The Season of Stillness: Finding Balance in the Quiet Between

November has always felt like a deep exhale. After the rush of Inktober sketches and the thrill (and exhaustion) of the 31 Days of Horror challenge, there’s finally… silence. The studio is calmer. The tea cup lingers a little longer in my hands. The to-do lists start to shrink—if only for a moment.

This is the quiet between.

Between autumn’s chaos and winter’s calm.

Between finishing and beginning.

And in that quiet, I always find myself asking: What now?

That lull between projects can be both freeing and unsettling. After weeks of constant creative motion, stillness can feel like standing in an empty room where echoes of inspiration haven’t quite settled yet. My hands itch to make something new—but what? The next story? A new painting series? Or maybe just rest for a while?

Finding balance here is tricky. But it’s also where growth happens.

When the World Slows Down

The temptation is to fill every gap with “something.” Another project. Another deadline. But November reminds us that not every quiet season needs to be busy. Sometimes, the best use of creative energy is to redirect it—to experiment, play, repurpose, or explore.

This month, I’m leaning into that slow magic: revisiting half-finished drafts, sketching ideas that might someday become paintings, and letting my imagination roam without expectation.

• For writers, this might mean jotting down the first lines of something new.

• For artists, maybe it’s experimenting with color or texture just to see what happens.

• For all of us, it’s about reconnecting with the why behind our creativity before the next rush begins.

Inspiration in the Pause

The season of stillness isn’t about stopping—it’s about shifting. Refilling your creative cup before winter’s long stretch.

If you’re feeling that post-project fatigue or a creative lull, you’re not alone. I’ve put together a little Creative Reset Tip—a small, grounding practice to help reignite inspiration when your mind feels stretched thin. It’s going out exclusively to Ember’s Circle (and above) patrons this week, as a gentle reminder that creativity doesn’t always need to roar—it can whisper too.

So if you’re craving inspiration, reflection, or a little spark to carry into winter, make sure you’re signed up. Sometimes all we need is one tiny spark to light the next idea.

This November, let’s honor the quiet between seasons.

Let it be a bridge instead of a void.

Rest when you can. Create when it calls.

And above all, listen—because the stillness always has something to say.