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. 31 JULY

    Reviewed and Revisited: Threads & Bones, The First 20

    This solo episode marks the end of Season One - a milestone that’s less about being finished and more about taking a breath. After 20 episodes, I’m reflecting on what’s worked, what’s challenged me, what I’ve learned, and what comes next. I talk about why now felt like the right time to pause, the three episode formats that have taken shape, and what I’ve learned about creativity through this whole podcast experiment. TBH this project has stretched my brain, my introvert edges, and even my handwriting muscles. Sound quality should be good because, hey, I recorded it from the desk in my studio not the car! Hopefully it’s not too rambly. It’s just an honest chat about the joy of starting something you love especially when you’re not sure where it’s heading - I mean what would be the fun in that?? Here’s what I touch on: 🔢 Why I’m calling it Season OneBecause 20 is a nice round number (and tidy demarcations are so satisfying) annnnnnd also because life is lifing - taxes x2, renovation chaos and dust - so much dust, and a brain that needs a breather. It's time for a little space and reflection. 🎙️ The three types of episodes I’ve been making * Interviews: They light me up and I get to experience the conversations twice * Book reviews: Who knew they’d turn into mini research projects (not to mention hand workouts) * Car rants chats: aka “I Dibs the Front Seat,” where the engine noise and my thinking out loud fight for your attention 🎨 Comments on creativityHow the podcast has made me think about product vs process, the tension between unbridled creativity and systems, and the maybe weird-but-true performance energy behind teaching Pilates and podcasting. 🌱 The three biggest benefits I’ve gained * I'm learning (yay for neuroplasticity!) * I’m stretching the edges of my introvert bubble * I’ve felt the warm fuzzies from your lovely feedback and messages 📬 Send Help Got thoughts on the formats? Want more of something? Less of something? A new idea? I'm all ears. Email me (dragonflypilates@earthlink.net), or send it via a carrier pigeon? Either way I'd love to hear what you'd like to hear in Season Two. Remember you can find me at The Vibrancy Society (the music behind me during the body of this episode is from Denis Pavlov) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thevibrancysociety.com

    14 min

  2. 17 JULY

    S1 E20: Life Storms - How To Sing On The Other Side: Alexandra Walker

    Whoop, whoop we made it to 20 episodes! This week’s episode is for every soul, creative or otherwise, who’s faced a Life Storm and wondered how to keep going. In this milestone episode of Threads & Bones, I sit down with trauma informed coach and creative guide Alexandra Walker to explore how creativity isn’t just a luxury, it can be a lifeline. We also talk about the entwinement of creativity with logic and how they work together to help us unpack unhealthy coping mechanisms. We can move through our life storms, reframe our challenges, and find our voice again. Among other things we hear about Alexandra “two buckets” of creativity definition, the impact of teachers who see our potential, the power of metaphor and storytelling, and the way unresolved pain can masquerade as a busy, “successful” life. Between reflections on moving past childhood trauma, coping mechanisms, figuring out how to be comfortable with an empty diary, and overcoming the fear of sharing our creative work, this episode is a rich reflection on what it means to live a creative life through chaos and calm alike. ✨ Show Notes & Takeaways 🎨 We’re all creative, remember it’s not a gift for the chosen few, it’s part of what makes us human. 🪣 Alexandra’s “two buckets” of creativity: #1 the traditional expressive arts, and #2 the multifaceted, all angles approach to innovative problem solving. 👩‍🏫 A great teacher can change everything, especially when they see your potential before you do (watering can badgers anyone?) 🌀 Busyness can be a mask for pain and usually there’s a tipping point to make us reassess our “success”. Our intuition might not always be right but can guide us to make changes. 🌿 Space, in nature and in our heads can heal. The “void” isn’t empty, instead it’s where the creative magic begins.🎶 Alexandra’s metaphor “Singing After the Storm” helps us understand how to shed our not-serving-us-anymore coping armour to live more fully in our truth. 🧰 Journaling can be an important part of your “storm tool kit.” Use your own words or borrow someone else’s until your voice comes. 🫣 Sharing your creativity is always scary, it’s hard to be vulnerable. Lean into knowing it’s meant for the right people, not everyone. 👑 You don’t need to be rescued. You can rescue yourself! Damsels Not in Distress. 🔗 Episode Sponsor & Links 🤪This episode is lovingly sponsored by… me! 🙌Find Alexandra in all these groovy places and download her freebie: * Website: https://www.damselnotindistress.co.uk/ LinkedIn (for professionals): https://www.linkedin.com/in/al3xandra-walker/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damselnotindistressltd/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damsel_notin_distress/ The free guide to her model, Sing After The Storm: https://www.damselnotindistress.co.uk/sing-after-the-storm-guide 🙃Find Me here: ✨Sign up for my newsletter: The Vibrancy Society 😍Move with me: Dragonfly Pilates & Movement 🙏If you love what you’re hearing: 🌟 Leave a review 📩 Share the episode ➕ Follow the show This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thevibrancysociety.com

    1h 1m

  3. 3 JULY

    S1 E19: If Curiosity & Imagination Had a Baby: Lourdes Ivette

    In this episode of Threads & Bones, I chat with the unstoppable, deeply creative Lourdes Ivette. She loves all the things! Whatever grabs her fancy, whether it’s crocheting, woodworking, baking, or candle making, she tries to master it. She’s also a mother, a podcaster, a human calculator, and all-around problem-solver. From her early days watching her mom turn raw materials into finished products, to her dad’s MacGyver-esque “brilliance”, Lourdes shares how her creativity has always been woven with resourcefulness. We talk parenting and partnership, the magic of building your creative warehouse (yes, really), and the joy of having your craziest ideas supported by someone who loves you to the bone. Lourdes also opens up about her struggles and how she’s dealing with big transitions: moving, downsizing, leaving a job, and beginning a new career, all while nurturing her family and herself. Her podcast Success Starts with Self Love is launching a new series in August on Wholeness, and trust me, listening to her is infectious in the best possible way. It’s def one you’ll want in your ears. 🎙️ Episode Takeaways ✨ Creativity is modelled (or not) from the start: Childhood inspiration from an artistic mom and resourceful dad shaped Lourdes’ maker mindset and creative problem solving skills. 🪚 An equal partnership makes everyone’s dreams possible: Lourdes + hubby, Dave + Communication = One Creative Power Team (with some woodworking skills to boot!). 🎨 Parenting & Creativity: Unconditionally supporting her daughters’ ideas (rainbow soup anyone?) builds their confidence and resilience. Plus creative parenting is a must have since no two kids are alike. 📦 Stocking your Creative Warehouse: Lourdes found a way to do all the creative things she loves; she doesn’t have to niche down to only one thing so she can go where the muse takes her. 🏡 New career for both sides of her brain: She maybe might have found the perfect path blending her passion, her love of home, and her number crunching & people skills. 💗 Changes - Out with the old and in with the new: A new city, a new career, and a new podcast series! How to keep loving and supporting yourself through life’s big transitions. 🧐Find Us & Explore Lourdes’ podcast Success Starts With Self Love: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/success-starts-with-self-love/id1682293022 Lourdes’ online shop: https://luluhandmadegifts.com/ Painted Tree Boutiques, right now Lourdes is featured at the Dulles, VA store (booth A-2) but as of November 2025 her works will be at the Glen Ellen store. Painted Tree Boutique, Dulles, VA a short tour, check out Lourdes’ candles at the 2:38 minute mark. Sign up for my newsletter for all things creativity & movement & living a more vibrant life: https://www.thevibrancysociety.com/ Take an On Demand Pilates class from me: https://www.dragonflypilates.com.au/online_store 🤩Do All the Things 🌟Rate 🌟 Review 🌟 and Share this episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thevibrancysociety.com

    59 min
  4. S1 E18: How Creativity Carries Us Through Grieving and Grief

    18 JUNE

    S1 E18: How Creativity Carries Us Through Grieving and Grief

    In this I Dibs the Front episode, I reflect on two things. First is how we use creativity in the grieving process, helping us deal with the immediate loss of a loved one. Second, how do we use creativity to remember and honour those we’ve lost - grief is always there. A year on from my sister Pippa’s death, I talk about how shared jewellery, clothing, and even a tattoo have become powerful reminders of her. They are some of the ways I carry her with me, literally and emotionally. I also share the story of a woman who recently lost her daughter and her journey to release her late daughter’s music as a posthumous gift to the world. Her deeply moving example fuelled my thoughts on how creativity can help us both say goodbye and keep someone close. So, whether it’s making a playlist, writing through the sadness, or crafting something in tribute, this is a gentle invitation to consider how creativity can be a thread between loss and love. Key Takeaways: 💫 Creativity offers a language for grief, buffering the overwhelm 💍 Sentimental objects and shared items can hold surprising emotional weight 🎞️ Creating something for someone is also about making it for yourself 🎧 Playlists and music create communal artefacts for remembrance 🖋️ Creative rituals as memorials can be small, symbolic, or lifelong. They matter and you get to choose what they are 💌 You’re invited: I’d love to hear how you’ve used creativity to honour your loved ones. If you’re keen to share you can reach me at: dragonflypilates@earthlink.net 📙Pippa was an adventurer and for two years she taught high school English in the UAE. She started a blog to share her new life with her friends and family: https://pippasperegrinations.wordpress.com/about/ 🌏 If this episode resonates with you, please consider following Threads & Bones on Apple Podcasts, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might find comfort in it. You can also subscribe to my newsletter at The Vibrancy Society for more musings on creativity, life, and all the beautiful in-betweens. Thanks for listening, xBec This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thevibrancysociety.com

    10 min

  5. 5 JUNE

    S1 E17: Creativity, Design & Starting Out: A Chat with Emma Ireton

    📝 Show Notes: In this episode of Threads & Bones, I sit down with my brilliant niece Emma, a recent design school grad who bravely moved to London to kickstart her creative career. Our chat touches on everything from design philosophy, realising that studying what excites you is not a crazy idea, imposter syndrome, and what it means to live creatively, even when you're still putting down roots in a new city. We *ahem* might’ve kept talking long after the mics were technically “off,” but I’ve captured some golden moments that I think you’ll love. Here are the takeaways from today’s episode: ✨ Creativity isn’t just drawing “well” it’s a skill that can be built like a muscle. With intention and practice, creativity is open to everyone if they’re willing to put in some effort. 🛠️ Design has many meanings and for Emma, it’s where beautiful, aesthetically pleasing form meets function. Design brings a sense of order to her world and shows up throughout her life. 👀 Creative role models matter and seeing others live creatively helps you realise what's possible. Your creative life will rightfully be completely unique to you. 🌆 Inspiration is everywhere and London’s cultural richness is the perfect research lab. Spending time germinating while figuring out how to break into your “Big C” career keeps you in a creative mindset. 💬 Imposter syndrome is real and everybody experiences it but trust that your journey will unfold exactly as it’s supposed to. Back yourself. Always. 🔗 Links + Calls to Action: * 💖 Check Out Emma’s Website * 🌐 Subscribe to The Vibrancy Society * 🍎 Follow & Review on Apple Podcasts * 🎶 Leave a Comment on Spotify * 🙏 Share the episode with a friend or someone finding their creative path This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thevibrancysociety.com

    1h 2m
  6. S1 E16: Wired To Create, book review!

    25 MAY

    S1 E16: Wired To Create, book review!

    It’s time for another book review on creativity which this time is Wired To Create, Discover the 10 things great artists, writers and innovators do differently, by Scott Barry Kaufman & Caroline Gregoire. The co-authors, an academic and a journalist, outline the ten often paradoxical habits and traits found in highly creative people. Creative minds are messy. They tend to be open and sensitive, imaginative and disciplined, playful and deeply introspective. This book collates the massive amount of research surrounding creativity and distills it into the ten recurring traits that wire creative minds. A quarter of the book is the notes and references from each chapter! After the introduction, I explore the ten chapters which each focus on one of the ten traits. Along the way there are quotes, stories of famous artists and thinkers and a few of my personal recollections. Chapter Highlights Imaginative Play is not just for kids, it sparks experimentation, innovation, and joy. Passion’s deep, intrinsic motivation often keeps creatives going through the ups and downs. Daydreaming? Just fall in love with your wandering mind already. Turns out, it’s doing important creative work behind the scenes. Solitude allows creative thoughts to marinate and develop more deeply. Yes, alone time is good for you. Intuition in the creative process is all about trusting your gut instincts and emotional insight. Openness to Experience is the willingness to explore, be surprised, and embrace novelty. Mindfulness (& meditation) allows being fully present for richer creative awareness even amidst our crazy chaotic lives. Sensitivity shows up in creative folks as vulnerability, emotional depth and attunement to the world, often feeding powerful work. Turning Adversity into Advantage channels many creatives’ struggles into fuel for expression and transformation. Thinking Differently lets creatives see connections where others don’t, flipping the script on norms and assumptions. This book is both a comfort and a nudge. It reminds us that creativity is definitely not a linear process. It’s messy, layered, and often contradictory. Whether you’re a maker, thinker, feeler, or daydreamer, Wired to Create might help you understand (and appreciate) that being wired a little differently is often where the magic comes from. 🎧 Whether you live and breathe creativity or just want to peek inside the minds of those who do, you’ll want to hear this. Each chapter shows how the ten traits manifest and why they matter and how creatives see and move through the world. Books & Resources Mentioned: 📖 Wired To Create by Scott Barry Kaufman & Caroline 🗺️ Glass Town the Brontë siblings’ paracosm 📝 Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSP) by Aron & Aron 📚 Big Magic / The House That Joy Built / Two Beats Ahead - my previous book reviews 💖 The Vibrancy Society to sign up for my newsletter 💬 What did this book stir in you? Any takeaways or Aha-s? Leave me a comment so we can continue the conversation! ⭐ Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share it with a fellow creative who needs a little inspiration! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thevibrancysociety.com

    58 min

  7. 8 MAY · BONUS

    S1 E15: Music Festivals & the Freedom to Explore Your Creative Self

    In this solo "I Dibs the Front Seat" episode, ride along as I reflect on the creativity that blooms at music festivals (and how much fun people watching can be). 🎧 Show Notes I talk about 🎤the wide range of musical artists from well known names to new discoveries 🪅the outfits that let people explore new sides of themselves ⛺️the playful ways folks set up their campsites ✨the magical moment when the sound from two stages fused into something entirely new. 🩰I also segue into some of the costumes I wore as a dancer because that’s just the way my brain works… I think we can all agree that festivals aren’t just about music - they’re living, breathing creative spaces and offer a rare space where people feel free to experiment, play, and show up more boldly. 🤩Aren’t they fun? 🔗 Musical Artists Mentioned California Honey Drops: https://cahoneydrops.com/ Don West: https://www.don-west.com/ Toto: https://totoofficial.com/ Vance Joy: https://www.vancejoy.com/ The Cat Empire: https://thecatempire.com/ 🙏Thanks for joining me for this ride - and as always, if you’re enjoying the show, a follow and a review really help more folks find these creative conversations. Sign up for my newsletter which includes notices of new podcast episodes here: The Vibrancy Society Thanks for listening, xBec Clown car photo by Carol Highsmith's America on Unsplash This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thevibrancysociety.com

    10 min
  8. S1 E14: Building Community by Slowing Down & Dancing in Public Spaces with Liesel Zink

    4 MAY

    S1 E14: Building Community by Slowing Down & Dancing in Public Spaces with Liesel Zink

    I’m thrilled to share my chat with Liesel Zink. If you listened to Episode 11 (Making Space, Staying Sane…) then you’ll know that I’m a participating as one of 89 performers in a large public-space work mid May (2025). Liesel is the choreographer of that piece, Us And All Of This, and is a delightful human being. I’ve had so much fun reinvestigating a bit of my past creative life through her lens and appreciated her willingness to be my guest. Here are some of the things we covered in our convo: 🎙️ Episode Takeaways: * Ever wondered what a dramaturge does? Liesel shares how she’s leaned on dramaturges to help clarify her voice and explains how the role connects the dance, the arts field, and the world we live in. * Trained in contemporary dance, Liesel shifted toward expanding audiences and increasing community connection by bringing dance out of exclusive spaces and into shared public spaces. * Public-space choreography allows audiences to engage with contemporary dance on their own terms keeping it relaxed, open, and accessible. * In an increasingly busy world, Liesel realises the foundations of her creative process - deep listening and radical slowness - area a chance to invite people to re-ground and deepen their humanity. * Being an independent artist means wearing many hats - but all those skills weave and thread back into life, community, and even cultural activism. * Liesel’s engagement with her Ukrainian heritage is influenced by her creative practice and shows up through organising community celebrations and her “craftivism”, raising money for Ukraine through a crafters group. * Her large-scale participatory work Us And All Of This builds true community through deep curiosity, care, and collaboration. While the positive impacts may be ephemeral and hard to measure they are deeply real and transformative. ✅ Links & Resources: * 🌿 Follow & Follow Liesel: Instagram | Facebook | Website * 🌅 Horizon Festival is who’s hosting the performance: horizonfestival.com.au * 🎭 Performing Lines is the producer of Us And All of This: performinglines.org.au * ✨ The Vibrancy Society how to find more of me: thevibrancysociety.com * 🇺🇦 To Support Ukraine: Ukrainian Crisis Appeal is an Australian Organisation that has a long history of doing really important humanitarian work in Ukraine. Or to help de-mine Ukraine: De-mine Ukraine this is a relatively new initiative. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thevibrancysociety.com

    1 hr
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4.9
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9 Ratings

About

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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