in drive. It helps to nurture these early ideas with care, allowing them the time they need to flourish.
Summer: nurturing growth
The point of summer, in the cycle, is when those seeds we planted can begin to flourish. It’s a period of action and focus—crafting and launching our products or services and sharing our work with the world. Whether you’re making, launching or collaborating, the “high season” is the peak of your creative power.
However, we must balance this activity with awareness because it can easily lead to burnout. So, while you make the most of this productive period, remember to savour the process and enjoy the liveliness of summer, too.
Autumn: celebrating milestones
Autumn is the season of completion—a chance to enjoy the harvest of your efforts and celebrate your achievements. This might involve making the final touches, tidying up loose ends, and laying the groundwork for ongoing projects. It’s also a time to gather insights, measure results, and consider what could be different next time.
The knowledge and learning we take from our experiences can also set the stage for future growth. But remember, harvesting can be heavy work, so be mindful of overstretching. As author Lauren DeStefano beautifully put it, autumn is “when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
Winter: turning inward
The season of winter is a time of rest and reflection—for quieting your mind, letting ideas compost, and contemplating the next steps. It’s a period where you might feel more introspective, and insights emerge quietly. In my creative process, winter has become a cherished time for mulching over ideas because my curiosity thrives, leading to the occasional aha moment.
Winter is about making space to exhale. It’s an opportunity to evaluate your direction and allow your mind to wander.
Moving with your business seasons
The beauty of these phases lies in their recurrence. There’s no linear path to follow; you may move back and forth between the seasons as your work evolves or follow the spiral around and arrive at the same opportunity but with more tenacity. Different parts of your life and work might be in alternative cycles simultaneously, or you’ll experience a micro-season within a particular phase, and that’s perfectly natural.
Assessing our capacity and honouring this rhythm means we can approach our projects intentionally. Each interval has something valuable to offer, and when we learn to move with the flow rather than against it, we can better express ourselves and embrace our talent.
As I prepare to launch the crowdfunding campaign for the Brand Seasons Playdeck, there’s a combination of spring and summer energy at play. Because this project represents a significant culmination of work, pacing is paramount.
Three ways to invite seasonality into your business
1. Align your projects with your unique energy
Rather than strictly following the calendar year, synchronise your projects with the natural phases you observe in your business. Your “spring” might come in the autumn if you’re feeling inspired to plot and plan, while “summer” could see you in full production mode over the winter months. The key is to notice and honour these patterns as they naturally occur rather than trying to force them to match the traditional seasons.
2. Change your environment to reflect your phase
Make adjustments to your physical or digital workspace that support your current phase of business. High-energy periods might prompt you to rearrange your space to be more open and inviting, encouraging creativity and collaboration. In quieter times, you could simplify and declutter for a more calming atmosphere. Shifting your surroundings to match your needs can help you stay attuned and focused.
3. Create a seasonal business calendar
Follow a calendar that reflects your unique cycles with intervals for planning, launching, evaluating, and resting, all based on your energy. By mapping out your year this way, you can ensure that your business activities align with your capacity, leading to more intentional work. You might also introduce rituals to support transitions—a quarterly “retreat” to review goals or a celebration to mark the completion of a project.
When integrating these steps, you can consciously honour the end of one phase and the start of another, fostering a deeper connection to your work.
As you take a moment to reflect on your business and projects, ask yourself: Which season resonates most with you right now? How can you honour this and approach your work with greater meaning and impact?
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Sarah invites you to explore the Brand Seasons Playdeck—a versatile tool designed to guide you through strategy, styling, and storytelling across all seasons of business.
Through her studio, These Are The Days, she collaborates with clients to define their vision, create stunning visuals, and discover their authentic voice. Originally from Edinburgh, Sarah now lives and works in the Scottish Borders. You can follow her journey and learn more about her work on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack.
Sarah also shares seasonal Inside Story letters with her email community and co-hosts the Gathering Stories club, a monthly co-working session dedicated to content creation.
