Tag: creative seasons

Liminal Spaces of Creativity

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, Mindset

Creativity lives in liminal spaces. It moves through the “in-between” phases, where ideas are transforming and have yet to take a specific form of expression.

Anthropologist Victor Turner, renowned for his work on symbols, rituals, and rites of passage, defined liminality with precision:

A time when identity is fluid, roles are undefined, and a person exists between what they were and what they will become.

In the creative world, liminality can look like automatic writing, doodling, jamming, the first strokes on a canvas, testing lines of code, or a brainstorming session. From these beginnings, a more concrete direction may unfold and eventually lead to a tangible outcome.

But if you pay closer attention to Turner’s definition, there’s a fascinating aspect to explore: identity.

As a creative, you are not only transforming abstract ideas; you’re also being transformed by the process itself. The work is shaping you while you shape it.

That’s what makes creativity so profound. It is not only about bringing something into form, but also about meeting yourself in states of uncertainty, transition, experimentation, and growth.

So, who are you when you don’t see the results you’re expecting? Who are you when nobody is watching your effort behind closed doors?

Those are liminal moments of creative identity. They also appear when you’re standing at crossroads, choosing between one creative direction or another. When you’re caught between what worked in the past and what may work in the future. When you’re sitting in the discomfort of the unknown and still choosing to follow your intuition.

Identity and Liminality Are Continous

Liminal spaces of creativity don’t end with a fully finished product or result. As the public begins to receive your work, new “in-between” phases emerge.

Your book, song, or product is ready for consumption, but the audience is slowly engaging with it. You have shared your voice on an online platform, and somebody has yet to reply.

In that waiting period, when you’re being discovered as an artist, writer, or thought leader, you’re developing resilience. You’re learning to keep trusting yourself even when feedback takes time to reach you.

Not long ago, I came across a post on Threads from a writer who said, “I will keep writing even if nobody reads my words.” That’s a clear statement of identity.

All liminal spaces are nurturing. They’re places where possibilities are born and where you choose your identity as a creative.

Who are you being in each phase of your process?

Back to Basics: Analogue Experiences

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, Personal

I recently posted on Threads the picture above along with a series of thoughts on having a discman. This was a Christmas present.

The last time I played a CD on this type of device was in my university days. I clearly remember listening to Reanimation by Linkin Park. Back then, I didn’t know my ‘analogue’ days were numbered. I would eventually transition to the iPod experience even though I was doing everything in my power to resist.

It happened, and I never looked back. I don’t even know what happened to my old discman.

However, as years went by, I felt the need to go back to what I used to love. I still have a collection of great CD albums. At the same time, I thought this would help me stop doomscrolling on the phone. That it’d be more enriching to read the booklet of my selected album instead.

I must say, it’s uncomfortable. I feel like I could have the music playing in the background while still browsing something on my phone. The pain is real. But I’m intentional about taking a break from the endless noise of the digital world. I want to reconnect with the music and the feelings it evokes in me.

I want to engage with the story each song is telling. Or the story my own feelings create as I immerse it. In my teen years, I used to put on my headphones, push play, and imagine the official music video for the song. I liked pretending I directed it and that I was seeing the final result in my mind.

I want to be able to do that again.

This is the beauty of analogue experiences. It’s you and your imagination plus all the sensations you want to include. All of it guiding you to interpret the melody you’re perceiving.

It’s like creating a time capsule of your feelings, thoughts or things you’re going through in this moment of your life. Isn’t it wonderful to appreciate music this way?

Yes. I could be listening from an iPod with the Wifi turned off. It’s just not the same, though. There’s something about the analogue experience that makes it more meaningful. More intentional. Or at least that’s me.

I keep hearing a strong call to return to the analogue. I keep coming across ideas for hobbies and crafts that involve staying away from the screen. Now I’m starting to answer that call.

Since this specific device is bringing so much satisfaction to my moments of unwind, I’d like to keep collecting CDs. So I’m motivated to visit local stores that sale this kind of format. After all, there’s a lot of us that want to bask in the magic of the analogue.

How about you? What kind of analogue experience are you willing to explore?

 

 

You Don’t Have to Start Quickly

On By Alice StrathernIn Beginnings

First of all, happy new year!

May you have a wonderful 2025 full of great experiences. May you accomplish all you have planned for yourself in the next 12 months.

Whether you are full of energy or not, here’s an interesting approach to consider as you take the first few steps into your goals/resolutions:

Austin Kleon always has a great perspective on beginnings.

Remember: you can go slowly and still reach your goals.

Your Best Hours of the Day

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration

This prompt reminded me of my teen years.

I used to tell my mom that there were specific times when certain moods took place.

  • At 11 am I tended to be aggravated
  • At 1 pm I got hungry
  • At 5 pm I felt at my best and was willing to talk to anyone about anything

My statements made her giggle.

Now that James Clear mentions it, I believe there’s great value in spotting your best hours of the day. Asking yourself whether you’re a morning person or a late night owl is also a good starting point.

So what can we do at those times?

Maybe write a few lines on a journal.

Maybe reply to emails with a more polite tone.

Maybe going out for a walk.

Maybe starting a new book.

Possibilities are infinite. The point is making the most of it in a way that makes you feel you’re exploring your best potential in that very moment.

When Building Creative Identity, Consistency is a Superpower

On By Alice StrathernIn Beginnings, Mindset

What’s your creative identity? If this the first time that you ask yourself this question, let me give you a starting point: consistency is an element of it. It’s a superpower that is yours to discover. It’s present in the small things you do every single day to move forward with your creative projects.

Actually, the ‘small’ things, are not so small.

I accumulated small but consistent habits that ultimately led to results that were unimaginable when I started.

James Clear

Consistency is born from building habits. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, is well known for his insights on tiny changes that bring remarkable results. His work has introduced profound perspectives on identity-based habits for lasting change. Among his many notable proposals is the idea of creating a new identity that reflects the behaviour of the creative person you want to be.

How is creative identity linked to consistency, and how does that help? According to Clear, you’ve got to start believing new things about yourself and prove them through small repeated wins.

Continue reading “When Building Creative Identity, Consistency is a Superpower” →

Do You Know Your Creative Cycles?

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “know your creative cycles”?

“Cycles” remind me that nature breathes new life in different seasons. Similarly, you follow that pattern when creating anything. There is a specific time for a specific activity.

Every creative discovers their own cycle. If you conduct a quick Google search, you will a variety of perspectives. However, there are some common denominators that involve three major phases:

  • Time to consume information or explore new interests
  • Going on hermit mode and integrating what you consumed
  • Time to create and share (if you’re called to share)

There’s no ‘one size fits all’. Not every cycle is meant for creation. There is no set timeline for each phase of your personal process. Only you determine where you are and when it’s time to move to the next part.

Heck. Your creative cycles might not even sound like the ones listed above.

There might be long periods of contemplation where it looks as if “you’re not doing anything”. As Austin Kleon puts it, “I’m not languishing, I’m dormant”. This stage is as important as any other to create.

It’s a matter of asking yourself: What do I know about my creative cycles?

Continue reading “Do You Know Your Creative Cycles?” →

Planting Seeds As Creative Process

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, Mindset

Planting seeds in the creative process is a major responsibility. It is the core essence of any endeavour that involves creation. Every effort is significant and paramount for further steps.

It’s also an act of faith. It’s believing that a small idea that was born in the abstract can turn into a tangible form for the world to use or experience.

However, the process itself is invisible to your eyes. The seeds you plant today will grow at their own pace and in the darkness. Brian Eno, musician, composer, record producer and visual artist, has an invaluable take:

My kind of composing is more like the work of a gardener. The gardener takes his seeds and scatters them, knowing what he is planting but not quite what will grow, where, and when.

Quote taken from improvisedlife.com

Not knowing is the aspect that causes the most uncertainty. This is the part where it’s tempting to abandon a creation and move on to a different endeavour. It’s difficult to continue when conditions are, at first glance, discouraging.

While the seeds metaphor is subject to multiple interpretations, the common denominator is to remind the gardener or the creator that growth will take place sooner or later. Every little step compounds to a result, and the waiting process can be satisfying and joyful.

Continue reading “Planting Seeds As Creative Process” →

Momentum as a Mindset: Make it a Habit and Become Unstoppable

On By Alice StrathernIn Mindset

Momentum is a mindset. It goes beyond the sum of actions to produce a desired result. It’s a habit. It’s a commitment to create impact for the long term. At the same time, it’s hard to find a precise definition. Paraphrasing Solomon Timothy, this concept can be a broad term whose meaning varies depending on the context.

In sports, it’s a great play or a struck of luck. In music, it’s taking a basic idea and eventually turn into a structured song. The best example that comes to mind is Paul McCartney composing Get Back out of the blue.

While Paul makes it look easy, it is important to state that building momentum may take longer than expected. Dan Cumberland, author of The Meaning Manifesto, uses a great analogy to explain how the process works. I’m breaking it into four bits:

  1. Momentum is like a merry-go-round: it will take a good amount of force to get it moving.
  2. You have to push with everything you have to get the first few inches of rotation.
  3. As it gains speed, less force is required to keep it moving.
  4. Once you have momentum, it is much easier to keep going.

It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop, as philosopher Confucius once said. That’s why starting small is a great decision.

Continue reading “Momentum as a Mindset: Make it a Habit and Become Unstoppable” →

Producing Your Most Impactful Work

On By Alice StrathernIn Miscellany

This Instagram post made me thoughtful and nostalgic at the same time:

Why does it feel like that layout made us more productive?

Maybe it’s because it felt more personal and inspiring. There were still a lot of analogue elements to interact with. These days, technology is more minimalist. Plus, work is result oriented and less fun oriented.

What are your thoughts?

Imperfect creativity: good is enough

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, Mindset

Imperfect creativity is natural and good enough.

Anything that requires creativity has a human touch and humans are imperfect. This idea is still hard to assimilate. At some point in our lives, we’re taught to avoid mistakes and get flawless results.

Recently, I thought about my literature teacher in high school. Our discussions in class tended to lead to all kinds of random topics. One day, he expressed his frustration at some students that were obsessed with getting perfect marks. His words were unforgettable:

“In this life, you have to deal with the fact that you’re not perfect.”

He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Maybe that statement sounded too harsh at the time, but the wisdom is there. If you think about it, life itself is imperfect.

So why is it worth hanging onto perfection?

Perfectionism is connected to your self-worth and is something you probably have to keep working on to overcome.

Creatives Doing Business

That’s another hard pill to swallow. In the Western culture, this is a constant struggle. Aim to be perfect or go home. On the other hand, in other cultures of the world, embracing imperfection is normal.

For example, there’s the Japanese idea of wabi-sabi. Leonard Koren, author of Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers, defines it as “the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.”

I love the idea of finding beauty in the imperfect. There’s value in creating, doing your best to give it form, and releasing it to the world and let it be in its full glory with glitches included.

Creations are never complete. There’s always an improvement to make or a new version to start from scratch. After all, wabi-sabi is based on the cycles of nature, which are constantly changing. No creation ever stays the same.

With this concept in mind, how can you embrace imperfect creativity in your daily life?