Beginnings: Part 2 (Steph)

A two-part series on how we catch the scent of (and start) new creative projects.

Hi friends,

Thelma and Louise (A.K.A. Steph and Maia) here. As a reminder, you’re sampling the goods for the next few weeks; with the exception of our monthly check in, most of what we publish will eventually become part of a paid subscription. If you want free ways to spend more time with us, check out the ABOUT page for ideas!

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Last week, we gave ourselves the assignment of writing about how we begin new creative projects. We went to our separate convertibles, put the roofs down, and let the wind run through our words. Upon meeting at the next corner, we examined the similarities (many) and differences (quite a few!). Maia’s was first (you can check it out HERE), and now Steph’s pulling up to the curb. Vroom. Vroom!

P.S. We’ve popped some links below— a smattering of what Steph relies on to get across the starting line.

For years now, the entirety of my bucket list has been comprised of the following two statements:

1. Listen for what I am called to do (in much the same way Maia does as per last week’s BEGINNINGS POST ); and

2. Muster the courage to say “yes” when I hear the call.

If and when I can do the above, I move to the next two steps:

3. Clear space; and

4. Offer a response to the calling.

A little later this month, I’m going to tell you more about the calling I heard throughout 2024, as well as the trembling “yes” I was able to summon. But for today, I wanted to take you through steps three and four – clearing space and offering a response.

Hot tip: I clear space when I want anything new to emerge— a part of self, a new relationship, a fresh flow of abundance, a flower in the garden, a practice or hobby I want to incorporate into my life, etc.

As soon as I muttered “yes” to the novel idea of writing a novel, I looked at my calendar and cleared every Wednesday for the next six months as a day dedicated to creativity. I know that’s not realistic for a lot of folks, so my tip is to work with what you have.

· Can you clear a morning, an hour, a lunch break, or every fifth page in your journal for a different kind of writing?

· Can you clear part of your mental landscape, a space in your home, part of your closet?

Making space for something new to emerge is a feminine energy principle of creativity, and it’s one I’ve relied on in small and large ways for over a decade. Make space, hold it open, and be intentional and conscious of what you invite to move into it.

The next thing I did was look at my desk. In many ways, I applied the same space-clearing principle as above. I removed everything that was stacked upon the left corner off my desk. Left for the yin. Left for receiving.

I wiped the surface clean, lit some palo santo, and once the area felt entirely clear, I moved to an offering. A.K.A. an energetic response to the calling.

I did this by building an altar— a physical reminder of the dedicated space and commitment of energy I will be both devoting and calling on as I work on this project.

I placed a prayer candle with an image of an uncoiled snake in the corner because I’m calling on kundalini energy and the emergence of a new cycle of creativity. Next to the candle is an open jar of dried rose petals. I placed a pheasant-feather pen, tip down, inside the jar. As I did, I imagined the pen pulling ink from each of the petals, stories of romance, stories of lust, stories of sensual intoxication.

To the right of the candle and the petal-based inkwell, there is a large carnelian stone to assist with the opening of the sacral chakra— creative and sexual energies— what better for a romance novel?!

There is a small ceramic vase holding a collection of pink, cream, and white pens, an owl claw turned up in surrender, holding a small, dried rose, and a looking glass my grandmother gave me. Placed atop the glass is a piece of rose quartz and a small, carved stone bear – a gift to me from a previous book editor . . . because editor luck is editor luck is editor luck.

Behind everything is an image— a black and white taken while I was traipsing through the narrow stone streets on a small, Dalmatian island. The image feels representative of the woman I want all of my work to pour through. She was, and is, a receiver. She was, and is, a dreamcatcher.

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The calendar is clear; the altar has been built. Now, all I have to do is open a blank document (yet another clear space) and begin . . . who’s ready to read a smattering of spaghetti that’s been thrown on the wall? If so, tune in next week for more.

A few of Steph’s favorite things:

1. HAIR OF SNAKES PRAYER CANDLES - The Ara Kara/Manifest felt like the perfect fit for the altar I was making;

2. PALO SANTO WOOD STICKS - my faves are from a company confusingly called Cedar & Myrrh; and

3. THE ILLUSTRATED SIGNS & SYMBOLS SOURCEBOOK, by Adele Nozedar - this is a go-to resource for me when I’m building altars and/or working with symbols of any kind. My second favorite is THE BOOK OF SYMBOLS by Taschen.