Have you ever noticed a certain theme begin to emerge from multiple sources at once? A great conglomeration, if you will. (And will you?)

Well, I certainly have in my life. I just finished a chapter in the book Raising Boys by Design that’s all about the importance of having a rite of passage for boys to mark the transition into manhood.

I also happened to reach the section in Pressfield’s Turning Pro about all about moving from being an amateur to being a professional (if you care, I’ve found his other book, The War of Art to be more focused, but this one still has some good takeaways and includes more stories of his own personal journey).

And then K. M. Weiland just started a series on archetypal characters in which she discusses how the fulfillment of one character arc is the transition into the next.

In broad terms, these are all covering the same material: marking significant life changes. It seems like something I should be paying attention to as this feels like a time of change, not only in my life but in the world at large.

More specifically, I wonder how often we fail to appreciate, or even recognize when we’ve made a real shift in our creative lives—when we’ve gone from simply dreaming about spending time on something we care about to actually, consistently putting time into our passion. That’s a big difference, whether or not anyone else notices the shift.

Perhaps the reverse is just as significant: when we’ve lost focus and drifted from the habits we felt were important.

Either way, major changes in our creative practices are worth paying attention to,  especially when they serve as landmarks in our creative journey. Consider asking yourself these questions: What caused the change? What is different between the last stage and the current one? Where do I hope to go next?

This past year, I took a long break from posting. I think it was healthy and important, but I’m still evaluating the why behind it. One thing is apparent: I’ve made a transition into being alright with focusing on one main thing at a time and not trying to do it all at once. That doesn’t mean I won’t go back, just that I’ve taken another step, poked my head up, and seen what’s on the next level.

It was difficult, but good. I’m still sorting out what a healthy level of focus looks like (as opposed to unhealthy obsession), but I also managed to impress myself with what I accomplished. I discovered a certain peace in letting many things go out of necessity. I also learned that without keeping up on some regular commitments (such as this blog) the intense focus can lead me on the fast track to burnout mode (it’s right after the danger zone).

Whatever comes next, I’m thankful for the support I’ve received to get me where I am today. And I’m thankful for you.

How about you? Have you noticed any big transitions in your own creative journey, and what have you learned from them?