Birthing new metaphors: Creativity, imagination, and social change at Esalen
I wanted to share an inspiring email I received from an amazing woman who heard me on the radio last fall. Her metaphoric imagery is so vivid and full of life, and her description of our culture being in the “neti-neti” stage of childbirth deeply resonated with me:
“We are ‘not here nor there’ but somewhere in-between. Neti-neti is a time when the mother must relinquish her own boundaries and lose herself, becoming a semi-permeable membrane that will allow the spirit of the child to emerge.”
I also love her notion that the human collective imagination is pregnant with “as yet unarticulated” new metaphors. This idea beautifully aligns with the themes of my upcoming workshop at Esalen Institute on creative process and social change. It feels like this workshop, too, is pregnant with possibility!
Here’s the email in full. It’s rich with wisdom and creativity:
An Email That Resonated
“Hi Kim,
I don’t usually post comments on blogs, but I couldn’t resist responding to your work.
I hope teachers continue leaning toward the enlivening inspiration and support you offer. I spent much of my parenting energy ensuring that my children received creative educations, and now their adult work reflects that beautifully.
I wanted to let you know how delighted I was to encounter a kindred spirit when I heard your interview on the radio. As you described your creative ‘languaging’ of the concept of ‘aesthetic space,’ I was reminded of a workshop I took in 1986 with Hugh Redmond at the ATP Conference on teaching Transpersonal Psychology. He suggested allowing silences in the classroom—creating a space for the ‘I don’t know’—where something new can emerge.
This reminds me of the Jungian idea that when the tension of opposites is held, a previously unimagined third can emerge.
This cultural time reminds me of the ‘transition’ stage in childbirth—a stage that is ‘neti-neti,’ not here, not there. It’s a time when the mother must relinquish her own boundaries, lose herself, and become a semi-permeable membrane to allow the spirit of the child to emerge. It feels like the human collective imagination is pregnant with ‘as yet unarticulated’ metaphors that resonate with what we are already experiencing.
Lastly, I wanted to share my recurring dream imagery: weaving looms and harps. In some dreams, they merge—a loom that sings or a warehouse of looms that weave by day and transform into harps at night. These images have inspired me to literalize them, learning to weave and play a Celtic lap harp. While I’ve since passed on the artifacts, the images remain vivid and full of meaning.
Blessings on your work and weaving. May your shuttles keep flashing!
Warmly, Eileen”
Isn’t that a beautiful message?
The metaphors she shares speak to the heart of what we’ll explore in my upcoming workshop at Esalen, Getting Messy: Creative Process and Social Change. We’ll dive into how creative processes allow us to navigate transformative times, helping us birth new ideas and possibilities into the world.
Workshop Details:
Getting Messy: Creative Process and Social Change
Date: March 4–6
Location: Esalen Institute
Register here
Let’s weave new metaphors together!
Happy weaving,
Kim
