Finding your own rhythm.
Maya Chen on creative seasons, letting go of someone else’s timeline, and building a practice that feels like your own.
The conversation
Maya Chen on creative seasons, letting go of someone else’s timeline, and building a practice that feels like your own.
Some of the most useful conversations leave you with something small: a question, a practice, or a new way of seeing the familiar. This episode is an invitation to slow down and make a little space for that.
A few things to take with you
- The seasons of creative work.
- Letting go of the timeline.
- Starting small.
Try this after listening
Take ten minutes away from your usual routine. Notice one thing you would normally pass by, and write a sentence about it.
Transcript
Alex: Hey, it’s Alex. Welcome back to Iris. You know that feeling when everyone else seems to have a plan, and you’re still figuring out where to start? Yeah. Today, we’re talking about that. And about the idea that maybe you don’t need to borrow somebody else’s pace.
Alex: Maya Chen is a designer and maker, and I loved hearing how she thinks about creative seasons. Some weeks, you’re making things. Other weeks, you’re looking, collecting, or letting an idea settle. That quieter part can feel like you’re doing nothing. But sometimes it’s exactly what the work needs.
Alex: If you’ve been feeling stuck, try something small. A sketch that nobody has to see. A paragraph you don’t have to publish. Give yourself a little room to make something without deciding, right away, whether it’s any good. Your rhythm doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Thanks for listening. I’ll see you in the next conversation.
Mentioned in this episode
Voices in this episode.
Maya Chen
Designer & maker
Maya is a designer interested in the quieter side of creative practice. She makes objects and experiments that leave room for rest, play, and finding a rhythm of your own.
Alex Morgan
Writer, maker & host of Iris
Alex is a writer and maker with a soft spot for questions that take the scenic route. Iris grew out of a wish to spend more time listening to people who see the familiar a little differently.
