#3 The Library of Interesting Things

February Edition: Plus, Monarchs, The Creative Life Cycle, and Getting to Convergence.

Hello and Welcome (back) to The Wild Edge. There have been lots of new subscribers this week, and it’s lovely to have you all here. Feel free to come and say hello over here- I love learning more about readers and your interests.

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February feels like an in between month, somehow neither here nor there. This time last year I was travelling in Mexico, escaping the grey, having the opportunity of a lifetime to visit the monarch butterfly migration outside Mexico City. I’m conjuring that orange and wonder at my desk today.

My Mexico trip was part of the divergent phase of a project I’m working on, which now requires some serious convergence. In my case, the actual writing! There are times in each project for both, as too, times in life.

What do I mean by that? And how might we apply it practically?

One of the models of the creative and design process has three distinct phases, —divergence, emergence, and convergence.

Divergence is the exploratory, research phase, looking for inspiration, ideas, insights. Its focus is outward and external. It is about being open, seeing, noticing, observing, gathering. Divergence helps us see the scope of a project and understand its context, but spend too long there and the project or idea can spiral or become so broad it looses focus and form. We must press through, but not before some sifting, and deep listening.

Emergence is sitting in the chaos of all that information, and learning both to navigate our way through and listen to patterns or insights which arise out of the cacophony. The key here is patience and stillness. There are design skills like affinity mapping and clustering which can help us find the patterns, and also meditative practices to help attune to the real and sometimes surprising insights. Within the chaos is often the hidden and true path forwards, if we allow it time to reveal itself.

Then comes convergence. This is the bringing together, the actualisation, through form and action. This might be through prototypes, drafts, or models, which then lead to a series of iterations until it comes to form. The focus is focus itself — deadlines, structure, and deliverables all help to bring what may first have been vague imaginings into the real world, a kind of magic really, until we begin again. The stages are often presented as linear, but in truth they are cyclical, bringing our ideas, and ourselves, through multiple iterations.

I think it is a beautiful thing that creative process is never quite complete, and I find it endlessly fascinating as a result. Projects, books, life stages, systems and cultures, when viewed through this lens, are in that sense, snapshots; moments in time which always leave room for further deepening and potential. I like to think of them as seasons too; in a wider cycle of ebb and flow, ever turning.

In the larger span of our lives, I think this creative cycle, or seasons, can also apply. Taking that model, right now I’m in a convergent phase of my life overall — bringing together lots of strands, projects, ideas, insights which I have been cultivating for years, and coaxing them into form (hello books, and substack, mentoring and new teaching programmes). There will still be research and travel, but without focus, deadlines and getting to my desk, all those ideas will float forever and never find their full potential in the world.

But the desk need not be a chore. Physically, I try to made my writing space as comfortable and beautiful as possible. My desk chair is softened with a sheepskin rug, and below me, because my feet don’t touch the ground when sitting in most chairs - being rather short- I have a big yoga bolster and another cushion. Right now on my desk: candles, a bunch of emergent daffodils, some hand cream from The Burren Perfumery (which was a present from a friend and a nice reminder of that friendship each time I use it), and some cards and quotes which inspire me. Beside me, I keep a handwritten copy of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s final words from her book, Braiding Sweetgrass, because I think it very accurately describes why I do what I do,

“The moral covenant of reciprocity calls us to honor our responsibilities for all we have been given, for all that we have taken. It’s our turn now, long overdue. Let us hold a giveaway for Mother Earth, spread our blankets out for her and pile them high with gifts of our own making. Imagine the books, the paintings, the poems, the clever machines, the compassionate acts, the transcendent ideas, the perfect tools. The fierce defense of all that has been given. Gifts of mind, hands, heart, voice, and vision all offered up on behalf of the earth. Whatever our gift, we are called to give it and to dance for the renewal of the world. In return for the privilege of breath.”

― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

If you were to keep a quote to capture why you do what you do, what would it be? As a quote collector, I’d love to hear.

Later in February, as the light opens up, so to do my days. I’ll be around the country a little, for some teaching and facilitation work, then some friend and family time. So, for now, this grey day is feeling all the more appealing. The desk awaits, candles are lit, and I have a whole lot of convergence to do.

What phase of your life are you in I wonder — divergence, emergence or convergence? I will be writing more about all this over the coming months, as I put together a series of posts about the creative cycle as a whole and how we might navigate some of the pitfalls within it, while experimenting with tools at each stage. Questions? Pop them in the comments or drop me a message.

And a quick reminder of what else is coming up on The Wild Edge

Owl Hours: An hour of creative practice, for accountability and intentional working. Tues 18^th Feb, Tues 25th Feb, Thurs 6th March, Thurs 13th March , 8-9pm Irish/UK time. Find out more here.

Spring Equinox Salon: An evening of poetry, journalling and seasonal ritual. Friday 21 March, 7-8.30pm (Irish/ UK time). Gold Members have a ticket included. Otherwise tickets here.

Now, over to The Library of Interesting Things.

This is my monthly round up of things I have been reading/ watching/ listening to/ learning/ cooking and looking forward to.

It’s a feature for paid membership of The Wild Edge - a way of honouring my time to put this together, and my way of supporting my on-going work. All illustrations, design, photography and artwork are my own.

For €1.53 per week (if taking out annual membership), you’ll receive these roundups, a monthly salon or writing sanctuary, regular OWL hours, plus everything behind the paywall.. which is a growing archive of creative resources and inspiration.

Thank you for being here.

Welcome to The Library of Interesting Things