Winter Blues and the Creative Spirit

This winter really kicked my rear end. I don’t know if it was actually colder, longer, and snowier than usual or if it just felt that way, but either way, I felt drained. A kind of low-grade listlessness settled over me, the kind that makes it hard to muster enthusiasm for much of anything. My creativity? It all but hibernated.

I’ve always been a summer person. I thrive when the sun is shining, when I can get outside and move, when nature feels alive and bursting with possibility. There’s something about stepping into warm air that sparks energy in me, making ideas flow as easily as the breeze through the trees. But winter? Winter is different.

The days are short, the nights are long, and the cold seeps into everything. Even with the glow of holiday lights or the beauty of fresh snow, I find myself counting down to spring. I try to embrace the season—hot tea, cozy blankets, the occasional twinkling snowfall—but the truth is, I have to actively fight my way through these three months of darkness every single year.

Some winters, I get by with walks in the crisp air, bundled up beyond recognition. Other years, I lean on books, letting myself escape into stories while I wait for the world outside to thaw. Sometimes, I even trick myself into feeling inspired—lighting candles, playing music, seeking out small joys like the sound of a crackling fire or the way the cold makes my Papillon dog extra snuggly.

And then, there are winters like this one, where I just… exist. Where my creativity curls up somewhere deep inside me and refuses to come out until it senses the first signs of spring. And I have to remind myself: That’s okay too. Creativity isn’t a machine—it ebbs and flows like the seasons. Some years, winter is a time to dig deep and create. Other years, it’s a time to rest, to recharge, to allow myself to feel the slowness instead of fighting it.

But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

So tell me—what do you do to get through the long, dark months? Do you embrace winter’s stillness, or do you fight against it? I’d love to hear your favorite ways to cope.

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