The Moon’s Secret to Staying the Course
The moon taught me to honor my creative rhythms—because even when we’re not full, we’re still moving forward.
Paying Attention to the Moon
I started paying attention to the moon’s phases when I noticed days where I felt unusually drained—physically and emotionally. On some days, I’d be anxious or upset over things that normally wouldn’t bother me. Then one day, I stumbled upon a blog post that said, “Tomorrow is a full moon. If your body and mind feel off, just let it be and be gentle with yourself.” That simple message helped me realize: just like the seasons change, our bodies and emotions move through natural cycles too. Feeling low wasn’t a flaw—it was part of nature. And I began to accept it.
Wisdom from the East—and the Moon
According to Eastern medicine, energy builds from the new moon to the full moon. But when that energy peaks, it can overflow or become ungrounded, sometimes leading to emotional lows. Since the moon is linked to the tides, both full moons and new moons (when tides are at their strongest) are believed to pull at the water in our bodies, activating the nervous system. That’s why it’s said more people go into labor or get their periods during full or new moons. The moon’s effect on our bodies is real—and powerful.
The Moon Simply Is
But the moon isn’t “better” when it’s full or “worse” when it’s waning. It just is. It keeps cycling, quietly and steadily. That made me realize something about creativity, too. On days when I feel low-energy and uninspired—when writing a blog post or finishing an illustration feels hard—I can get frustrated with myself. But maybe creative energy has its own phases, too.
What matters is not stopping. Even when I’m not at my creative peak, I can still keep going gently, in smaller ways. Like posting a blog entry with just photos and no text, or doing just a rough sketch for next project, or simply flipping through an art book by one of my favorite illustrators. Because just like the moon, I don’t need to shine fully all the time to stay in motion. And when the energy does return, I’ll be ready to ride the wave forward—to complete something, or to grow into the next chapter of my creative life.
Turns out, the moon’s been teaching me something important all along.