Entering a Creative Season: Writing with Purpose After Work
For the next few months, I’m entering what I am calling a creative “season”—and I invite you to try it yourself.
I am devoting myself to nurturing my creativity, trying new experiments, and sharing my work without the constant pressure to prove its worth.
It’s not a relaunch, and it’s not a strategy. It’s an intentional season of making, showing, and letting go.
Why a “Season”?
A season gives structure to something that can otherwise feel endless. It’s a time-bound container for curiosity—long enough to build momentum, short enough to invite reflection. I like to think of it as creative weather: a climate that I choose to step into, knowing it will change me.
During this season, my focus is on three things:
Creating consistently. Writing new stories set in the world of The Witch’s Throne and exploring other pieces of supernatural mystery fiction.
Showing my process. Sharing drafts, reflections, and glimpses of my creative experiments with readers on Patreon and Substack.
Letting go of outcome. Creating for the sake of curiosity rather than approval or sales.
Making Space Beyond the Day Job
Like many writers, I spend a lot of time at my day job. It’s easy to let that reality define me. But this season is about letting my day job fade into the background—doing the work that pays the bills while reclaiming my best energy for the work that gives me life.
Instead of striving for balance, I’m choosing containment: giving my creative work its own sacred hours, its own rituals, its own mental space. Even a few hours a week can feel expansive when they’re truly mine.
Creating Without Attachment
For years, I waited for the “right time” to start again—to have a perfect idea, a bigger audience, or a more predictable schedule. I’ve realized that time never comes. The creative life is built in imperfect moments, small pockets of energy, and stolen hours that add up to something lasting.
This season is about creating and sharing in real time—without knowing what will happen next. It’s about showing up publicly before I feel ready, trusting that progress comes through presence, not perfection.
Building an AI-Integrated Creative Life
Part of this season also involves learning how to work with AI as a creative collaborator. I’m exploring how AI can support writers and editors—helping us think more deeply, draft more freely, and stay true to our voices rather than lose them.
I’ll be sharing reflections on that process here and through my editing work as I learn to merge intuition, craft, and technology in a way that honors both art and progress.
Follow Along
If this resonates with you—if you’re also navigating the messy middle between creativity, work, and reinvention—you can follow my journey:
Patreon: for behind-the-scenes posts, story drafts, and creative reflections (free to follow or $1/month as a Founding Supporter).
Mid-Life Horror: for essays about art, aging, and the supernatural.
This website: for evergreen essays like this one and updates on new projects.
Thank you for being here—especially in the pauses, the pivots, and the in-between spaces where creative life actually happens.
Here’s to a season of curiosity, courage, and quiet momentum.
— Stacey