Exploring Creativity: Threads & Bones

Howdy Listeners,

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/

This week it’s another I Dibs the Front and it comes to you instead of a book review because what I’m reading to eventually share with you is full of great exercises and I’m committed to doing them and they are taking time - they’re also fun. (sorry about that huge, long, sentence!)

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 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 where you can see some of my favourite decorations plus that noisy, multi-generator display.

🚗 In this “I Dibs the Front Seat” episode, I take you along over a three car trip ramble that somehow manages to weave together the movie Babe, giant fruit, failed campground marketing, a local parade, drought-driven ingenuity, and why creativity might be the beating heart of every small town.

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.

🔗Some Fun 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 ConversationSometimes the best chats meander and that’s part of the joy.

🚫 2. Perfectionism is OverratedFollow 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 MessyWibke’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 HappyWhether 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

📝 Show Notes:

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

📝 Show Notes

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 s**t 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

This solo episode marks the end of Season One - a milestone that’s less about being finished and more about taking a breath. After 20 episodes, I’m reflecting on what’s worked, what’s challenged me, what I’ve learned, and what comes next.

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 OneBecause 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 creativityHow 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

* I'm learning (yay for neuroplasticity!)

* I’m stretching the edges of my introvert bubble

* 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 ([email protected]), 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)

Whoop, whoop we made it to 20 episodes! This week’s episode is for every soul, creative or otherwise, who’s faced a Life Storm and wondered how to keep going.

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 “two buckets” of creativity definition, 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, 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! Damsels 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

In this episode of Threads & Bones, I chat with the unstoppable, deeply creative Lourdes Ivette. She loves all the things! Whatever grabs her fancy, whether it’s crocheting, woodworking, baking, or candle making, she tries to master it. She’s also a mother, a podcaster, a human calculator, and all-around problem-solver. From her early days watching her mom turn raw materials into finished products, to her dad’s MacGyver-esque “brilliance”, Lourdes shares how her creativity has always been woven with resourcefulness.

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!

In this I Dibs the Front episode, I reflect on two things. First is how we use creativity in the grieving process, helping us deal with the immediate loss of a loved one. Second, how do we use creativity to remember and honour those we’ve lost - grief is always there.

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: [email protected]

📙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