Part of my living in the state of “whatnowness?” is getting back into the world and moving through it at a slower pace. These days I will often have my phone or camera in hand taking photos of what inspires me or moves me in some way. When I look through Instagram now it feels like something is missing. There is no slowness to be found. There are only questions raised. When there is an inspiration, a creative brief or mood board what is the “what now?” that follows and comes before the final realization that appears on your feed? This is the question that has always engaged me the most and why I think I actually started this blog. What happens between a designer’s inspiration and the final garment that walks down the runway? It is in that in-between space that there lies the potential for transparency and change. When we are moving too fast we are missing those opportunities that come from being immersed in the process of you or something you create “becoming”.
I was recently invited to do a photo walk and talk at an Apple store. The goal was in fact for me to make explicit the in-between of how one of my photos came to be, the space between inspiration and Instagram post. I must admit I really loved doing this and in some ways, it felt like I was back in front of the class again, Keynote slides and all. It was raining but that did not stop people from coming and then going out to take photos and learn some inside dish on the iPhone camera from the Apple creative team. When we returned there was a mini-lesson in editing and a slide show of everyone’s photos. What happened to me in thinking about and making explicit the process behind my photos was a re-engagement with the pleasure of the work. The pleasure was and is in the process. It is in the experience of going into the rain with engaged and creative people (many who were also in their “whatnowness”) and “being with”. At some point, no one cared that it was raining. And that is when you begin to move from “what now” and get lost in the “something”.
What’s your “something” these days?
Ah.. lovely post…this is the work of what we at QuinessentialYou Design refer to as ‘next indicated action’.. organic movement from essence to emerge form.
Love that…next indicated action. If I stay in my whatnowness I hope to find it.
I do not but I will make a note to post them on the blog.
Not only do I love your feed and your message, but you inspire me and always have. Which is one of the reasons I reached out to you a few years ago for the interview.
Maybe not related, but my something is more truth than anything. Anything. Life for me has gone in cycles. I was silent as a child. Loud as a teen and twenty something. I was more reserved in my thirties, louder in my forties but now in my fifties – I’m revisiting my loud teen years. I see something unfair or wrong and I ‘say’ something. I missed an opportunity a few weeks ago. An older man said an inappropriate thing to a 20 something and I didn’t say anything. I blame it on social graces but I will never do that again.
I will always love your content and voice Lyn and can’t wait to see what is in store for you!
Great to hear from you! Yes, we must be loud, there is a great deal that needs to be confronted at the moment.
This commentary is a breath of fresh air in a way too cluttered time.
Thank you, there are important things to be said, and my readers are saying them in their very wise comments.
Dear Lyn,
I am inspired by your writings and what you are doing now, looking for the in-betweens. We get lost in the immediacy of life that we forget to stop, look up, look down, look around. For almost a decade, I have been exploring life through a lens of beauty. I believe that everyone has a right to beauty, to seek it out, to revel in it, and be confident in their own ideas of beauty. The beauty of which I speak is broad – art, conversation, natural environment, etc. I would love to invite you to peruse my few postings and pages (I just started) and share your thoughts. My blog is Bonnie’s Beauty Salon at http://www.bonniesbeautysalon.com.
Thank you, I will take a look.
I loved this post!! It reminded me of a favorite quote of mine from Victor Frankl: Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. Your “whatnowness” topic has definitely capture my attention. Thank you!
it is a place where power resides and we can choose it if we wish.
love this Lynn!
This is the first installment I have received after subscribing to you communication and I am truly impressed that you so deftly verbalized what is so hard to put into words. You hit the nail on the head and I so look forward to reading more entries from you. You brought me back to my college days where learning was a love affair and not a chore. Thank you.
Wonderful, welcome back.
My something priority is being in the present moment. That’s where we find peace and joy — all we need.
I attend live concerts almost daily in Buenos Aires. I try to avoid sitting next to talkers, but that’s a challenge. I never hesitate asking a talker to stop (to be in the present moment). A concert is like attending church to hear a sermon. Those who talk are listening to all the chatter in their head, so they miss the sermon (concert). They can hardly wait for the music to end so they can verbalize all the chatter in their head which isn’t worth saying. They miss being in the moment and being one with the moment (sermon or music). We can’t give our undivided attention to two things at the same time. Those who talk miss the concert that nourishes our souls.
The people who came to hear you were in the present moment, so they didn’t care that it was raining.
Building my baby Balodana…it’s all consuming as my “something” on most days (and nights). The creative act of breathing a company to life is far more complicated than having a human child, but no less of a joy – and burden – simultaneously. Sometimes the little things make my whole day happy, like hearing that someone is transformed by a well made garment. Or I find a new detail to love. Sometimes it’s just learning a new trick in Excel but it’s a thing of beauty.
I do so enjoy your perspective and your writing. It’s chewy sometimes, like today, and gives me pause to stop and scratch a bit in the dirt.
You inspire me. I love the idea of nowness especially since I am already moving slow.
Came upon you accidentally! And how lovely and spontaneous you are… only now getting back into the sense of self beauty I felt for most of 65 years. Am now 74. All because took care of my husband, who died only recently from Altzheimer’s . My first love was Design if all types that I began at age 9! You are truly a lovely person… pleased I found your photo!
Thanks so much!
Lyn,
I think about what you are saying and I think “how do we get from here to there” and are we paying attention because this is our life. Keep posting your thoughtful ideas!
Exactly. Yes it is in the process that we find the deepest pleasure.
I think I’ve always lived in the ‘nowness’. Dwelling on the past is an enormous waste of time. When I hear people being all upset by things that happened – often long ago – I tell them to stop dwelling on it because you can’t change the past. But my advice is seldom ever taken on that subject. I love how you keep rediscovering and recreating yourself. Every day sounds like an adventure in your world. Keep on!
My ‘whatnowness’ is getting lost in the creative process when designing my jewellery. It is connecting with my creative self using my sense of joy and my inner child. Joy is such an underestimated emotion … it can move mountains and change people profoundly. This is why I am so thankful every day to do a ‘job’ that combines passion with a conscious heart. Thanks for your honesty and for shining your light in the world!
I am slowly gaining confidence and courage to launch my own emergence from my “whatnowness” into a new “something” from watching your journey, and reading your words of inspiration and encouragement. Thanks for your continuing leadership. It’s a pleasure to have an ‘Accidental Icon’ to look up to.
Thank you because without the comments and engagement from my followers I would not know how to keep creating. For me it is a transaction between me and you. Much courage and confidence your way!
Living is our Something’s these days, my fox terrier DaMeggie Oe & I, everyday watching others around this world in our circle of those I & she like to observe, you most certainly being One☝️, & Meg & I nodding at others with a smile, eating yum & always better, adding a fresh new approach to everyday, it’s a new life compared to 40 years ago, invincible as it always seemed, now we try to tread wiser and at least I have gained a new found interest in becoming part cyborg if that would keep things going longer and better than those decades slipped past years before… I think it’s still getting more fascinating with most breaths I take, and as for partnerships in life, such as that with Meg & I… it’s a step to the side that lets me observe how so many others are finding this life now… my quality on observations, of those I care to observe and listen to and read their blogs, not all, but yours is cool… we’re trying to make it as far as we can go, and we’re gaining heaps of ideas and help and ya… nice blog you have here Lyn Slater?????
Thank you⛱⛱
Nice to see you again! It is always a pleasure to be here.
Saying yes rather than no…
My sphere of creativity is science, and the question of what is between an idea and its embodiment, for me, is not idle. Rejecting arguments about the methodology of scientific research, it is appropriate here to talk about creative intuition, about the very “something” that illuminates us in the process of any creativity here and now. It is about personal sensations of liberation, expansion of space, sharpening perception, experiencing instantaneous point events. Of course, this is not so vivid and figurative in scientific thinking as in art, but some element of catharsis is still present. Such moments bring an extra dimension to our ordinary life, thereby prolonging it. Owning such a technique is not available to all people. But those who can do it are truly lucky!
Yes, I think it is a moment that falls in-between art and science. Christopher Bollas a British psychoanalyst used the term “unthought known” which I think is what intuition actually is. Thanks for your comment.
My “Something” is designing the customer experience with my company, and by extension, my company itself: it’s processes, etc., to be the absolute best we can be, along with being the most fun and knowledgeable contractor that people have every worked with. That Something is what’s fun for me. And hearing how the client was so tickled pink that they tipped our crew or our service tech, because that says it all.
I’m asking that a lot now. “What Now?” Especially, when we get older people expect us to follow a predictable path. I so hate that. I fight that daily, the role that is forced on us to routinely become a statistic. I am 68 years old. I am an artist. My art is my “What Now”. My art has evolved drastically to something entirely different from my norm. I am exploring and becoming more free and allowing myself to create from within. I am also taking time to be away more and more from Social Media. The noise has become so loud, I have been unable to hear what my authentic self wants. This time alone has become precious and I am discovering all sorts of jewels. xoxo Keep being you!
Yes, banish the predictable path!! I am in a phase of “unroutining” and making sure I go on escapades where I evolve. They’re not huge shifts, but enough to meet and talk to people I ordinarily would not have, just because you take a different path. So simple really. And what you say about the authentic self is so true Janet. It takes courage to push outside of the comfortable bubble, that was kind of created by a necessity to consider others really, to discover that new authenticity. Our “nowness” becomes a little more inward looking, because we can now!
So important to keep in mind that these experiments do not need to cost a great deal of money or that we have to go so very far away. I have been listening to bedtime stories on the Calm app and I am sleeping like a baby literally.
It is really quite startling the amount of energy that goes into others trying to tell us how to be old. Personally, it is not an interesting or life-giving story. One of my readers said we are pioneers as the first generation to live longer and to be more healthy. As hard as it may be we need to offer future generations more engaged and creative stories about getting older than the ones that are being told now.
“The pleasure is in the process” is the essence of a Montessori education – and sending my children to The Montessori School in Wilton not only provided them with an education life, but also taught me many life lessons.
Calvin my partner is saying the last time he felt like this was when he was a child, your point exactly it is really allowing oneself to play.
For me “what now” is Meraki. Enjoy the moment between and allow what is becoming. No matter how long it takes. You are right. Patience and slowing down is important at this time. Thx for sharing.
Yes holding oneself to allow what is coming and not move too soon is my practice at the moment.
Isn’t there a void, a black gap between the inspiration and the final outcome? Isn’t the creative process, the in between time an obscure time where you just follow a lead in your head without reasoning? without thinking so you won’t get lost in your thoughts? and when your final product emerges, than it will be visible what has driven the maker; more visible to others than to the maker.
I recently met a woman who is an artist…I am a born artist and we were discussing art and I was telling her what I told my very artistically gifted grand daughter…that when you are an artist everything you do is an art…my new artist friend agreed with me but to further the thought and yours…The artist therefore is always in process…everything becomes an inspiration…and you are in constant state of “lost in something” and it just feeds your creativity! Why standing in the rain was no problem for you all! You were following the process of creativity!
My now is being free to travel Asia and walk in other people’s footsteps. To slowly live the simple life as I encounter new friends and lifestyles. The unknown of each new place is my NOW no longer a mundane life but a life of thrills, creative experiences and world love.
Sounds like an incredible journey. Please share more as you travel.
You are such an inspiration for middle aged woman’s, the famous quote “You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.” suits your personality.
Ah, thank you. I think that we are all an inspiration for each other and also for younger women who also get so anxious about “What nownesss” and not knowing. We can be calmer about because we know we will make it through.
The young adults in the developed world have never known what it’s like to live unplugged from technology. Technology is a blessing & curse! We need disconnect time for stillness & reflection – to use a worn out phrase, “to find ourselves”. As long as we are alive & still capable of coherent conscious thought, finding ourselves is part of the package. You’ve captured that concept beautifully with your “what now” musings. Most of the journey is process not outcome. We are fortunate most of our basic needs are covered giving us the privilege to reflect.
It has really been an antidote to the social media life I was living, it drained every ounce of creativity I had. I am so enjoying this time away.