Got the Winter Shivers? Stoke Your Creative Fire!

If there's one lesson I relearn every winter, it's that the fires inside don't disappear -- they just need to be stoked.

You need to be mindful of that essential task. Like a fireplace, our creative energy needs regular tending.

Maintain your fireplace so it's ready for the next warming blaze. Don't let the ashes build up! Visit your canvas, your characters, or your muse every day and hold a place for them in your thoughts, your journal, or your meditations.

Make sure you have a good supply of kindling and dry wood, and don't be afraid to have a fire when you need one. Too many of us hold back until the time is perfect, or we have "enough" hours" to really focus. These moments rarely arrive. As we wait for inspiration or leisure, our careful plans rot and mildew.

Always open the flue and let in the air! Creative fire needs a good draft to spark to life. Whether this means sharing your works-in-progress or mixing media to explore other ways of developing your ideas, don't smother your inner fire! Take a risk and let it burn!

Don't be afraid to dream by the warm and flickering light. In winter, our dreams bridge the wisdom of the unconscious and our creative lives. Hold them close; listen to their lessons. They're the roadmap to persistence.

Who says chilling out is a good thing? Few of us love the layered winter's cold.From November's early sunset to February's quickening light, keep the home fires burning in your creative work, no matter the weather.