We all have our creative seasons. Times when we are in energetic modes of inspiration and production, and times when we are slower, softer, more introspective. As we enter into winter, we talk with writer Katherine May about how we can find a little more meaning in this season.

Let the abundance of light infuse your creative process. We're entering a new season, and in tandem with the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere - Anna shares a special Summer Solstice Meditation to inspire play, curiosity and, of course, creativity.

Solstices and equinoxes mark a seasonal shift, a change in what’s happening around us. But what does this mean for our creativity? This bonus episode is a short reflection on what the winter season means for our creative process, and is a call to contemplate what creative rest and regeneration can look like in this slower, quieter season.

In a darker, slower season, our bodies crave rest. Yet all around us, it feels like society wants us to speed up. This time of year can be particularly difficult for working artists, and whether or not we make a living from our creative pursuits, we can often feel the need for a slower pace. But in the midst of systemic forces, how do we take care of ourselves? Artist Antoinette Thomas and Outdoor Journal Tour founder, wellness leader and author Kenya Jackson-Saulters help us to better understand the forces that we’re up against, and what we can do when to slow down and to pause.

Writer Cheryl Strayed draws some thoughtful parallels between grief and a creative state.

When Cheryl Strayed was 22 she lost her mother to lung cancer, and words became a way to carry her through. In this episode, with the help of Dr. Girija Kaimal, the current president of the American Art Therapy Association, we explore how creativity can serve as a tool for helping us grapple with those moments in life when things feel unstable and unknown.

A short message from Anna on our next episode -- and an invitation to slow down when it comes to creative projects.

How creative flow was modeled for us when we were growing up has a lot to do with how we seek it out today. And writer Bonnie Tsui strives to achieve a more balance in her creative pursuits so that her children feel empowered to do the same.

Creative flow is a desirable but often elusive state. Many of us crave those moments where it feels like everything just comes together and we’re in the zone. But how exactly do we get there? And what can we do to facilitate more flow in our everyday lives? In this episode we explore the flow state with the help of researcher Dr. Richard Huskey and writer Bonnie Tsui. We take a look at the science behind flow, what it can do for us, and how we can facilitate more of it in our everyday lives.

As Florence Williams shares, we don't necessarily need epic sunsets or grand vistas to experience the benefits of awe. A practice of microdosing awe helps us to access this important state more regularly.

Solitude can help the creative process flourish, but how can time alone be generative and not just lonely? When writer Florence Williams’ 25-year marriage falls apart, it sets her on a journey to explore the science behind loneliness. Photographer Alexandra de Steiguer on the other hand has spent the last quarter century actively seeking out time on her own, spending her winters as the caretaker of Star Island in the Isle of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire. With the help of these two creatives we explore what spending time alone means for ourselves, our creativity, and our connections to the communities around us.

Kaywin Feldman, the Director for the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., points out why visiting art museums can provide us boosts of creativity. On last episode of Creative Fuel, "How Do We Connect With Each Other," we discussed how art museums and other public displays of art can be such powerful bridges between people. And in this short, Kaywin discusses how that relates to experiencing awe and wonder together.

We share traits with every single human on this planet. But often our differences define us more than our commonalities. In this episode we explore our empathetic potential, and how art just might be a bridge for creating better connection. Social psychologist Dr. Sara Konrath and Director of the National Gallery of Art Kaywin Feldman guide us through an exploration of art and empathy, and we explore a new public art installation at the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial in Washington State.

On art and science. In our first episode, "Do We Need Newness for Creativity?" we connected with Christine Liu, a neuroscientist and artist. She had some fantastic things to say about the intersection of science and creativity, something that is at the root of all of our Creative Fuel episodes.

We all know that spark of inspiration that easily happens when we go somewhere out of the ordinary, or feel like we're doing something for the first time. Do we need that sense of newness to spark creativity, and what do we do if we can't find it? In this episode we talk to writer Amanda Machado and neuroscientist Christine Liu to learn exactly what's happening in our brains when we have new experiences and how it impacts our creative process.

To be creative is to be human, and exploring that drive might help us understand ourselves better. Season one launches September 13, 2022.