I will have to try the tentacle as I prepare and have my second child this coming here. My creativity stopped with my first child. I missed it. I hope to continue this time around, however that looks. Being alive seems like a great opportunity to keep creativity in my life throughout the day by day of growing our family. Thank you for sharing.
The threshold of motherhood is such a rich, overwhelming, soul-reckoning experience. I wish I had my tentacle then, but maybe I did in some ways. I wonder what you'll notice now. Wishing you all the luck in welcoming your second and seeing it all with your creative mind.
My creativity definitely seemed to drop off when I had newborns and toddlers - SEEMED to. Now I look back and feel like it was just quietly tucked away, incubating, making use of that emptied womb perhaps. And then when I found my way back into a little more sleep and space, out she came with more energy than ever before. Congratulations on baby number two, and I hope your creativity stays right there in the wild mix of your life with little ones, but I just wanted to float my experience out there to maybe offer a little hope for any moments in which it seems like it’s gone or has been relegated to slightly less glamorous creative tasks like figuring out novel ways to clean poop from the crevices of car seats.
I love this notion: "wrapping my tentacle around....." My tentacle experience in 2025 was: Rejection. It no longer slays me--in fact, it puts a smile on my face because it represents courage and tenacity--it represents personal evolution. I've had an "almost"--which encourages and helps to fill the confidence well. So rejection? Bring it on, baby.
As to what feels alive....I have had a hankering to show up for women in their 50s and 60s (and beyond) who are saying no to old stereotypes, and who are choosing to live fully and without restriction. I have ZERO idea what that means as of yet--but it's calling to me. And in part, I think it's calling to me because I believe I can "help."
Looking forward to being an engaged member of Creative, Inspire, Alive -2026. Thx, Joanna!
I love the tentacle metaphor and all of your reflections around it! I’ve been going through a hard stretch health-wise and have had to pretty much amputate most of the things I was doing from my life, or else dramatically change how I approach them. It’s not my first time facing a big health challenge, so I’ve gotten pretty good at sitting with grief and finding joy and possibility within the shadow. And all of this has given me a generous nudge in the direction of being ever more conscious about what adds to my aliveness and what subtly anesthetizes me or puts me in an all-out coma, but today as I was thinking all of that through in list form, the thought came to me that just about ANYTHING can be a way in (to deeper aliveness), and just about anything can be used as a way out (of aliveness and into numbing or avoidance). I’m still planning to continue this inventory of my life to notice more deeply what lights me up and what doesn’t, but I want to remember that, too, which you also express here - that aliveness is a way of being with what is, not a particular external outcome for which to strive.
Lisa, I bow to your ability to sit with grief and find possibility in the shadow. Your noticing that anything can lead to avoidance or aliveness is profound. That resonates in my experience. It's about my awareness, not necessarily my activity. (Although I notice that some activities support my awareness more than others ☺️, so I love your listing reflection.) Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience.
For me being alive means that I am breathing. Living with purpose. Make every breath count. Think about all of Earth and the breaths of future generations. Promoting sustainability. Opening my hands to grasp problems and make the world better. For more on this please visit Trashwalker.org. We are suffering from too many breath-less trash-talkers!
I will have to try the tentacle as I prepare and have my second child this coming here. My creativity stopped with my first child. I missed it. I hope to continue this time around, however that looks. Being alive seems like a great opportunity to keep creativity in my life throughout the day by day of growing our family. Thank you for sharing.
The threshold of motherhood is such a rich, overwhelming, soul-reckoning experience. I wish I had my tentacle then, but maybe I did in some ways. I wonder what you'll notice now. Wishing you all the luck in welcoming your second and seeing it all with your creative mind.
My creativity definitely seemed to drop off when I had newborns and toddlers - SEEMED to. Now I look back and feel like it was just quietly tucked away, incubating, making use of that emptied womb perhaps. And then when I found my way back into a little more sleep and space, out she came with more energy than ever before. Congratulations on baby number two, and I hope your creativity stays right there in the wild mix of your life with little ones, but I just wanted to float my experience out there to maybe offer a little hope for any moments in which it seems like it’s gone or has been relegated to slightly less glamorous creative tasks like figuring out novel ways to clean poop from the crevices of car seats.
Thank you! I'm sure that'll help. Incubating actually sounds cozy
I love this notion: "wrapping my tentacle around....." My tentacle experience in 2025 was: Rejection. It no longer slays me--in fact, it puts a smile on my face because it represents courage and tenacity--it represents personal evolution. I've had an "almost"--which encourages and helps to fill the confidence well. So rejection? Bring it on, baby.
As to what feels alive....I have had a hankering to show up for women in their 50s and 60s (and beyond) who are saying no to old stereotypes, and who are choosing to live fully and without restriction. I have ZERO idea what that means as of yet--but it's calling to me. And in part, I think it's calling to me because I believe I can "help."
Looking forward to being an engaged member of Creative, Inspire, Alive -2026. Thx, Joanna!
Wow! I got tingles reading this, Diana. Creative energy surged right up my spine. I cannot wait to see what 2026 holds for you. Let's go.
I love the tentacle metaphor and all of your reflections around it! I’ve been going through a hard stretch health-wise and have had to pretty much amputate most of the things I was doing from my life, or else dramatically change how I approach them. It’s not my first time facing a big health challenge, so I’ve gotten pretty good at sitting with grief and finding joy and possibility within the shadow. And all of this has given me a generous nudge in the direction of being ever more conscious about what adds to my aliveness and what subtly anesthetizes me or puts me in an all-out coma, but today as I was thinking all of that through in list form, the thought came to me that just about ANYTHING can be a way in (to deeper aliveness), and just about anything can be used as a way out (of aliveness and into numbing or avoidance). I’m still planning to continue this inventory of my life to notice more deeply what lights me up and what doesn’t, but I want to remember that, too, which you also express here - that aliveness is a way of being with what is, not a particular external outcome for which to strive.
Lisa, I bow to your ability to sit with grief and find possibility in the shadow. Your noticing that anything can lead to avoidance or aliveness is profound. That resonates in my experience. It's about my awareness, not necessarily my activity. (Although I notice that some activities support my awareness more than others ☺️, so I love your listing reflection.) Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience.
Tentacles can have a strong grip. I have to be careful.
💯🐙😍
Thank you so much! We'll see!
For me being alive means that I am breathing. Living with purpose. Make every breath count. Think about all of Earth and the breaths of future generations. Promoting sustainability. Opening my hands to grasp problems and make the world better. For more on this please visit Trashwalker.org. We are suffering from too many breath-less trash-talkers!