Poiesis
Creativity in all its manifold expressions, exploring the imaginative, artistic and transcendent facets of life
The self
idea
Why bad doodles can reveal more about you than good drawings
For Marion Milner, ‘not being able’ is a valuable state – one that allows for new and unexpected forms of learning
by David Russell
Sleep and dreams
idea
The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep
Neuroscientists are demystifying this in-between state, uncovering its role in memory processing and its creative potential
by Célia Lacaux
Spirituality and religion
guide
How to find new spiritual practices
Even if religion isn’t for you, there’s a world of rituals and tools to lift yourself up and connect to something greater
by Morgan Shipley
Altered states
film
A woman summons a stoic calm after accidentally trapping herself in a shower
A film by Tom Schroeder
Creativity
idea
A key part of creativity is picking up on what others overlook
We all constantly filter a flood of details coming in. This process helps explain what gives some brains a creative edge
by Madeleine Gross
Music
idea
Why did bloody knights write love songs about spring blossoms?
The masculinity of medieval knighthood was expansive enough for both graphic violence and the joys of a flower meadow
by Jennifer Saltzstein
Creativity
guide
How to use ‘possibility thinking’
Have you hit an impasse in your personal or professional life? Answer these questions to open your mind to what’s possible
by Constance de Saint Laurent & Vlad Glăveanu
Parenting and families
film
No kidding! Inside one childless comedian’s choice to get a vasectomy
A film by Jordan Temple
Wonder and the sublime
idea
The most profound wonder is stirred by what is most ordinary
Rare moments of wonder at the mere existence of things – rather than the dramatic or new – involve perceiving with the soul
by Maria Balaska
Architecture
idea
How the buildings you occupy might be affecting your brain
Cutting-edge research in the field of neuroarchitecture is revealing the public health implications of building design
by Cleo Valentine & Heather Mitcheltree
The nature of reality
guide
How to think about time
This philosopher’s introduction to the nature of time could radically alter how you see your past and imagine your future
by Graeme A Forbes
Beauty and aesthetics
film
‘Nothing renders their beauty’ – can art ever capture the splendour of a flower?
A film by Miléna Trivier