Poiesis

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

Creativity and the arts Spirituality and transcendence

An otter rolling on a moss-covered rock, eyes closed in a relaxed pose with a blurry background.

Animals

idea

You can think like an animal by silencing your chattering brain

The desire is partly whimsical, but a brief shapeshift across the taxonomic gulf could help us better empathise with animals

by Bryony Tolhurst

Photo of a yellow bird singing while perched on a branch with a blurred green background.

Animals

idea

Learn to tune into birdsong – respite and fascination await

Listening deeply to the sounds of birds is a powerful form of meditation and a first step towards a rewarding new hobby

by David M Logue

Two men smiling in low light, seated at a round table with drinks. One man is wearing a hat.

Stories and literature

guide

How to tell a better story

Personal stories have the power to connect, entertain, persuade. Use a pro storyteller’s tips to pick and prepare a great one

by Micaela Blei

Close-up of hands holding clear frogspawn with visible black eggs in a natural outdoor setting.

Creativity

film

A filmmaker’s never-realised ideas become an exploration of self-doubt

Directed by Cameron Nicoll

An ancient Greek clay jug with red stripes and inscriptions against a dark background.

Communication and language

idea

I am an article about the speaking objects of ancient Greece

Talkative drinking cups and threatening oil flasks tell us how the written word asserted its authority in an oral society

by Teddy Fassberg

Painting of a woman alone in a closed café with chairs upturned on tables viewed through a window.

Emotion regulation

idea

Solitude can be profoundly restorative. Here’s how to savour it

Time alone offers unique psychological benefits, once you learn to embrace these quiet moments rather than escape them

by Thuy-vy Nguyen

Photo of a person singing dramatically in colourful patterned attire and an orange headwrap on a dark stage.

Music

guide

How to get hooked on opera

Aspects of opera can seem strange. But give it a try and you’ll soon find yourself absorbed in a truly magical experience

by Alexandra Wilson

A woman holds a square mirror that blocks her face; it reflects rocks and grass. There is blue sky and clouds in the background. The only element in focus is the reflection on the mirror.

Painting and sculpture

film

Losing her eyesight, a painter’s art evolves with the way she sees the world

Directed by Liberty Smith

Photo of an abandoned brick building with graffiti on its walls broken windows and overgrown plants in the foreground.

Painting and sculpture

idea

Works of urban graffiti are not vandalism, but public monuments

They might appear to have little in common with statues or obelisks, but graffiti images serve a vital public function

by Rafael Schacter

Photo of people in a sunny square with bikes and scooters, near Les Tontons and a large building advertisement in Bordeaux.

Stories and literature

idea

Your life is not a story: why narrative thinking holds you back

Our stories help us make sense of a chaotic world, but they can be harmful and restrictive. There’s a liberating alternative

by Karen Simecek

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

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

Desert with a blurred yellow road sign and distant hills under a blue sky.

Altered states

film

Ride along on a road trip suffused with LSD, petty theft and true love

Directed by Aric Allen