Apparently, I can only find time to write while I’m at the airport waiting for my flight to board haha. This time, I’m headed to Albuquerque to do a little training with the Diamond Empire Band musicians there. Fun, fun, fun!
I’ve been a busy little bee, lately—just hustling my little bustle all around town! I’ve been really trying to focus on building artistry in as many corners of my life as I can, and integrating all of my projects, so my energy feels porous throughout all of my work.
I’m trying to be a bit more fluid. Trying to maintain presence of mind for the small moments, but also working toward keeping a bird’s eye view on the big picture, as well. And…working to really see multiple interpretations, in real time.
If you’ve been paying attention to my work for really any length of time, you’ll know that I’m vaguely obsessed with paradigm shifts. There’s something thrilling about experiencing a true shift in perspective. Sometimes, you can sort of hold your old way of thinking in your mind, while tucking in a new one…but rarely can you unsee a new view, once you’ve become aware of it.
Something I’ve been focusing on more recently is whether there is a way to work on the skill of paradigm shifting. It’s a bit of a mystery, but I think I have a few leads…
…more to come on this subject throughout the foreseeable future, but to start – my May Artifice guests got me thinking about a few particular strings I’d like to pull on.
Darling Jeff. I really had to work hard to get him to agree to come on the pod haha, but I’m SO glad he finally acquiesced! Jeff and I share a love for fantasy and world-building. We talked about how “buying in” to the rules of a new world could be an early exercise in paradigm or perspective shifting.
There’s such power in suspending disbelief, entering an entirely new conception, if temporarily. It works that curiosity muscle, and opens a sense of wonder.
Speaking of wonder…did I mention Jeff grows CORALS?!?!? I can’t imagine anything more full of wonder.
I loved hearing Jeff talk about his relationship with this medium. Right at the top of the interview, Jeff expressed an early fascination with water. Maybe naturally (who knows, really?), I assumed he meant like…aquatic flora and fauna, or maybe the feeling of being in water. But throughout our chat, I realized I should have taken Jeff at his word – he loves WATER.
As Jeff began to talk about another of his mediums, brewing/fermenting kombucha. I wondered aloud at how disparate these activities seemed to me. But as Jeff pointed out…they are both WATER hobbies. Haha. And let me tell you, this hit me as a miniature perspective shift.
Because, of course these are both water hobbies. As Jeff says, “it’s the vessels, it’s the sound, it’s the feeling, it’s the temperature of it, it’s all of it.” And, I may add, both kombucha and corals are…alive. So, there’s also that.
It seems obvious once the connection is made, but this is a perfect example of the tiniest little bit of a shift, allowing for a connection that wasn’t there before. So…I think that’s something. Some new information, combined with a little directional clue from someone who sees something you don’t.
Alongside fantasy and world-building, I’ll clock this as one potential route to increased paradigmatic shifts—seek out new information, listen to the perspectives of people who know more about that thing than you do. Or maybe it IS sort of fantasy/world-building to just step into another person’s perspective??? It helps if that person’s perspective includes details about how anemones can be propagated. 🪸 #dreamy
Charlotte had so much wisdom to share. We talked about many beautiful things (curiosity, improvisation, the nature of talent/ability), but I especially loved hearing about her meditation practice, and the idea that our literal brains are a medium for each of us through neuroplasticity. There is a lot of really exciting new research on this subject (Your Brain on Art explores a lot of it!), and it seems clear that participating in art is an excellent way to encourage neuroplasticity, as is meditation.
One of Charlotte’s favorite forms of meditation is her Metta practice—the practice of empathetic joy, a loving kindness meditation. We talked a lot about extending loving kindness toward even the most upsetting individuals (an incredible notion in such a divided world), and also toward the “neutral” people in our lives, the everyday strangers. I can hardly imagine the ways in which this sort of empathetic awareness could move the world.
Of course, what IS art, if not an exercise in empathy? As Charlotte puts it “I saw art as a conduit to a more verdant humanity.” And I just…can’t imagine a more perfect sentence.
So maybe that’s another little nugget. Art making and/or thoughtful art consumption >> increased paradigmatic fluidity. What do you think?
I deeply loved my conversation with David. We talked a lot about exploring and leaning into the tension between magical uncertainty and intellectual rigor—one foot in a radical humanity, radical acceptance, the best sort of idealism and optimism…and another foot in pragmatism, practicality, policy, strategy (how can we actually make these things happen?).
All too often, it feels to me that people seem to be in one camp, or the other. But, I’m partial to the idea that we really do need both. We need dreamers—building visions of a completely new sort of future. We need people studying the past. We need people who are brilliant strategists. And on, and on.
And it seems to me that it would be so helpful if each of us could dig alllllllll the way into our best and brightest skills and interests…but learn to see enough of other perspectives to understand how alternative modalities could bolster our own visions, rather than taking anything divergent as a threat, or a drain on some real-or-imagined finite resource.
As on example, art (ever the polarizing career path) isn’t “productive” in the same way a lot of other more-capitalistic endeavors might be, but for many of us creating art, it IS our personal best shot at meaningful contributions to the world we want to live in. Beauty is valuable outside of corporate enterprise (as is the study of ancient cultures, as is the study of rainforest mushrooms, as is the development of a new product, as is…really any earnest area of focus).
As David perfectly puts it “do something with your consciousness.” Just try something. Give your life “some sort of motion.” Ask yourself what you want to do, what you can do…and just set out on your bravely unique path, making the smallest, most radically-earnest choices you can, one little step at a time. Your bespoke existence, built from your fundamentally unique perspective, desires, gifts, and limitations.
Right in this moment, I’m wondering whether perspective shifts are more difficult for people who haven’t really rooted or explored their own unique perspective…(?) Like, maybe a well-rooted self-concept can better weather a more fluid approach to life, learning, etc?
In any case, this feels like another beautiful cord to pull on. If each of us feels an earnest sense of purpose in our unique interests and strengths, and we work to cultivate a deep respect and appreciation for the unique interests and strengths of our fellow sapiens…
…those of us who are great leaders may find purpose at the helm of countries, companies, powerful institutions, AND in family structures, community organizations, classrooms.
Those of us who are brilliant thinkers may sequester away to work, sending out thoughts and findings to be gracefully applied by others, better suited to that sort of work.
Those who are nurturing will find themselves where they can do their best nurturing. Those who create beauty will create beauty. Those who question will pose questions. Those who thrive in adventure will find ways to thrill the rest of us, when we need a little jolt.
Imagine how flexible our perspectives could be if we could really believe that everyone has important work to do, if we were all earnestly encouraged to find our own meaningful work, if we learned to deeply value the contributions we could never make, ourselves.
Who knows really anything at all? But…I like this idea. It’s definitely something I’m trying to aim at, however I can. I want to live in a flexible perspective—to listen creatively to as many perspectives as possible, and update my mind, accordingly. And update my actions, accordingly…hopefully, making the most meaningful contributions I can make, in my little corner of the world. On my bespoke path, end point as yet wholly undetermined.
And that’s it for now! Considered the Fluidity Deep Dive deeply dived for this particular day.
And HAPPY JUNE!
I send you the sunniest disposition for your summer!
Love,
Emily
P.S. Look at this little clownfish living in Jeff’s gorgeous aquarium on an anemone HE GREW! 🤯🐟
