Poiesis

Creativity in all its manifold expressions, exploring the imaginative, artistic and transcendent facets of life

Creativity and the arts Spirituality and transcendence

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Black and white drawing of swirling smoke and flames rising from the ground, bordered by a rough square outline.

The self

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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

Black-and-white photo of a person sleeping against a window on a train, head resting on a pillow, outside view blurred.

Sleep and dreams

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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

Black-and-white photograph of a person in a jacket standing outdoors in a foggy environment, looking up with eyes closed.

Spirituality and religion

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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

Sketch of a bathroom with a vanity unit and mirror. An illustrated nude woman stands in the centre, reflected in the mirror.

Altered states

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A woman summons a stoic calm after accidentally trapping herself in a shower

A film by Tom Schroeder

Abstract painting of a river with geometric, brightly coloured buildings and trees on the riverbank and a bridge in the background

Creativity

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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

Medieval painting of two figures in a garden, one in a pink robe holding flowers, the other in a red robe beneath a tree.

Music

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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

A close-up of a paint swatch booklet with colour samples including blue, yellow and beige. They have labels such as Polka Dot, Vanilla and Daisy Chain.

Creativity

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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

A smiling shirtless man with the outline of a child, as if cut out by scissors, sitting on his shoulders.

Parenting and families

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No kidding! Inside one childless comedian’s choice to get a vasectomy

A film by Jordan Temple

Photo of green leaves on branches against a bright blue sky with wispy clouds behind.

Wonder and the sublime

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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

Digital rendering of a modern architectural space with wooden beams, suspended rooms and large windows, overlooking a green atrium.

Architecture

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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

Black-and-white photo of two people in a small rowboat on a calm, open water body under a cloudy sky. The boat and its occupants are reflected clearly in the still water.

The nature of reality

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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

Painting of lilac flowers with green leaves on a dark background. The flowers vary in shades of purple, pink, and white.

Beauty and aesthetics

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‘Nothing renders their beauty’ – can art ever capture the splendour of a flower?

A film by Miléna Trivier