The start of something new
a glimpseof what coulD beThis is where the creative impulse begins. You notice what draws you in, gather ideas like clues, and let curiosity lead. You’re collecting seeds — images, phrases, sensations, questions — without knowing what they’ll become. This stage is about being open to what feels most alive, and the following it before you understand why.
WHERE OUR
PRACTICE
MEETS LIFE
Every beginning starts with an inexplicable pull towards something new. Something catches your attention and won’t let go. You read a sentence that feels like it’s speaking directly to you, taste something that fuels a memory, hear a song that stops you mid breath. That’s how it begins.
It’s the beginning of something wanting to emerge.
Your work is simply to pay attention. You don’t need to chase it; you just need to notice. Turn your head. Linger a moment. Notice what pulls at your attention. Follow it a little further. Be open to what it wants to show you.
Take the first step and follow the thread. Knowing where it leads isn’t important yet.
When you learn to honour these small invitations in your work, your relationships, your daily life, you learn to recognize when life is calling you toward change. It could be a career shift, a new relationship, a geographic move, a lifestyle change. It develops your capacity to embrace the unknown. To let your curiosity lead you somewhere you never expected
Follow what draws your attention, even if it makes no sense. Because the things that move you are never random, they’re coordinates on a map back to yourself.
Think of this as a constellation. The phases are connected but you can move through them in any order. Your creative rhythm is your own.
THE TAKEAWAY
SEE WHERE IT
TAKES YOU
Tools to make the most out of this practice
Approaching the spark with beginner's mind means encountering possibility without preconceptions. Be curious, playful and explore. This openness allows your creative work to reveal itself rather than forcing it into familiar patterns.
BEGINNER’S MIND (SHOSHIN)
PRACTICE “YES, AND…”
From improv theater—when an idea arrives, respond with "yes, and..." to practice accepting ideas without judgment and learn to build upon them. We can review, edit or combine with other ideas later.
Pick something you're drawn to that you feel drawn to and interested in. Give yourself one month to explore it purely out of curiosity. Take a class, read deeply, watch videos. Don't try to monetize it or justify it. Just follow it and see what you learn.
FOLLOW ENERGETIC PULLS
Write yourself a letter giving permission to do something you’ve been procrastinating on or dismissing. Start with "You have permission to ..." Say it out loud. Notice what happens when you stop resisting and lean into it.
THE PERMISSION SLIP
BEGIN WHERE YOU AREMake something with me
These exercises are here to guide you into an experience that’s already yours. Because that is really what its all about. It doesn't need to be perfect, or even good—just completed. I’ll share my own imperfect, messy versions along the way. If you’re feeling brave I’d love for you to submit and share your work with me.
Your exercise:
The Map of Right Now
Make a simple map of your current landscape, literal or emotional. The places, people, moods, and moments that make up your world right now.
Draw, collage, or decorate however you like. Label what you find there. What feels alive, what’s lingering, what’s calling for attention.
The aim of the practice:
To see what’s already present. To locate yourself in the moment and offering perspective. Mapping makes the abstract visible and helps you meet the present moment with curiosity.
