Dear Moon,

There is beauty in allowing ideas develop in their own time. So often we only get to see the final product, and we miss out on all the twists and turns that the creative process takes us on to arrive at that particular finished form.

This can give us unrealistic expectations of creativity, and so I was inspired to share some behind the scenes insider lore about how this year’s cover artwork and theme actually came into being. The episode is an exploration of artistry, vulnerability, and the cyclical nature of creativity.

But first, oh my goodness, have you heard? It’s Virgo season and time to launch the pre-sale of the 2026 Moon Calendars!! There’s a discount code at the end of this episode, take a listen :)

traveling the distance from this…

… to that…

Where you begin is not where you end up! Seems obvious, but the creative process is designed to change you. This is inherent to the transformational practice of creation.

let’s dive in!

In today’s episode, you’re invited to join me for an intimate look at the journey of creating the artwork for this year’s Lunar Wall Calendar as I share about the messy process of going from rough first “bad” drafts to a finished piece.

You’ll hear about the ups and downs: the excitement of new ideas, the frustration when things don’t go as planned, and the patience it takes to let inspiration unfold in its own time. You’ll get to hear about how themes like the harvest cycle, the symbolism of blackberries and bears, and even lessons learned from gardening — all found their way into the artwork. There’s a beautiful story I share about how a simple flower essence session sparked a creative breakthrough, and how the reciprocity between bears and blackberries brought all the themes together.

weaving it all together

Throughout the episode, I reflect on the importance of embracing imperfection, letting go of impossible standards, and trusting the creative process—even when it feels like, as I call it “a blindfolded wrestling match or an unpredictable dance with the muse”. You’ll get a sense of how astrology, nature, and lived experience all weave together in the making of something personally, and hopefully, universally meaningful.

Whether you’re an artist, a creative soul, or just someone who loves a good story, this episode is a gentle reminder that creativity is cyclical, sometimes clunky, and always full of facing the unknown. I hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes journey—complete with all the doubts, discoveries, and little victories that make the creative process so worth the struggle of turning the irritation of a grain of sand into a pearl.

Thank you for being here, your presence is a gift! April

p.s. I started putting together a post with images of the creative process I describe in this episode … would you be interested in seeing more of the bad first drafts? Feel free to reply or lmk in the comments.

the pre-sale sale has begun!

Are you as excited as I am? I just updated all the listings for this year’s calendars — visit THE MOON IS MY CALENDAR and and pre-order yours today, yippee!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themoonismycalendar.substack.com/subscribe

Ep 29: Artistry, bad first drafts, and the cyclical nature of creativity