Paula is a retired professor emeritus (emerita?) and presidential engagement professor from Northern Illinois University, where she taught for 30 years. Now three years into retirement, she remains deeply engaged in creative pursuits and busy, busy, busy!

We talk about where her creative spark came from, how it was nurtured, and how, now that she’s beyond the studio walls, it continues to permeate every aspect of her life. As she says,“don’t deny yourself” the urge to create.

Somehow I managed to edit out her very beautiful definition of creativity so here it is: Creativity is “a tiny thing that you do that makes something move or someone move or think in a different way that they’ve never moved or thought before”

📝Key Takeaways

🌸 Marinating in Creativity

Long before she became a professional dancer & choreographer, Paula was immersed in creativity at home. Inspired by an artistic mother, a storytelling father, and her brother’s eclectic record collection, she spent hours moving, inventing stories, and living in rich fantasy worlds. Through these early experiences she realised that creativity is less about talent and more about paying attention to the world with curiosity and wonder coupled with the determination to have your voice heard.

🩰 Unplanned Sparks Can Change the Course of Your Life

Paula only started to dance at 13 because her diving coach suggested ballet would improve her form. Very much to her surprise, she immediately fell in love with it and began choreographing almost as soon as she started training. What began as an extremely reluctant experiment became a lifelong career, reminding us that sometimes our greatest passions are discovered by accident.

🌱 Creative Growth Requires Courage & Permission

Paula was encouraged throughout her university training and really found creative freedom during her MFA studies. She learned that creativity flourishes when we stop worrying about looking foolish and start experimenting & a pivotal moment in Paula’s development came when a teacher encouraged her not to be afraid. Whether you’re dancing, writing, cooking, or arranging flowers, vulnerability is often the doorway to originality.

🎓 Gifted Teachers Permit Others to Unlock Their Creativity

During more than 30 years as a university professor, Paula shifted her students from simply mastering technique to embracing exploration and improvisation. She believes everyone is creative, but many people need permission to trust themselves, take risks, and discover what is uniquely theirs to express.

🐎 Creativity Doesn’t Retire it Simply Finds New Forms

Three years into retirement, Paula is as creative as ever. From choreographing dancers and horses, to gardening, painting, golfing, and training her dog Hap, she continues to follow what she calls an irresistible compulsion to create. Her experience is a powerful reminder that creativity is not a career; it’s a way of engaging with life that can evolve and deepen at every age.

Paula’s Creative Philosophy:

• Her Core Definition: Creativity is “a tiny thing that you do that makes something move or someone move or think in a different way that they’ve never moved or thought before”

• A Really Good Guiding Question: Ask yourself as the fundamental creative inquiry “What would happen if I...”

• Universality: Believes creativity is innate in everyone but often unrecognised, it manifests in arranging pictures on walls, plating food, or wrapping presents

• About Permission and Bravery: She recalls the pivotal moment in a drawing class when the instructor said “don’t be afraid” and feels this is one of most important lessons about creativity

• Creative Compulsion: Paula experiences regular urges every few days to create something and says, “you can’t escape it”

🔗Links & Resources Mentioned

Fabyan Villa is the Frank Lloyd Wright House that Paula’s mom, Marie, lived in for many years. Here’s a Chicago Tribune article from August 1987 with a couple of quotes from her: https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/08/10/out-of-success-came-legends-of-col-fabyan/ and a link to the house itself: https://www.ppfv.org/fabyan-villa-museum/

Horses Without Humans, the rescue organisation in Florida that Paula mentions:

https://www.hwhrescue.org/

The Spirit of The Horse is the holiday program that Paula choreographs, here’s a trailer: https://www.hwhrescue.org/spirit-of-the-horse

Yes, I’m back for another edition of talking to you from my car and this time I’m riffing on how a family or group connects through “in jokes” or shorthand phrases. People from the outside don’t necessarily understand them, let alone find them funny - they’re definitely, you had to be there, type situations.

I’m making the case that crafting these shared experiences into a bite sized catch phrases not only creates group cohesion but is creativity in action.

Give it a listen and then let me know what you think! xBec🤎

📝Key Takeaways

🤝 Shared Stories are Tiny Acts of Creativity
Inside jokes, shortened & repeated phrases, as well as quirky habits become emotional shorthand that strengthen connection and belonging within families, friend & work groups.

🧂 Meaning Lives in Shared Experience
Things like “doing a Rebecca” or asking for “seven seconds” only make sense to the people inside the story and that’s exactly what makes them powerful.

💛 Creativity Isn’t Always Art, Sometimes it’s a Simple Way to Connect
The little traditions, sayings, and running gags we create together weave individual moments into our collective memory.

🔗Links & Resources Mentioned

The benefits of hugging for seven (or 20) seconds.

• More hugging is associated with a lower cortisol awakening response (CAR) the next day: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10094596/#sec5-ijerph-20-05340

• From Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/keep-it-in-mind/202201/what-20-seconds-hugging-can-do-you

The benefits of inverting (always consult your medical provider for possible contraindications): https://www.ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT1807265.pdf

Cover photo by Viktor Talashuk on Unsplash

Additional photos below by Blond Fox & Umanoide on Unsplash

In reference to the acts that didn’t make it into the final (I was watching semi-final #1) one of the commentators, who’s a previous contestant, mentioned not only the singers’ obvious disappointment, but that all the other creatives who gather around each act: the costumers, choreographers, lighting designers, etc., as well as their families and support systems, would be equally devastated.

As usual my little, tiny mind found a through-line to this week’s podcast.

In this episode I’m talking to my friend and crazily creative producer, Amy Sanyer. Amy and I go waaaaaaaay back, we met in our 20s and now we’re in our 60s - you do the maths. We have had many an adventure. She runs Brolly Arts, an umbrella arts organisation that curates community based projects as a way to champion important social and environmental issues.

The conversation explores Amy’s evolution from dancer to arts producer, her methodology of championing independent artists through collaboration, and her ongoing work addressing the Great Salt Lake’s environmental crisis through creative mediums.

Brolly Arts is a nimble (read small) organisation but has built many, many, connections and relationships over its 30 year history. It has a really supportive network just like all those Eurovision Acts. We talk about Brolly Arts’ birthday party, which will include some of that collaborative network in the celebration, and we find out about Amy’s undeniable creativity and enthusiastically hopeful world view.

I can’t wait for you to listen!

xBec

📝Key Takeaways

🎨 Being Born Inherently Creative
Some people are born as creative souls. Amy was encouraged by incredible teachers and discovered that movement not only ties the physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual, but is her language for understanding the world. She describes creativity as the ability to absorb what we see, feel, and experience. It then needs time to transform into something meaningful and uniquely our own.

🎭 Becoming a Producer & Creating Containers for Independent Artists
While Amy began as an artist herself, she eventually realised her greatest contribution was helping other artists thrive. She saw that many talented creatives struggled with the practical side of presenting and sustaining their work, so she shifted toward producing. Through Brolly Arts, she created spaces where independent artists could experiment, collaborate, and develop their voices without pressure to immediately deliver polished outcomes.

🌏 Community Problems as a Scaffold for Creative Solutions
Amy’s creative process often begins with paying attention to the challenges facing a community and then thinking outside of the box for solutions. She uses creativity as a way to bring people into important conversations through emotion, storytelling, and shared experience. Whether exploring water, land, or cultural connection, her projects demonstrate how creative work can help communities better understand themselves and imagine new possibilities together.

🤝 Dream Big, Collaborate & Play the Long Game
A major theme throughout Amy’s journey is the power of collaboration. Her projects are built through long-term relationships and networks of people who believe in a shared purpose. She speaks openly about how trust takes time and how meaningful collaboration only happens when ego is removed from the process. The episode highlights that big creative visions are rarely achieved quickly and must always contain an element of hope.

☘️ Arts Projects Help Communities Buy Into Change
Amy believes art has the unique ability to engage people without telling them what to think. Instead of creating barriers, creative projects invite curiosity, emotional connection, and participation. Through performances, films, and collaborative initiatives, communities become active participants in conversations around growth, sustainability, and belonging. Her work shows that when people feel emotionally connected to an issue, they are far more likely to engage with meaningful change.

🎉 Brolly Arts at 30 - Why it Matters
Celebrating 30 years of Brolly Arts is about more than longevity, it’s about recognising the ripple effect of investing in independent artists and creative communities over time. The anniversary honours the countless collaborations, careers, and community conversations that grew from Amy’s vision. It also reflects the evolution of an organisation that continually adapted while staying committed to creativity, connection, and giving artists a platform to be seen and heard.

🔗Links & Resources Mentioned

Brolly Arts Website: https://brollyarts.org/

Mary Wigman, modern dance pioneer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wigman

The best thing I found on Inge Weiss!: https://jamescharleslyons.com/inga-weiss-chocolate-heads/

Rudolf von Laban, responsible for so much about how we organise movement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_von_Laban

Repertory Dance Theatre’s history (Amy and Bec’s previous employer): https://rdtutah.org/about-us/our-history/

Twig Media Lab: https://www.twigmedialab.com/

Grow The Flow: https://growtheflowutah.org/

Ahn Trio: https://www.ahntrio.com/trio

Michael Nyman composer: https://www.michaelnyman.com/

SB Dance: https://sbdance.com/about/

The Vibrancy Society (that’s me): https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/

🙏 If you enjoyed this episode please rate, review, and share so more people can discover the joy of creativity. Thanks heaps, Bec

Share

It’s a story about how easy it is to become complacent in our lives and how lessons from the circus can help to re-ignite our passions.

There were a tonne of what I called “nuggets of wisdom” and I hope you enjoy the listen.

xBec🤎

📝Key Takeaways

🌟Take A Chance

Success without passion feels empty and admitting things need to change is hard. Just because you have no idea what you’re looking for doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep searching.

🚪 Don’t Overthink Things

Unexpected opportunities may actually be the right path forward. Open a new door (or several) to see where it might lead.

🎯 Get Comfy With Being Uncomfortable

Change demands courage. Stepping beyond your comfort zone and embracing mistakes is where you will grow.

🤝 Finding Your Spark Is Easier Through Teamwork

Creativity is rarely solo work. Trust, collaboration, and many different points of view allow individuals to perform beyond what they could alone.

💥 We Grow Through Failure

Success comes from letting go of old identities and being willing to evolve over and over, and over again.

💎 Reinvention Is Possible

There is no single formula for creative success. We all have a creative spark and if we can keep it lit then life will feel more fulfilling.

🙏Do all the good things: Rate, Review, and Share with a friend.

🔗Links & Resources

The Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/79354/cirque-du-soleil-r-the-spark-by-created-by-lyn-heward-and-written-by-john-u-bacon/

John U. Bacon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_U._Bacon

Lyn Heward - she’s retired but here’s a bio: https://grupobcc.com/en/speakers/lyn-heward/

Cirque du Soleil’s Ka: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ka

The Vibrancy Society: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/

As always I’m very excited about my podcast guest. Today’s episode features my friend, Natalie Collie, who is a lecturer at the University of Queensland in The School of Communication & Arts. Yes, she’s a Dr.🤓

Nat’s remit is to teach writing to students from varying disciplines whose future jobs will require them knowing how to write. (maybe she could help me edit that very awkward sentence?) Her approach is informed by a personal and academic interest in creativity and storytelling and she’s helped hundreds of students develop a regular writing practice.

Let’s just say she knows her s**t and I think you’ll really enjoy our conversation.

📝Key Takeaways

🧩 Creativity is Recombination, Not Invention
Nat sees creativity as collaging, quilting, and cobbling ideas together. It’s less about being completely original and more about transforming what already exists into something new.

🎈 Playful, Low Stakes Creativity Unlocks Confidence
After her own experience with writer’s block, Nat teaches with empathy. Divergent thinking comes first and keeps us in flow. The critical voice is still important but she has to wait for her turn to show up.

🌏 Storytelling Builds Connection and Community
Embodied creative practices help us orient ourselves to place. Nat’s research shows storytelling can strengthen regional communities and keep them vibrant.

🎓 Teaching Creativity in a Changing World is Complex
Post-Covid learning shifts, AI, student stressors, and neurodiversity have all reshaped education. Nat finds creative ways to teach and assess writing while keeping it fair and authentic.

🧒 Creativity Reconnects Us to Our Inner Child
Sharing projects with her kids and embracing her neuro-spicy brain has helped Nat rediscover playful curiosity and move beyond creative blocks.

🌱 Baby Steps are a Radical Creative Act
Low pressure experimentation, forgiving beginner mistakes, making things just for fun, and giving yourself heaps of time are powerful ways to nurture a creative practice.

✨ We’re Wired for Creativity
Life fulfilment comes from following what excites us and one clue is remembering what made us lose track of time as kids.

🔗Episode Links

Nat’s official bio: https://communication-arts.uq.edu.au/profile/344/natalie-collie

Research on flow state in dancers: https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/psy-research/358/

Research on embodiment & time: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/S15326934CRJ1402_9

The Artist’s Way: https://juliacameronlive.com/book/the-artists-way-a-spiritual-path-to-higher-creativity/

Father of Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Ted Talk: "What makes a life worth living?” https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_flow_the_secret_to_happiness

The Vibrancy Society: https://thevibrancysociety.com

I hope you find the time for some low stakes creativity this week and don’t forget to share, rate, follow, or

Leave a comment

xBec🤎

My brother-in-law Kirk sat down with me the end of last year for a discussion on his passion for photography and how revisiting his journal helped him process my sister Pippa’s death, and that even if he doesn’t understand it, why he feels compelled to turn it into a book.

📝Show Notes & Key Takeaways

📷 Creativity Can Begin Quietly:
While Kirk didn’t see himself as creative growing up, in retrospect he realises he was subtly exposed to it through his dad’s photography.

🌏 Passion Sometimes Grows Over Time:
Even though Kirk picked up a camera in high school it wasn’t until an overseas trip as an adult that documenting life evolved into capturing emotion and a deeper desire to tell stories through images.

🎯 Photography Blends Art, Technical Skill, and Sometimes a Whole Heap of Patience:

According to Kirk this involves:

• multiple scouting trips & vantage points for optimal composition and lighting (sometimes months in advance)

• the technical nuts and bolts of camera settings

• the push and pull available in post-processing to shape emotion and meaning

🔁 Creativity is a Lifelong Compulsion:
One of the things Kirk enjoys about photography is that it’s a never ending learning process, it has no finish line. The urge to capture a scene - he sees something and has to shoot it - is ongoing and deeply personal.

🛠️ Creativity Can Help You Temporarily Keep a Lid on Grief:
During Pippa’s illness, cabinetmaking provided structure, distraction, and calm. Journaling became a safe place to process overwhelming emotions. That journal is now evolving into a book.

🌄 Nature as Solace and Inspiration:
Time outdoors clears Kirk’s mind, grounds him emotionally, and connects him deeply to himself. It also shapes his photographic vision with respect for the natural world.

🔥 Creativity Projects Won’t be Quieted Until Expressed:
For Kirk, his creative projects come from an undeniable compulsion to get them out into the world. It doesn’t matter how ephemeral or if anybody but you likes it, the value lies in giving your inner voice form.

🔗Links:

Find Kirk: https://www.instagram.com/kirkmphoto?igsh=MTcxc3h6MG5rYTdh / https://www.kirkmarshallphotography.com/color-landscapes#img-2606-hdr-ps-700-3712

Andy Goldsworthy’s ephemeral art: https://andygoldsworthystudio.com/archive/

Podcast Ep Book Review Elizabeth Gilbert’s big Magic: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/p/s1-e2-big-magic-the-first-book-review?r=udx6p

Find it in Apple Podcasts: ttps://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/exploring-creativity-threads-bones/id1776771078?i=1000686874111

Find it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3nMDxkHiHywywTd4UM5MW7?si=55LQvvUqTkucA6oU2uFQbw

Find Me: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/

*Cover photo by Kirk Marshall*

From Kirk:

The Travertine Leaf images were taken in Pamukkale, Turkey. (Pippa and I were there in April, 2012.) The area has a number of springs that are laden with dissolved calcium carbonate (limestone) which precipitates out of the water upon expulsion to the surface. The Orig file is the image straight out of the camera. The subject of the image is obviously the mineral encrusted leaf, which I tried to emphasize with the editing of the image in the Edit file.

The one titled Pipes and Bins is the one I discussed during the session. I shot it just outside of Royal City, Washington.

*update, April, ‘26* Here are some of the photos from Kirk and Bart’s trip to the desert. Enjoy!!

Here’s the plea😉

If you like this episode then please like, share, rate, or review.

Thanks heaps,

xBec🤎

What drives you to be creative?

In the case of my guest and friend, Tracey Fischer, some of its FOMO. Basically it kills her to feel like she’s missing out on any creative adventure; she just wants to be EVERYWHERE experiencing ALL THE THINGS. In this episode of Threads and Bone: exploring creativity, I sit down with this creative force, and intuitive explorer for a deep, meandering, and soul enriching conversation about creativity not only as a way of life but the only way to exist.

From modern dance and Butoh, to sculpting, hairdressing, architectural design, world travel, and aquatic bodywork, Tracey’s path defies linear definition. Together, we reminisce and explore what it means to create without editing, to trust intuition before technique, and to let creativity serve as a direct path back to spirit.

This episode is an invitation to rethink creativity, not as a product, but as a practice of listening, surrendering, and allowing something greater to move through you. Expect stories of sculpting faces that seem to arrive from elsewhere, dancing as meditation, water as healer, and the courage to keep reinventing yourself at any age.

📝Show Notes & Key Takeaways

💨 Creativity Begins With Surrender:
When engaged in any creative pursuit Tracey learned that the first attempt must be completely freeform. Begin with no judgment, no perfection, no brain because trying to refine too early will block the creative flow.

🧭 Movement As A Path To Spirit:
Dance and movement have been Tracey’s lifelong portal to spirit, healing, and self-understanding. Even as her mediums shift, movement remains central to how she processes and creates. Creativity then becomes a cyclical relationship between movement, stillness, and inspiration.

🌍 Curiosity Is A Compass, aka FOMO:
Travel, sculpting, artist residencies, diving, sailing, tango, and design, the girl is curious about (and good at) it all! Tracey follows fascination wherever it leads because for her, creativity thrives on trusting her intuition, saying “yes” before certainty arrives.

👁️ Art Can Arrive Through You, Not From You:
Some sculptures felt less “made” and more received. Tracey describes continuing until “someone is staring back,” blurring the line between artist, channel, and witness. She speaks of embodied knowledge and trusts that the body knows shape, form, and truth without conscious thought.

🌊 Water As Collaborator And Healer:
Tracey’s current love and work centres on aquatic bodywork, blending dance, stillness, and somatic healing. She emphasises that the water is the primary healer and she is a guide. She feels honoured creating a safe container where the body can unwind, remember, and resolve on its own terms.

🌀 Reinvention Doesn’t Expire:
Tracey’s continuing story challenges the idea that bold change belongs only to the young.

🎙️Episode Links

✨For a glimpse into Tracey’s evolving work with water, body-based healing, and intuitive practice connect with her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waterbodyandstone?igsh=MW9laGk5ZWxrNGV3aw==

✨More information on WATSU and Tracey’s Practitioner Profile

✨The bastard child: Aguahara

✨An interesting study on Sufi Dancing

✨Info on Butoh

✨Where you can find me chatting about how to live a more vibrant life! https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/

✨I tried to find the podcast that Tracey referenced but do you know how many shows are called The Breakdown? A tonne and none of them lined up with what the heck she was talking about.

Enjoy the listen,

🤎xBec

episode cover photo by Yoann Boyer on Unsplash

Just a reminder that there are two episodes on the one book because the original, rough recording of the full episode was close to two hours! While I managed to whittle it down to an hour and eighteen minutes, Garage Band told me it was more than the maximum allowable length for a “song”.

📝Notes on this Episode

We’re looking at the last four habits that will help us to unlock our full creative potential which are:

• boosting our brainwave states & mind-mapping

• self-care & nourishing the soul

• being a maverick

• future gazing.

Each Chapter/Habit has many journaling prompts as well as other creative exercises. I did most but not all and share my reflections.

🧠 Habit 4 - Boosting Brainwave States & Mind-Mapping

This chapter explores how creativity isn’t just inspiration but is also neurological. Susie looks at all five brainwave states (delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma), at how they affect us, and how we can shift states to access deeper creativity.

She introduces Mind Mapping as a non-linear, visual thinking tool that mirrors how the brain actually works. Mind Mapping helps to connect ideas and expands how we see creative endeavours. We can find possibilities instead of limitations.

🌿 Habit 5 - Self-Care & Nourishing the Soul

This chapter reframes self-care as a creative responsibility, not an indulgence. When we’re depleted, whether it be emotionally, physically, or spiritually, our imagination narrows; when we’re nourished, it expands. Susie’s reading from my Pillars of Health playbook, mentioning many of the same things I do for replenishment: good sleep, good food, good relationships, juicy movement, etc. etc.

🧨 Habit 6 - Be a Maverick

This chapter is about courage and not being afraid to shake things up. Susie invites readers to question norms, challenge expectations, and trust their inner authority even if it means standing apart. Staying curious and embracing our authenticity will help us find our creativity.

🔮 Habit 7: Future-Gazing

The final habit focuses on creativity as a future-shaping tool. In our exceedingly fast paced world and especially with the advent of AI, Susie encourages us to consciously incorporate creativity into our lives, projects, and identities. As we move into the future our humanity and creativity is what separates us from machines.

🔗Links

Susie Pearl’s website with book information: https://www.susiepearl.com/books/the-art-of-creativity/

More of Me, your host, Bec Forde: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/

The book review on The Art of Creativity, 7 Powerful Habits to Unlock Your Full Potential, by Susie Pearl is broken into two episodes. This first episode looks at the first three habits.

Why?

I took sooooooo many notes that the original, rough recording of the full episode was close to two hours! I managed to whittle it down to an hour and eighteen minutes, yay! But, I edit in Garage Band and evidently there’s a maximum allowable length for a “song” and the episode length was too long, boo!

📝Notes on this Episode

We’re looking at the first three habits that will help us to unlock our full creative potential which are facing our fears, journaling our inner world, and 🤞mastering mindful presence.

Each Chapter has a lot of journaling exercises as well as other creative ways to uncover a different way forward. I share some of my answers and reflections.

🧠 Habit 1 - Fears and Blocks and How to Overcome Them

It should be no surprise that fears and internal blocks are universal and not just for those we think of as artists. Susie guides us to identify what holds us back from creative expression encouraging us to meet them with curiosity and gentle awareness. The exercises here are about recognising the stories we tell ourselves that keep us small, and gently shifting our mindset toward possibility instead of limitation.

✍️ Habit 2 - Journaling

Susie feels journaling is a hugely important habit for clarity. Journaling allows us to find the emotions and creative impulses that often remain hidden in the subconscious. Throughout this chapter, journaling is presented as a creative outlet and diagnostic tool, helping us to have a conversation with “the self”.

🧘 Habit 3 - Meditation and Breathing

Creativity flourishes when the mind is calm and present. This chapter invites readers to explore the power of simple meditation, paying particular attention to the breath, as a portal to creative flow. Susie uses meditation to anchor into her body and breath before creating.

🔗Links

Susie Pearl’s website with book information: https://www.susiepearl.com/books/the-art-of-creativity/

Book about Eleanor (& Franklin) Roosevelt, No Ordinary Time, by Doris Kearns Goodwin

More of Me, your host, Bec Forde: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/

So while I work through that reflective process, I’m keeping it topical and bringing you a real-time December episode about holiday creativity and how decorating changes through different stages of life.

I talk contrasts: Maximalist to Minimalist, White Christmases to Tropical Summer Holidays. As usual I’ll share stories including the complicated feelings that came with redefining what “festive” looks like, and how new traditions can come about and bring you joy.

I also ask the question:
Is it creativity if we’re doing it because we think we “should”?

IMHO, my reflections offer a thoughtful take on obligation, nostalgia, and the freedom to let Christmas evolve.

📌Show Notes/Takeaways

🎁 Decorating can shift year to year and that’s normal: energy levels, family dynamics, and your actual space will all shape your holiday creativity.

💫 Meaning often lives in the small, personal details: every ornament tells a story or invokes a memory and even simple displays become part of your history.

🎅 Maximalist displays (even with generators!) and quiet minimalism both count: there’s no “right way” to express creativity during the holidays.

💡 Obligation vs. inspiration is a real tension but both can lead to creative choices: remember limitations can be stifling or sometimes spark something new.

🐉 Decorate unexpected things (like a dragon/giraffe mailbox?): let your creativity surface in non-traditional ways.

Listen now and get inspired to weave creativity (like a garland) into your own life and don’t forget to follow, rate or leave a review!

More info on me, your host Bec, at The Vibrancy Society

Here’s the house I mention towards the end of the ep - do you think it’s (too) busy and noisy?

Leave a comment

And here are some of my favourite decorations plus my number one pooch, Charlie, who is definitely not vibing on the holidays

This episode is one long, meander through how communities use creativity to be seen, remembered, and visited. It’s a bit of a Bec-Brain-Dump episode.

🌟 Episode Takeaways

🎨 How Towns Creatively Tell Their Stories

Small towns use art, stories, landmarks, history & events to say, “We’re unique, here’s why you should come visit us.”

🫣 Is Marketing Just Creativity In Disguise?

Many creative endeavours are stand outs but not all creative branding hits the mark. A clever logo or charming campground description can absolutely sway where you spend the night but could be an oversold surprise.

🎭 Community Driven Events Are Magic

Creativity thrives when communities lead the way and oftentimes doesn’t need polish, just heart and a little bit of ingenuity.

🌱 Creativity Can Be A Survival Strategy

Reinvention from drought-born tourism ventures or leaning into local stories can help small towns stay relevant and create community.

Subscribe now

🔗Links:

Find me here: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/

The Big Pink Pig/Potato: https://www.nsw.gov.au/visiting-and-exploring-nsw/locations-and-attractions/big-potato

Explore Longreach, QLD: https://experiencelongreach.com.au/

The Golden Gumboot: https://www.queensland.com/au/en/things-to-do/attractions/p-5e212b7341d42062583e8230-tully-golden-gumboot

The Big Mango: https://www.tourismbowen.com.au/the-big-mango/

The Big Pineapple: https://bigpineapple.com.au/

The Fate of the Captain Cook Statue: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-18/cairns-captain-cook-statue-finds-new-home/100918772

If you ever want to be creative, just get started. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Better to start imperfectly than never perfectly

🦜In this warm and *ahem* sometimes tangential chat, Bec reconnects with her friend (& old client) Wibke Rettberg who’s a passionate upcycler, nature-lover, and creative spirit. Wibke finds beauty in the overlooked and overused and joy in the process of creation, whatever takes her fancy she pursues.

From “messy runs” (yes, you’ll want to hear about those!) to the tug-of-war between creating and selling, this episode celebrates imperfection, curiosity, and the simple ways creativity shows up in everyday life. Re-composing beauty is the way to go.

✨ Show Notes / Takeaways:

🗣️1. Creativity in Conversation
Sometimes the best chats meander and that’s part of the joy.

🚫 2. Perfectionism is Overrated
Follow your muse, go ahead and leave projects unfinished to embrace the act of simply making whatever you’re drawn to.

🧵 3. The Maker’s Dilemma.
Handmade and one-of-a-kind creations make the heart full but scaling them can be a tough balance between creativity and the realities of commerce.

🫠 4. The Word of the Day is Messy
Wibke’s “messy runs” (curbside treasure hunts) or innate ability to create a mess 5 minutes into a project remind us that creativity often begins in chaos.

🐚 5. Small Acts of Creation can Make You Happy
Whether it’s rearranging flowers, fashioning a quick necklace, or using empty cartons for a bit of art therapy, creativity can help change your mindset.

🔗 Links & Shout Outs

🫶Here are some of Wibke’s creations but follow her on Instagram for more: knots_loops_individual_unique

Follow Me:
☀️ The Vibrancy Society – My newsletter on living a bold, creative life
🐉 Dragonfly Pilates & Movement – My movement business and happy teaching place

If you loved this episode, please:
💬 Leave a review
📤 Share it with a friend
📌 Follow the podcast wherever you listen

OMG, I’m back! Here’s the first episode of Season Two of Exploring Creativity: Threads & Bones! 🎉
I’m kicking things off with Nicole Harper - creative leader, festival director, and community powerhouse. This was such a fun chat! Together we dive into how curiosity and courage fuel a creative life, the power of DIY beginnings, and why thriving communities should be built from the ground up.

🎬 About Nicole:
I know Nicole through her work as Festival Director of the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival. She’s also the Co-Founder and Director of Loose Knit Productions, is co-director of Space Girls Festival, and sits on the boards of both CAGR (Creative Arts Gympie Region) and the Gympie Chamber of Commerce. She’s a passionate advocate for community-driven creativity and regional arts.

😉In this episode, not only do we follow Nicole’s 20 year journey to her current (and amazing) CV, but we get a BTS look at the Heart of Gold fest, running October 9th-12th, 2025, right here in Gympie, QLD.

🌟 Episode Takeaways:

💪 DIY Spirit - Nicole’s adventurous, self-reliant attitude (that her parents had in spades) has carried her through every chapter of her life.

🤝 Community First - Real impact starts from the ground up. When communities lead the conversation, creativity thrives.

🎥 Evolving Leadership - In her second year as Heart Of Gold festival director, Nicole champions openness, access, and experimentation - so many ideas but she is a wolfpack of one!

🌱 Curiosity is Key - Creativity isn’t rare, it’s everywhere and is for everyone. All it takes is curiosity and the courage to explore.

🧐Deeper Dives:

🍿The Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival https://www.heartofgold.com.au/

🙌Nicole’s IG https://www.instagram.com/nicoleharperart/?hl=en

🎸Space Girls Festival https://www.facebook.com/spacegirlsfestival?

🤩The Vibrancy Society https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/

🤎Dragonfly Pilates & Movement https://www.dragonflypilates.com.au/

🎙️Remember your reviews and ratings and shares of this, or any episode, are greatly appreciated. xBec

cover photo by Aldebaran S on Unsplash

Hello hello hello — it’s Bec back behind the mic with the Season 2 trailer of Threads & Bones! After a break for travel and projects, I’m ready to dive into more conversations, reviews, and reflections on all things creativity.

Here’s what you can expect this season:

SOS DS?(same old shit different season?)🤔🤣

🎤 Interviews - candid chats with makers, thinkers, and doers about how creativity has shaped their lives and work
📚 Book reviews - I’m working my way through gems from my small-town library
🛻 I Dibs The Front - ride along as I riff on creativity from my ute
📅 Fortnightly drops - with a few flexible surprises along the way

And, as always, this season is proudly sponsored by me! Between Dragonfly Pilates & Movement, my retreats, and my writing at The Vibrancy Society, this podcast is one part of the creative ecosystem I’m building for a vibrant life. Basically it’s all one big, crazy experiment!

Thanks for listening - whether you’re brand new or have been along for all 20 episodes of Season 1, I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s dive into Season 2 together!

cover photo by Dan LeFebvre on Unsplash

I talk about why now felt like the right time to pause, the three episode formats that have taken shape, and what I’ve learned about creativity through this whole podcast experiment. TBH this project has stretched my brain, my introvert edges, and even my handwriting muscles.

Sound quality should be good because, hey, I recorded it from the desk in my studio not the car! Hopefully it’s not too rambly.

It’s just an honest chat about the joy of starting something you love especially when you’re not sure where it’s heading - I mean what would be the fun in that??

Here’s what I touch on:

🔢 Why I’m calling it Season One
Because 20 is a nice round number (and tidy demarcations are so satisfying) annnnnnd also because life is lifing - taxes x2, renovation chaos and dust - so much dust, and a brain that needs a breather. It's time for a little space and reflection.

🎙️ The three types of episodes I’ve been making

• Interviews: They light me up and I get to experience the conversations twice

• Book reviews: Who knew they’d turn into mini research projects (not to mention hand workouts)

• Car rants chats: aka “I Dibs the Front Seat,” where the engine noise and my thinking out loud fight for your attention

🎨 Comments on creativity
How the podcast has made me think about product vs process, the tension between unbridled creativity and systems, and the maybe weird-but-true performance energy behind teaching Pilates and podcasting.

🌱 The three biggest benefits I’ve gained

1. I'm learning (yay for neuroplasticity!)

2. I’m stretching the edges of my introvert bubble

3. I’ve felt the warm fuzzies from your lovely feedback and messages

📬 Send Help

Got thoughts on the formats? Want more of something? Less of something? A new idea? I'm all ears. Email me (dragonflypilates@earthlink.net), or send it via a carrier pigeon? Either way I'd love to hear what you'd like to hear in Season Two.

Remember you can find me at The Vibrancy Society

(the music behind me during the body of this episode is from Denis Pavlov)

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In this milestone episode of Threads & Bones, I sit down with trauma informed coach and creative guide Alexandra Walker to explore how creativity isn’t just a luxury, it can be a lifeline. We also talk about the entwinement of creativity with logic and how they work together to help us unpack unhealthy coping mechanisms. We can move through our life storms, reframe our challenges, and find our voice again.

Among other things we hear about Alexandra’s “two buckets” of creativity, the impact of teachers who see our potential, the power of metaphor and storytelling, and the way unresolved pain can masquerade as a busy, “successful” life.

Between reflections on moving past childhood trauma, coping mechanisms, the joys of Munro bagging, figuring out how to be comfortable with an empty diary, and overcoming the fear of sharing our creative work, this episode is a rich reflection on what it means to live a creative life through chaos and calm alike.

✨ Show Notes & Takeaways

🎨 We’re all creative, remember it’s not a gift for the chosen few, it’s part of what makes us human.
🪣 Alexandra’s “two buckets” of creativity: #1 the traditional expressive arts, and #2 the multifaceted, all angles approach to innovative problem solving.
👩‍🏫 A great teacher can change everything, especially when they see your potential before you do (watering can badgers anyone?)
🌀 Busyness can be a mask for pain and usually there’s a tipping point to make us reassess our “success”. Our intuition might not always be right but can guide us to make changes.
🌿 Space, in nature and in our heads, can heal. The “void” isn’t empty, instead it’s where the creative magic begins.
🎶 Alexandra’s metaphor “Singing After the Storm” helps us understand how to shed our not-serving-us-anymore coping armour to live more fully in our truth.
🧰 Journaling can be an important part of your “storm tool kit.” Use your own words or borrow someone else’s until your voice comes.

🫣 Sharing your creativity is always scary, it’s hard to be vulnerable. Lean into knowing it’s meant for the right people, not everyone.
👑 You don’t need to be rescued. You can rescue yourself! Damsel Not in Distress.

🔗 Episode Sponsor & Links

🤪This episode is lovingly sponsored by… me!

🙌Find Alexandra in all these groovy places and download her freebie:

• Website: https://www.damselnotindistress.co.uk/

• LinkedIn (for professionals): https://www.linkedin.com/in/al3xandra-walker/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damselnotindistressltd/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damsel_notin_distress/

The free guide to her model, Sing After The Storm: https://www.damselnotindistress.co.uk/sing-after-the-storm-guide

🙃Find Me here:

✨Sign up for my newsletter: The Vibrancy Society
😍Move with me: Dragonfly Pilates & Movement

🙏If you love what you’re hearing:
🌟 Leave a review
📩 Share the episode
➕ Follow the show

We talk parenting and partnership, the magic of building your creative warehouse (yes, really), and the joy of having your craziest ideas supported by someone who loves you to the bone. Lourdes also opens up about her struggles and how she’s dealing with big transitions: moving, downsizing, leaving a job, and beginning a new career, all while nurturing her family and herself.

Her podcast Success Starts with Self Love is launching a new series in August on Wholeness, and trust me, listening to her is infectious in the best possible way. It’s def one you’ll want in your ears.

🎙️ Episode Takeaways

✨ Creativity is modelled (or not) from the start: Childhood inspiration from an artistic mom and resourceful dad shaped Lourdes’ maker mindset and creative problem solving skills.

🪚 An equal partnership makes everyone’s dreams possible: Lourdes + hubby, Dave + Communication = One Creative Power Team (with some woodworking skills to boot!).

🎨 Parenting & Creativity: Unconditionally supporting her daughters’ ideas (rainbow soup anyone?) builds their confidence and resilience. Plus creative parenting is a must have since no two kids are alike.

📦 Stocking your Creative Warehouse: Lourdes found a way to do all the creative things she loves; she doesn’t have to niche down to only one thing so she can go where the muse takes her.

🏡 New career for both sides of her brain: She maybe might have found the perfect path blending her passion, her love of home, and her number crunching & people skills.

💗 Changes - Out with the old and in with the new: A new city, a new career, and a new podcast series! How to keep loving and supporting yourself through life’s big transitions.

🧐Find Us & Explore

Lourdes’ podcast Success Starts With Self Love: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/success-starts-with-self-love/id1682293022

Lourdes’ online shop: https://luluhandmadegifts.com/

Painted Tree Boutiques, right now Lourdes is featured at the Dulles, VA store (booth A-2) but as of November 2025 her works will be at the Glen Ellen store.

Painted Tree Boutique, Dulles, VA a short tour, check out Lourdes’ candles at the 2:38 minute mark.

Sign up for my newsletter for all things creativity & movement & living a more vibrant life: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/

Take an On Demand Pilates class from me: https://www.dragonflypilates.com.au/online_store

🤩Do All the Things

🌟Rate 🌟 Review 🌟 and Share this episode!

A year on from my sister Pippa’s death, I talk about how shared jewellery, clothing, and even a tattoo have become powerful reminders of her. They are some of the ways I carry her with me, literally and emotionally. I also share the story of a woman who recently lost her daughter and her journey to release her late daughter’s music as a posthumous gift to the world. Her deeply moving example fuelled my thoughts on how creativity can help us both say goodbye and keep someone close.

So, whether it’s making a playlist, writing through the sadness, or crafting something in tribute, this is a gentle invitation to consider how creativity can be a thread between loss and love.

Key Takeaways:
💫 Creativity offers a language for grief, buffering the overwhelm
💍 Sentimental objects and shared items can hold surprising emotional weight
🎞️ Creating something for someone is also about making it for yourself
🎧 Playlists and music create communal artefacts for remembrance
🖋️ Creative rituals as memorials can be small, symbolic, or lifelong. They matter and you get to choose what they are
💌 You’re invited: I’d love to hear how you’ve used creativity to honour your loved ones. If you’re keen to share you can reach me at: dragonflypilates@earthlink.net

📙Pippa was an adventurer and for two years she taught high school English in the UAE. She started a blog to share her new life with her friends and family: https://pippasperegrinations.wordpress.com/about/

🌏 If this episode resonates with you, please consider following Threads & Bones on Apple Podcasts, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might find comfort in it.

You can also subscribe to my newsletter at The Vibrancy Society for more musings on creativity, life, and all the beautiful in-betweens.

Thanks for listening,

xBec

In this episode of Threads & Bones, I sit down with my brilliant niece Emma, a recent design school grad who bravely moved to London to kickstart her creative career. Our chat touches on everything from design philosophy, realising that studying what excites you is not a crazy idea, imposter syndrome, and what it means to live creatively, even when you're still putting down roots in a new city.

We *ahem* might’ve kept talking long after the mics were technically “off,” but I’ve captured some golden moments that I think you’ll love.

Here are the takeaways from today’s episode:

✨ Creativity isn’t just drawing “well” it’s a skill that can be built like a muscle. With intention and practice, creativity is open to everyone if they’re willing to put in some effort.

🛠️ Design has many meanings and for Emma, it’s where beautiful, aesthetically pleasing form meets function. Design brings a sense of order to her world and shows up throughout her life.

👀 Creative role models matter and seeing others live creatively helps you realise what's possible. Your creative life will rightfully be completely unique to you.

🌆 Inspiration is everywhere and London’s cultural richness is the perfect research lab. Spending time germinating while figuring out how to break into your “Big C” career keeps you in a creative mindset.

💬 Imposter syndrome is real and everybody experiences it but trust that your journey will unfold exactly as it’s supposed to. Back yourself. Always.

🔗 Links + Calls to Action:

• 💖 Check Out Emma’s Website

• 🌐 Subscribe to The Vibrancy Society

• 🍎 Follow & Review on Apple Podcasts

• 🎶 Leave a Comment on Spotify

• 🙏 Share the episode with a friend or someone finding their creative path

The co-authors, an academic and a journalist, outline the ten often paradoxical habits and traits found in highly creative people. Creative minds are messy. They tend to be open and sensitive, imaginative and disciplined, playful and deeply introspective.

This book collates the massive amount of research surrounding creativity and distills it into the ten recurring traits that wire creative minds. A quarter of the book is the notes and references from each chapter!

After the introduction, I explore the ten chapters which each focus on one of the ten traits. Along the way there are quotes, stories of famous artists and thinkers and a few of my personal recollections.

Chapter Highlights

1. Imaginative Play is not just for kids, it sparks experimentation, innovation, and joy.

2. Passion’s deep, intrinsic motivation often keeps creatives going through the ups and downs.

3. Daydreaming? Just fall in love with your wandering mind already. Turns out, it’s doing important creative work behind the scenes.

4. Solitude allows creative thoughts to marinate and develop more deeply. Yes, alone time is good for you.

5. Intuition in the creative process is all about trusting your gut instincts and emotional insight.

6. Openness to Experience is the willingness to explore, be surprised, and embrace novelty.

7. Mindfulness (& meditation) allows being fully present for richer creative awareness even amidst our crazy chaotic lives.

8. Sensitivity shows up in creative folks as vulnerability, emotional depth and attunement to the world, often feeding powerful work.

9. Turning Adversity into Advantage channels many creatives’ struggles into fuel for expression and transformation.

10. Thinking Differently lets creatives see connections where others don’t, flipping the script on norms and assumptions.

This book is both a comfort and a nudge. It reminds us that creativity is definitely not a linear process. It’s messy, layered, and often contradictory.

Whether you’re a maker, thinker, feeler, or daydreamer, Wired to Create might help you understand (and appreciate) that being wired a little differently is often where the magic comes from.

🎧 Whether you live and breathe creativity or just want to peek inside the minds of those who do, you’ll want to hear this. Each chapter shows how the ten traits manifest and why they matter and how creatives see and move through the world.

Books & Resources Mentioned:

📖 Wired To Create by Scott Barry Kaufman & Caroline Gregoire
🗺️ Glass Town the Brontë siblings’ paracosm
📝 Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSP) by Aron & Aron
📚 Big Magic / The House That Joy Built / Two Beats Ahead - my previous book reviews
💖 The Vibrancy Society to sign up for my newsletter

💬 What did this book stir in you? Any takeaways or Aha-s? Leave me a comment so we can continue the conversation!