Holding space for what comes next
stillness is part ofthe workAt some point, everything goes quiet. The progress slows down, the clarity fades, and it feels like you’ve lost the thread. That’s incubation—the pause between what was and what’s becoming.
Nothing looks like it’s happening, but everything is shifting underneath. This is the space where roots form, where ideas gather momentum.
It asks you to wait, to rest, to let the stillness do its work. You can’t rush this part. You can only trust it.
WHERE OUR
PRACTICE
MEETS LIFE
Incubation teaches us to trust what we can’t yet see. It’s the part of the process that feels like nothing is happening, when in truth, everything essential is taking shape beneath the surface.
The hardest part of this phase is the not-doing. We live in a culture that worships productivity, constant hustle and exponential growth. So when the creative process asks us to pause, to rest, to surrender, it can feel like defeat.
This isn’t idleness; it’s restorative.
It’s tempting to push through this phase, to keep working until burnout, or to force a specific outcome. And this is where most people get stuck.
We all wrestle with resistance. The self-doubt. The inner critic whispers that we’re not doing enough, not moving fast enough, not good enough. So we tighten our grip. We cling to our plans and expectations, convinced that we need more control.
But that tension is exactly what keeps us stuck. Feeling stuck doesn’t mean it’s not working—It’s because you’re holding onto how you think things should unfold. Like quicksand, the harder you push, the deeper you sink. But the moment you loosen your grip—step away, rest—you create space for insight to emerge.
When we learn to honour this phase in our creative work, it strengthens our capacity to live with uncertainty in other areas of our lives where the next step isn’t visible, when questions don't have immediate answers, or challenges which require time and space to process.
The gap between what is and what could be is the space where transformation unfolds. Real transformation doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing less . Less of things that no longer serve you, less of what doesn’t matter.
Trust your intuitive nudges and follow where they lead you
Open yourself up to the world in new ways
WHAT IT WANTS FROM YOU
WHAT IT GIVES IN RETURN
You begin to trust yourself more
Give yourself permission to explore without rationalizing it first
Begin to connect to what’s truly alive for you
Capture what interests you without judging
THE INVITATION
Trust the invisible process—that not-doing is sometimes the most important doing. Can you tolerate not-knowing? Can you trust that something is forming beneath the surface?
These mental frameworks offer ways for reframing challenges, and working with the mind’s natural patterns instead of against them. Each one offers a new lens for seeing what’s really happening in the process.
WAYS OF SEEING
MINDSETS AND MODELS 
According to neuroscience, when your brain isn't focused on external tasks, the default mode network activates—this is when insights emerge, connections form, and creative solutions appear. Incubation leverages this by stepping away from focused work, allowing your brain to process subconsciously.
DEFAULT MODE NETWORK
Walk without destination or purpose. Let your body wander as your mind wanders. Notice what you notice. The rhythm of walking activates default mode thinking while giving restless energy somewhere to go.
MEANDERING WALKS
The incubation phase asks for stillness inside uncertainty. Negative capability is the willingness to stay there—to let the unfinished, the unclear, the in-between exist without rushing to resolve it. It’s trusting that what seems dormant is quietly rearranging itself beneath the surface. The work continues, even when you can’t see it.
NEGATIVE CAPABILITY (JOHN KEATS)
THE PRACTICE FIELD
Practice prompts to reflect and explore
Sit in a comfortable place and literally do nothing for 10 minutes. No phone, no book, no task. Notice the discomfort. Breathe into it. Your nervous system learns that not-producing doesn't mean danger.
NO DISTRACTIONS
hen stepping back from active work into incubation, create a physical ritual—closing your notebook with intention, lighting a candle then blowing it out, washing your hands. This signals to your body: "We're shifting modes."
CREATE TRANSITION RITUALS
Engage in mundane activities such as washing dishes by hand, kneading bread, gardening, swimming, painting walls. Activities that occupy your hands and body but not your analytical mind create ideal conditions for subconscious processing.
ENGAGE IN LOW ENERGY ACTIVITIES
Walk without destination or purpose. Let your body wander as your mind wanders. Notice what you notice. The rhythm of walking activates default mode thinking while giving restless energy somewhere to go.
MEANDERING WALKS
THIS IS WHERE
IT BECOMES REAL
Make something with me
These exercises are here to guide you into an experience that’s already yours. Because that is really what its all about. It doesn't need to be perfect, or even good—just completed. I’ll share my own imperfect, messy versions along the way. If you’re feeling brave I’d love for you to submit and share your work with me.
Your exercise:
The Map of Right Now
Make a simple map of your current landscape, literal or emotional. The places, people, moods, and moments that make up your world right now.
Draw, collage, or decorate however you like. Label what you find there. What feels alive, what’s lingering, what’s calling for attention.
The aim of the practice:
To see what’s already present. To locate yourself and offers perspective. Mapping makes the abstract visible and helps you meet the present moment with curiosity.
