Exploring Creativity: Threads & Bones

Bec Forde

What’s your story around creativity? What does it mean to be creative - and do we all have that spark within us? Host Bec Forde draws from books, research, and personal stories, unearthing the common threads of creativity, or seeing if they feel frayed or unraveled. Whether you “feel creative in your bones” or that you “don’t have a creative bone in your body” this podcast offers inspiration for curious minds about how, or even if, creativity shows up in our lives. www.thevibrancysociety.com

  1. 14 MAY

    S2 E11: How to Empower & Build Community With Passionate Creative, Amy MacDonald

    In this episode I’m talking to my friend and crazily creative producer, Amy Sanyer. Amy and I go waaaaaaaay back, we met in our 20s and now we’re in our 60s - you do the maths. We have had many an adventure. She runs Brolly Arts, an umbrella arts organisation that curates community based projects as a way to champion important social and environmental issues. The conversation explores Amy’s evolution from dancer to arts producer, her methodology of championing independent artists through collaboration, and her ongoing work addressing the Great Salt Lake’s environmental crisis through creative mediums. Brolly Arts is a nimble (read small) organisation but has built many, many, connections and relationships over its 30 year history. We talk about Brolly Arts’ birthday party, which will include some of that collaborative network in the celebration, and we find out about Amy’s undeniable creativity and enthusiastically hopeful world view. I can’t wait for you to listen! xBec 📝Key Takeaways 🎨 Being Born Inherently CreativeSome people are born as creative souls. Amy was encouraged by incredible teachers and discovered that movement not only ties the physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual, but is her language for understanding the world. She describes creativity as the ability to absorb what we see, feel, and experience. It then needs time to transform into something meaningful and uniquely our own. 🎭 Becoming a Producer & Creating Containers for Independent ArtistsWhile Amy began as an artist herself, she eventually realised her greatest contribution was helping other artists thrive. She saw that many talented creatives struggled with the practical side of presenting and sustaining their work, so she shifted toward producing. Through Brolly Arts, she created spaces where independent artists could experiment, collaborate, and develop their voices without pressure to immediately deliver polished outcomes. 🌏 Community Problems as a Scaffold for Creative SolutionsAmy’s creative process often begins with paying attention to the challenges facing a community and then thinking outside of the box for solutions. She uses creativity as a way to bring people into important conversations through emotion, storytelling, and shared experience. Whether exploring water, land, or cultural connection, her projects demonstrate how creative work can help communities better understand themselves and imagine new possibilities together. 🤝 Dream Big, Collaborate & Play the Long GameA major theme throughout Amy’s journey is the power of collaboration. Her projects are built through long-term relationships and networks of people who believe in a shared purpose. She speaks openly about how trust takes time and how meaningful collaboration only happens when ego is removed from the process. The episode highlights that big creative visions are rarely achieved quickly and must always contain an element of hope. ☘️ Arts Projects Help Communities Buy Into ChangeAmy believes art has the unique ability to engage people without telling them what to think. Instead of creating barriers, creative projects invite curiosity, emotional connection, and participation. Through performances, films, and collaborative initiatives, communities become active participants in conversations around growth, sustainability, and belonging. Her work shows that when people feel emotionally connected to an issue, they are far more likely to engage with meaningful change. 🎉 Brolly Arts at 30 - Why it MattersCelebrating 30 years of Brolly Arts is about more than longevity, it’s about recognising the ripple effect of investing in independent artists and creative communities over time. The anniversary honours the countless collaborations, careers, and community conversations that grew from Amy’s vision. It also reflects the evolution of an organisation that continually adapted while staying committed to creativity, connection, and giving artists a platform to be seen and heard. 🔗Links & Resources Mentioned Brolly Arts Website: https://brollyarts.org/ Mary Wigman, modern dance pioneer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wigman The best thing I found on Inge Weiss!: https://jamescharleslyons.com/inga-weiss-chocolate-heads/ Rudolf von Laban, responsible for so much about how we organise movement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_von_Laban Repertory Dance Theatre’s history (Amy and Bec’s previous employer): https://rdtutah.org/about-us/our-history/ Twig Media Lab: https://www.twigmedialab.com/ Grow The Flow: https://growtheflowutah.org/ Ahn Trio: https://www.ahntrio.com/trio Michael Nyman composer: https://www.michaelnyman.com/ SB Dance: https://sbdance.com/about/ The Vibrancy Society (that’s me): https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/ 🙏 If you enjoyed this episode please rate, review, and share so more people can discover the joy of creativity. Thanks heaps, Bec Get full access to The Vibrancy Society at www.thevibrancysociety.com/subscribe

    1hr 9min

  2. 29 APR

    S2 E10: Creative Fundamentals; Ways to Find Your Spark - Book Review

    My quest to read and review books on creativity led me to purchase, The Spark, Igniting The Creative Fire That Lives Within Us All from one of my favourite used bookstores in Brisbane. This book is from Cirque du Soleil and it’s a quickie. Both the book (135 pages) and the review (just over 20 minutes, which for me and my flapping gums might be a record) are brief. It’s a story about how easy it is to become complacent in our lives and how lessons from the circus can help to re-ignite our passions. There were a tonne of what I called “nuggets of wisdom” and I hope you enjoy the listen. xBec🤎 📝Takeaways ✨ Take A Chance Success without passion feels empty and admitting things need to change is hard. Just because you have no idea what you’re looking for doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep searching. 🚪 Don’t Overthink Things Unexpected opportunities may actually be the right path forward. Open a new door (or several) to see where it might lead. 🎯 Get Comfy With Being Uncomfortable Change demands courage. Stepping beyond your comfort zone and embracing mistakes is where you will grow. 🤝 Finding Your Spark Is Easier Through Teamwork Creativity is rarely solo work. Trust, collaboration, and many different points of view allow individuals to perform beyond what they could alone. 💥 We Grow Through Failure Success comes from letting go of old identities and being willing to evolve over and over, and over again. 💎 Reinvention Is Possible There is no single formula for creative success. We all have a creative spark and if we can keep it lit then life will feel more fulfilling. 🙏Do all the good things: Rate, Review, and Share with a friend. 🔗Links & Resources The Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/79354/cirque-du-soleil-r-the-spark-by-created-by-lyn-heward-and-written-by-john-u-bacon/ John U. Bacon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_U._Bacon Lyn Heward - she’s retired but here’s a bio: https://grupobcc.com/en/speakers/lyn-heward/ Cirque du Soleil’s Ka: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ka The Vibrancy Society: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/ Get full access to The Vibrancy Society at www.thevibrancysociety.com/subscribe

    22 min

  3. 16 APR

    S2 E9: Creativity is Scary. Focus On Becoming More Creatively Brave with Natalie Collie

    Howdy Listeners As always I’m very excited about my podcast guest. Today’s episode features my friend, Natalie Collie, who is a lecturer at the University of Queensland in The School of Communication & Arts. Yes, she’s a Dr.🤓 Nat’s remit is to teach writing to students from varying disciplines whose future jobs will require them knowing how to write. (maybe she could help me edit that very awkward sentence?) Her approach is informed by a personal and academic interest in creativity and storytelling and she’s helped hundreds of students develop a regular writing practice. Let’s just say she knows her s**t and I think you’ll really enjoy our conversation. 📝Key Takeaways 🧩 Creativity is Recombination, Not InventionNat sees creativity as collaging, quilting, and cobbling ideas together. It’s less about being completely original and more about transforming what already exists into something new. 🎈 Playful, Low Stakes Creativity Unlocks ConfidenceAfter her own experience with writer’s block, Nat teaches with empathy. Divergent thinking comes first and keeps us in flow. The critical voice is still important but she has to wait for her turn to show up. 🌏 Storytelling Builds Connection and CommunityEmbodied creative practices help us orient ourselves to place. Nat’s research shows storytelling can strengthen regional communities and keep them vibrant. 🎓 Teaching Creativity in a Changing World is ComplexPost-Covid learning shifts, AI, student stressors, and neurodiversity have all reshaped education. Nat finds creative ways to teach and assess writing while keeping it fair and authentic. 🧒 Creativity Reconnects Us to Our Inner ChildSharing projects with her kids and embracing her neuro-spicy brain has helped Nat rediscover playful curiosity and move beyond creative blocks. 🌱 Baby Steps are a Radical Creative ActLow pressure experimentation, forgiving beginner mistakes, making things just for fun, and giving yourself heaps of time are powerful ways to nurture a creative practice. ✨ We’re Wired for CreativityLife fulfilment comes from following what excites us and one clue is remembering what made us lose track of time as kids. 🔗Episode Links Nat’s official bio: https://communication-arts.uq.edu.au/profile/344/natalie-collie Research on flow state in dancers: https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/psy-research/358/ Research on embodiment & time: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/S15326934CRJ1402_9 The Artist’s Way: https://juliacameronlive.com/book/the-artists-way-a-spiritual-path-to-higher-creativity/ Father of Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Ted Talk: "What makes a life worth living?” https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_flow_the_secret_to_happiness The Vibrancy Society: https://thevibrancysociety.com I hope you find the time for some low stakes creativity this week and don’t forget to share, rate, follow, or leave a comment. xBec🤎 Get full access to The Vibrancy Society at www.thevibrancysociety.com/subscribe

    1hr 4min

  4. 3 APR

    S2 E8: Creative Compulsion, The Need to Express What’s Inside, with Kirk Marshall

    Well it’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted a podcast episode but this is one I’m really thrilled to share. My brother-in-law Kirk sat down with me the end of last year for a discussion on his passion for photography and how revisiting his journal helped him process my sister Pippa’s death, and that even if he doesn’t understand it, why he feels compelled to turn it into a book. 📝Show Notes & Key Takeaways 📷 Creativity Can Begin Quietly:While Kirk didn’t see himself as creative growing up, in retrospect he realises he was subtly exposed to it through his dad’s photography. 🌏 Passion Sometimes Grows Over Time:Even though Kirk picked up a camera in high school it wasn’t until an overseas trip as an adult that documenting life evolved into capturing emotion and a deeper desire to tell stories through images. 🎯 Photography Blends Art, Technical Skill, and Sometimes a Whole Heap of Patience: According to Kirk this involves: * multiple scouting trips & vantage points for optimal composition and lighting (sometimes months in advance) * the technical nuts and bolts of camera settings * the push and pull available in post-processing to shape emotion and meaning 🔁 Creativity is a Lifelong Compulsion:One of the things Kirk enjoys about photography is that it’s a never ending learning process, it has no finish line. The urge to capture a scene - he sees something and has to shoot it - is ongoing and deeply personal. 🛠️ Creativity Can Help You Temporarily Keep a Lid on Grief:During Pippa’s illness, cabinetmaking provided structure, distraction, and calm. Journaling became a safe place to process overwhelming emotions. That journal is now evolving into a book. 🌄 Nature as Solace and Inspiration:Time outdoors clears Kirk’s mind, grounds him emotionally, and connects him deeply to himself. It also shapes his photographic vision with respect for the natural world. 🔥 Creativity Projects Won’t be Quieted Until Expressed:For Kirk, his creative projects come from an undeniable compulsion to get them out into the world. It doesn’t matter how ephemeral or if anybody but you likes it, the value lies in giving your inner voice form. 🔗Links: Find Kirk: https://www.instagram.com/kirkmphoto?igsh=MTcxc3h6MG5rYTdh / https://www.kirkmarshallphotography.com/color-landscapes#img-2606-hdr-ps-700-3712 Andy Goldsworthy’s ephemeral art: https://andygoldsworthystudio.com/archive/ Podcast Ep Book Review Elizabeth Gilbert’s big Magic: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/p/s1-e2-big-magic-the-first-book-review?r=udx6p Find it in Apple Podcasts: ttps://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/exploring-creativity-threads-bones/id1776771078?i=1000686874111 Find it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3nMDxkHiHywywTd4UM5MW7?si=55LQvvUqTkucA6oU2uFQbw Find Me: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/ to see some of Kirk’s photos go to the blog post here: https://open.substack.com/pub/rebeccakeeneforde/p/creative-compulsion-the-need-to-express?r=udx6p&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true Here’s the plea😉 If you like this episode then please like, share, rate, or review. *cover photo by Kirk Marshall* Thanks heaps, xBec🤎 Get full access to The Vibrancy Society at www.thevibrancysociety.com/subscribe

    1hr 11min

  5. 15 JAN

    S2 E7: How To Live A Fantastical & Wildly Creative Life with Tracey Fischer

    What drives you to be creative? In the case of my guest and friend, Tracey Fischer, some of its FOMO. Basically it kills her to feel like she’s missing out on any creative adventure; she just wants to be EVERYWHERE experiencing ALL THE THINGS. In this episode of Threads and Bone: exploring creativity, I sit down with this creative force, and intuitive explorer for a deep, meandering, and soul enriching conversation about creativity not only as a way of life but the only way to exist. From modern dance and Butoh, to sculpting, hairdressing, architectural design, world travel, and aquatic bodywork, Tracey’s path defies linear definition. Together, we reminisce and explore what it means to create without editing, to trust intuition before technique, and to let creativity serve as a direct path back to spirit. This episode is an invitation to rethink creativity, not as a product, but as a practice of listening, surrendering, and allowing something greater to move through you. Expect stories of sculpting faces that seem to arrive from elsewhere, dancing as meditation, water as healer, and the courage to keep reinventing yourself at any age. 📝Show Notes & Key Takeaways 💨 Creativity Begins With Surrender: When engaged in any creative pursuit Tracey learned that the first attempt must be completely freeform. Begin with no judgment, no perfection, no brain because trying to refine too early will block the creative flow. 🧭 Movement As A Path To Spirit: Dance and movement have been Tracey’s lifelong portal to spirit, healing, and self-understanding. Even as her mediums shift, movement remains central to how she processes and creates. Creativity then becomes a cyclical relationship between movement, stillness, and inspiration. 🌍 Curiosity Is A Compass, aka FOMO: Travel, sculpting, artist residencies, diving, sailing, tango, and design, the girl is curious about (and good at) it all! Tracey follows fascination wherever it leads because for her, creativity thrives on trusting her intuition, saying “yes” before certainty arrives. 👁️ Art Can Arrive Through You, Not From You: Some sculptures felt less “made” and more received. Tracey describes continuing until “someone is staring back,” blurring the line between artist, channel, and witness. She speaks of embodied knowledge and trusts that the body knows shape, form, and truth without conscious thought. 🌊 Water As Collaborator And Healer: Tracey’s current love and work centres on aquatic bodywork, blending dance, stillness, and somatic healing. She emphasises that the water is the primary healer and she is a guide. She feels honoured creating a safe container where the body can unwind, remember, and resolve on its own terms. 🌀 Reinvention Doesn’t Expire: Tracey’s continuing story challenges the idea that bold change belongs only to the young. 🎙️Episode Links ✨For a glimpse into Tracey’s evolving work with water, body-based healing, and intuitive practice connect with her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waterbodyandstone?igsh=MW9laGk5ZWxrNGV3aw== ✨More information on WATSU and Tracey’s Practitioner Profile ✨The b*****d child: Aguahara ✨An interesting study on Sufi Dancing ✨Info on Butoh ✨Where you can find me chatting about how to live a more vibrant life! https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/ ✨I tried to find the podcast that Tracey referenced but do you know how many shows are called The Breakdown? A tonne and none of them lined up with what the heck she was talking about. Enjoy the listen, 🤎xBec cover photo by Yoann Boyer on Unsplash Get full access to The Vibrancy Society at www.thevibrancysociety.com/subscribe

    48 min

  6. 1 JAN

    S2 E6: Part 2, Unlock Your Creative Habits: A Review of The Art of Creativity

    Didn’t want to leave you hanging so here’s part two of my book review on The Art of Creativity, 7 Powerful Habits to Unlock Your Full Potential, by Susie Pearl. This second (and final) episode looks at habits four through seven. Just a reminder that there are two episodes on the one book because the original, rough recording of the full episode was close to two hours! While I managed to whittle it down to an hour and eighteen minutes, Garage Band told me it was more than the maximum allowable length for a “song”. 📝Notes on this Episode We’re looking at the last four habits that will help us to unlock our full creative potential which are: * boosting our brainwave states & mind-mapping * self-care & nourishing the soul * being a maverick * future gazing. Each Chapter/Habit has many journaling prompts as well as other creative exercises. I did most but not all and share my reflections. 🧠 Habit 4 - Boosting Brainwave States & Mind-Mapping This chapter explores how creativity isn’t just inspiration but is also neurological. Susie looks at all five brainwave states (delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma), at how they affect us, and how we can shift states to access deeper creativity. She introduces Mind Mapping as a non-linear, visual thinking tool that mirrors how the brain actually works. Mind Mapping helps to connect ideas and expands how we see creative endeavours. We can find possibilities instead of limitations. 🌿 Habit 5 - Self-Care & Nourishing the Soul This chapter reframes self-care as a creative responsibility, not an indulgence. When we’re depleted, whether it be emotionally, physically, or spiritually, our imagination narrows; when we’re nourished, it expands. Susie’s reading from my Pillars of Health playbook, mentioning many of the same things I do for replenishment: good sleep, good food, good relationships, juicy movement, etc. etc. 🧨 Habit 6 - Be a Maverick This chapter is about courage and not being afraid to shake things up. Susie invites readers to question norms, challenge expectations, and trust their inner authority even if it means standing apart. Staying curious and embracing our authenticity will help us find our creativity. 🔮 Habit 7: Future-Gazing The final habit focuses on creativity as a future-shaping tool. In our exceedingly fast paced world and especially with the advent of AI, Susie encourages us to consciously incorporate creativity into our lives, projects, and identities. As we move into the future our humanity and creativity is what separates us from machines. 🔗Links Susie Pearl’s website with book information: https://www.susiepearl.com/books/the-art-of-creativity/ More of Me, your host, Bec Forde: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/ Get full access to The Vibrancy Society at www.thevibrancysociety.com/subscribe

    40 min

  7. 1 JAN

    S2 E5: Unlock Your Creative Habits: A Review of The Art of Creativity, Part 1

    Howdy Listeners, The book review on The Art of Creativity, 7 Powerful Habits to Unlock Your Full Potential, by Susie Pearl is broken into two episodes. This first episode looks at the first three habits. Why? I took sooooooo many notes that the original, rough recording of the full episode was close to two hours! I managed to whittle it down to an hour and eighteen minutes, yay! But, I edit in Garage Band and evidently there’s a maximum allowable length for a “song” and the episode length was too long, boo! 📝Notes on this Episode We’re looking at the first three habits that will help us to unlock our full creative potential which are facing our fears, journaling our inner world, and 🤞mastering mindful presence. Each Chapter has a lot of journaling exercises as well as other creative ways to uncover a different way forward. I share some of my answers and reflections. 🧠 Habit 1 - Fears and Blocks and How to Overcome Them It should be no surprise that fears and internal blocks are universal and not just for those we think of as artists. Susie guides us to identify what holds us back from creative expression encouraging us to meet them with curiosity and gentle awareness. The exercises here are about recognising the stories we tell ourselves that keep us small, and gently shifting our mindset toward possibility instead of limitation. ✍️ Habit 2 - Journaling Susie feels journaling is a hugely important habit for clarity. Journaling allows us to find the emotions and creative impulses that often remain hidden in the subconscious. Throughout this chapter, journaling is presented as a creative outlet and diagnostic tool, helping us to have a conversation with “the self”. 🧘 Habit 3 - Meditation and Breathing Creativity flourishes when the mind is calm and present. This chapter invites readers to explore the power of simple meditation, paying particular attention to the breath, as a portal to creative flow. Susie uses meditation to anchor into her body and breath before creating. 🔗Links Susie Pearl’s website with book information: https://www.susiepearl.com/books/the-art-of-creativity/ Book about Eleanor (& Franklin) Roosevelt, No Ordinary Time, by Doris Kearns Goodwin More of Me, your host, Bec Forde: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/ Get full access to The Vibrancy Society at www.thevibrancysociety.com/subscribe

    41 min

  8. 03/12/2025

    S2 E4: New Creative Traditions By Letting Your Holiday Decorating Evolve

    This week it’s another I Dibs the Front and it comes to you instead of a book review because what I’m reading to eventually share with you is full of great exercises and I’m committed to doing them and they are taking time - they’re also fun. (sorry about that huge, long, sentence!) So while I work through that reflective process, I’m keeping it topical and bringing you a real-time December episode about holiday creativity and how decorating changes through different stages of life. I talk contrasts: Maximalist to Minimalist, White Christmases to Tropical Summer Holidays. As usual I’ll share stories including the complicated feelings that came with redefining what “festive” looks like and how new traditions can come about and bring you joy. I ask the question: Is it creativity if we’re doing it because we think we “should”? IMHO, my reflections offer a thoughtful take on obligation, nostalgia, and the freedom to let Christmas evolve. 📌Show Notes/Takeaways 🎁 Decorating can shift year to year and that’s normal: energy levels, family dynamics, and your actual space will all shape your holiday creativity. 💫 Meaning often lives in the small, personal details: every ornament tells a story or invokes a memory and even simple displays become part of your history. 🎅 Maximalist displays (even with generators!) and quiet minimalism both count: there’s no “right way” to express creativity during the holidays. 💡 Obligation vs. inspiration is a real tension but both can lead to creative choices: remember limitations can be stifling or sometimes spark something new. 🐉 Decorate unexpected things (like a dragon/giraffe mailbox?): let your creativity surface in non-traditional ways. Listen now and get inspired to weave creativity (like a garland) into your own life and don’t forget to follow, rate or leave a review! More info on me, your host Bec, at The Vibrancy Society where you can see some of my favourite decorations plus that noisy, multi-generator display. Get full access to The Vibrancy Society at www.thevibrancysociety.com/subscribe

    12 min
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What’s your story around creativity? What does it mean to be creative - and do we all have that spark within us? Host Bec Forde draws from books, research, and personal stories, unearthing the common threads of creativity, or seeing if they feel frayed or unraveled. Whether you “feel creative in your bones” or that you “don’t have a creative bone in your body” this podcast offers inspiration for curious minds about how, or even if, creativity shows up in our lives. www.thevibrancysociety.com

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