Creative Minds, Brilliant Life

Creative Expansion & Contraction: Embracing the Rhythm of Your Work

Nicole Gariepy Season 3 Episode 5

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In this episode, I’m diving into a rhythm that many of us experience but don’t always know how to honor: the cycle of creative expansion and contraction.

Just like the natural birth process, creativity moves in waves. There are moments of outward growth and excitement… and there are quieter, inward times of rest and recalibration. Both are not only normal—they’re essential.

I share how this expansion/contraction rhythm mirrors the phases of labor, and why resisting contraction actually delays your next breakthrough. I also bring in the wisdom of Kate Northrup and her incredible work on cyclical planning—especially how we as creatives and women can use these energetic seasons to work smarter, not harder.

This episode is for you if you’ve ever felt like you’re “off your game” or wondering if you're doing something wrong because things don’t feel productive. Spoiler alert: you’re probably just in a cycle of creative rest. And that's exactly where you need to be.

Let’s talk about how to build your business in alignment with your energy, not in opposition to it.

✨ Mentioned in this episode: Do Less by Kate Northrup

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