Braid Your Creative Strands Into a Strong Rope
Weave together your overabundance of ideas to turn creative funk into fire.
Posted August 30, 2025 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley
I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately.
Feeling a little low, down.
It’s not what you think, though; my negative mood comes from my creative brain coming up with yet another harebrained scheme!
(I always think of I Love Lucy and Ricky Ricardo when that phrase comes to mind.)
Recently, I’ve connected with several women of a certain age who express their desire to develop their own forms of expression.
Two happen to be gardeners, one works in fused glass, and another, like me, is a writer who also enjoys fiber art.
We are all at a point in our lives where we don’t have the obligation to take care of little ones. Some have retired, others are embracing the freedom aligned with being a seasoned soul.
The Folly of Free Time
I have written before about the folly of free time —how a weekend away from work, a vacation, or just an evening when nothing in particular is scheduled (but two or three hours exist between dinner and bedtime) implies that the artist should get to work and not squander this gift.
But blocking free time on your Google calendar does not necessarily transform into productive hours.
Many artists—and indeed workers in any field—know the benefit of the impending to light a fire and ignite the flames of creativity that spark the maker into action. And if they focus on one goal, one project, they will have more success. A goal-oriented approach “entails focus on specific goals , preferably concomitant with established timelines, to achieve a planned outcome” (Ali & Ali, 2022).
But what if instead of the calendar showing looming deadlines, it demonstrates days and weeks of free time? And your goals are intangible, amorphous, all over the place?
The call of “could” and “should” diminishes to “would,” followed by an enormous “but…”
Summer can be like this—a seemingly rich time for development, and yet I yearn for the busyness of my usual teaching schedule.
And then along comes a brand-new idea, inspired by the women I’ve been encountering and my mission to inspire others to do their art.
This new initiative, which I call The Art of Becoming , hatched from its tender egg like a baby dragon, immediately flapped its tiny wings, and exhaled a puff of smoke.
I heard a call—not only to address this fledgling idea but more than that—to fan the flame of a movement. Yes, an entire movement.
I envision a multimedia, multipurpose initiative to support anyone at this stage of their life, and in particular women, for reasons I’m happy to discuss further, should you desire to know more.
I was in a funk because I kept thinking I would have to cut ties with my ideas, projects, and commitments that already exist—until I realized the strongest fiber is made even stronger when it’s braided with other like strands.
With this great idea, I now envision a thick rope that braids together all of my interests and desires. One strand does not have to be severed to wither and die; rather, when married with the existing strands, it already benefits from their experience and support.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is let something go. But sometimes things are strengthened when other things are added in. You can build a house with hay, but if you pack that hay with clay, the walls are much firmer. If you reinforce the hay and clay with steel bars, the gains are exponential.
Life is a series of adding on. Imagine if our cell phones were still just used to make a call. Engineers had the bright idea to add the ability to send a "text message," then a camera, calculator, access the internet, and apps galore. What if someone said a long time ago, “No. Just focus on the ability to talk.”
When I shifted my thinking from my readiness to cut away any of my interests in order to pursue this new direction, I did feel conflicted. But when I had the epiphany that all of my interests could be strengthened in this gathering and braiding process, I felt lighter.
And isn’t that how we should feel when we fall in love? Isn’t that how one human becomes willing to commit?
I don’t see this as a fleeting infatuation; rather, I see it as the spark of an ember. And like that tiny bit of potential energy—when properly fanned—the fire builds.
If you have ever tended a fire, you know that flames consume their fuel. The keeper of the fire must maintain their vigilance and add branches and logs as needed. Lightning strikes in the forest and ignites the underbrush or the dry bark of a tree. If the climate is dry and fuel exists, that fire can grow and grow into an unimaginable, unmanageable, rampant, destructive forest fire.
The giant sequoias in California are some of the oldest plants on the planet—it is estimated that some are thousands of years old. There was a time when protectors of the forest worked hard to prevent any unwanted fires in the vicinity, but it was discovered that fire was an essential part of development. Without the challenge of flames, the seeds didn’t open—just as challenges for the human spirit produce moments of invention and discovery.
Seasoned souls can become much more than "retired" when they see this phase as transformative, blossoming into resilience , strength, and community of like spirits.
If you struggle with a flood of too many ideas, remember that a braided rope is much stronger than a single thread. It’s OK to add on.
Ali, W., & Ali, W. (2022). How to Improve Productivity through a Goal-Oriented Approach? Journal of Economics, Management & Business Administration , 1 (1), 55-67.
Share this post Facebook Bluesky Linkedin Email
There was a problem adding your email address. Please try again.
By submitting your information you agree to the Psychology Today Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
B. Morey Stockwell, Ph.D., has been coaching creatives around the world and is an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell & Fitchburg State University.
Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today.
This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.