Reflections on Flowers & The Creative Process

The blooming season continues!  

The natural world is a treasured muse not only for its inspiring beauty but also for its calming effect on my nervous system. When I’m calm, I become receptive. And when I’m receptive, the “creative current” can flow through me.

In my experience, to create is to receive — to channel energy from my inner being. It’s like being given a precious gift—a seed to nourish into its full flowering. 

The creative process—especially the initial stage—is not about force; it’s about flow. The current is always there. All we have to do is dissolve the blockages that prevent us from letting it in and to trust that it will take us to the “right” place. 

When I’m writing a new poem, for example, it feels like the poem has a life of its own and I am invited to let it go where it wants to go. I always have some resistance to that because letting go of control is scary. But when I’m able to, it feels empowering, liberating, satisfying—and fun!

In the later stages of the writing process (once a draft is solid enough), I can utilize the logical / analytical part of my brain for refining and editing; but in those tender early moments it’s best to let it flow organically and allow it to bloom in time with its own natural rhythm. 

So the creative process is essentially two skill sets that support and balance each other: the skill of receptivity / uninhibited self-expression, and the skill of a craft. Each one is necessary and each one gains power in its reciprocal relationship with the other.

There are tons of metaphors for life in this too, as life itself is a creative endeavor, but exploring that is for another day…

For now, these words are enough…Trust the process. Trust the journey. Trust that everything blooms at the right time.

© Jacqueline Ann 2026