Cross Training a Creative Space

Posted on by taniacreations

I never imagined that protecting my creative space would lead me to live in a resort in the Hunter Valley, while on a PhD scholarship at the University of Newcastle Australia, and this would be how I would become a full-time creative. For the first time, I own a house (that is mine, not my parents’) and live in it myself. And it is a magical place, full of silence, green views, birds, kangaroos, and other wild creatures…

I now read, write, teach and will soon be facilitating a Hunter Writers’ Centre‘s session for CrossLit, a pilot program where writers get together to deepen their writing voice and their practice.

All my goals and ideas are aligning: my podcast Creative Space Mastery is about protecting the time for artistic practice.

CrossLit is a protected creative space for writers. It is exactly the kind of program I wish every writer could experience: dedicated time, and a structure that was expertly designed to encourage inspiration to show up.

The joy of seeing everything aligning with my ultimate creative goal makes me feel connected to everything: to Country, to life, to my purpose for breathing.

Completing a Podcast Season!

Posted on by taniacreations

Leaving my podcast on hold for many months was a hard thing to do. But when you bite off more than you can chew, you have to prioritise and get things done.

I have managed to accomplish several things in the last few months:

  • completed my Master of Research, passed with flying colours
  • my thesis was published at Macquarie University’s website (read about it here)
  • was approved for a PhD at the University of Newcastle, with a full scholarship
  • finished my corporate position leaving a full and proper handover documentation
  • moved to Newcastle
  • made myself ready to look into properties in Newcastle to move permanently to the area

And this last week I was able to come back to my creative practice and finish my podcast season!

I have now a complete first season in English and will soon be able to continue the Brazilian Portuguese episodes.

Here is the final episode 13.

You can find all about this Podcast on Creative Space Mastery Website.


I feel I am so distant from the person I was at the start of the year, and I am so relieved to complete this project and have done something I set myself to do. Even if it took longer than I had planned!

Sometimes you have to give yourself the time to get things done well, then allow the space. You come back to your creative practice when you’re ready, and once you complete your project, how long it took doesn’t matter that much anymore. Completion is the key.

Finding Balance: Master, Work, Podcast

Posted on by taniacreations

I have a special talent for finding myself creatively busy. Overly committed? Possibly. Being idle is not for me. I might have overdone it a bit this year though, that is why I have been having to rethink and re-balance things…

I’ve had the honour of being accepted to a Master of Research program at Macquarie University and receiving a scholarship for the tuition, I was accepted for the second year as I have a previous Master of Creative Writing from UTS (Coursework). Find details of my research in my post Dancing with Diversity.

I have also have the privilege of now being hired as a fix-term employee by DHL Express, a large multinational with a great record of Great Place to Work.

I also released something that had been a long-time dream of mine, my podcast on creative process, my creativespacemastery.com in two languages. That is the one that I had to put on hold for a little while. I have been trying to release the last episode in English of season 1, and continue the episodes in Portuguese, but I haven’t been finding the energy and time. It was weighing heavily on me. 

Finally, I had to give myself the space, officially publish that they are on hold until I can get back to them, and concentrate on the research and work until I can get back to my podcasts when I feel a bit recharged. It wasn’t an easy decision. But it was the best I could do with the time I had on hand. I have had to make an agreement with the Universe, I will continue, as always, to do the best that I can with the gifts and privileges that I have received in this life, but I cannot do any better than that, than this. 

Where the Ripe Fruit is

Posted on by taniacreations

My writing intuition is pushing me towards writing about dancing and publishing old writings I had about the scene. I’m not sure why.

I’m overflowing with ideas suddenly.

I’m working on so many projects, it’s hard to fathom where the energy should be focused on, so I trust where the inspiration goes.

I take note of the ideas, I capture what comes. I trust.

And deliver what is ripe to be collected and proudly displayed.

Sensuality abounds.

www.taniacreations.com\the dancing bug

Going Verbal

Posted on by taniacreations

I think most days you forget that with each action, reaction, decision, word, you make, take, utter, you are deciding who you are that day.

Most days you function in the automatic, being the same person you were yesterday and the same person people around you — based on the image you have created of yourself externally — expect you to be tomorrow.

In reality, every day, at every moment, you are deciding who you are to be. Every day I can decide, for example, if I will be a powerful storyteller, or if I’m a being amidst chaos at work. 

Week after week, I’m choosing the storytelling path, and recently, I woke up inhabiting the same body, in the same bed I had gone to sleep, but with an idea so powerful, that it has been transforming my life since.

This idea is making my storytelling going verbal, oral I mean, like our forefathers. I have several projects cooking up, watch this space, (this is a keyword, more on that later) and I am preparing for it!

Feral Child Uncaged

Posted on by taniacreations

I went deep, open heart surgery, opened the ribcage, wrenched up the organs and found, behind layers of civility and order and logic, over explaining, proving myself worth it, my overdoing of everything well done, my dissecting of all meanings and rage at anything that doesn’t make sense, behind all that I found a Feral Child.

Wild, raw, naked and barefooted, long, tangled hair, a child who runs with the wolves, fearless, unbidden by past or future, by civility or reason, unworried about consequences or niceties. Elemental, she roars.

She doesn’t care who sees or doesn’t see her value, she doesn’t care of other’s judgement, all she wants is to run in the forest and to swim in the river…

From her, the words coming forth are brutal, animalistic, and as powerful as a beast. Let her come… 

Bearing Chaos

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There is a quick way out of chaos, straight through despair and out the easy way.

Interestingly, the easy way, is the hardest one in the slightest longer run.

The ability to stand the uncomfortableness of an unstable situation, manage your own emotions, will allow you to wait for the harder, but more rewarding, opportunity, which will serve much better in the long run, that making a rushed decision just to get out of the storm wouldn’t. 

Think from inside the pressure pot, analyse the situation, stand your ground, be sure of your own value… those are the things to remember not be swayed around by the winds and the storm.

Beyond all Sane Limits – Part 6

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A rare nice part of the trail, wide and flat…


During a nice stretch of flat path I was thinking about the perfect man. Forget flowers and chocolate, smiles, Champaign and even sex. For me, the perfect man (on that night) would be the one that would give me a bath, carry me to bed, massage me all over, feed me pizza, brush my teeth for me, bring me a painkiller and let me sleep 24 hours. That is why it is so hard to find the perfect man, depending on how you feel or what you do he has to be a completely different person!
Then came the dark. We found this nice fire truck track, large, flat, reasonably dry and short. There was only 1.5 km to go and we thought we would make it in 15 min, but soon after we thought it the bush trail was back with all the ups and downs and the night. Fortunately two of the girls had brought their walking lights. If you told me I would have to walk in the middle of the bush at night with just too little lights and four other girls a week ago, I would have told you in a charming phrase: NO F%$#$@$@$%$# WAY!

Digital StillCamera

Finish Line in the Dark


When it happened I didn’t even feel scared. So tired… so much pain in my knees and legs… there was no space for fear, except when we thought the dogs were coming. We saw the fabled lights at the end of the trail. It was a house from where we heard some mean dogs barking, they sounded like Rottweilers. A minute after something moved in the bushes. We thought the dogs were out and coming to get us. I’m glad to say it was probably some wallaby or something that was running away from us, not toward us.
And just then we found civilization!!! We still had to walk another four blocks to the car. Then smelly bliss…
– I can smell myself!
It was a disgusting smell. An overpowering mixture of sweat, mud, urine and all those bodily smells you get after too much exercise. My own smell was so strong I couldn’t even feel the others so I hoped their own smells were overpowering them so they could not smell mine.
We rode in silence, a blissful, tired, happy, silence. We did it, it seemed to say. We felt brave, powerful, determined and happy. But I felt happier then them… I am sooooo happy I’m not doing the 100km !

Digital StillCamera

I’ve made it to the end!!!


The dayssss after were pure hell. I could barely walk, although I had energy I had to walk with bent knees. The first day after I was walking like a mammoth, dragging my feet. Used the lifts with all the old ladies, but had to climb stairs in Redfern.
It was an “ouch” per step with me using the handrails as lifelines – without them I wouldn’t have done it.
The second day after was still made of pain, the knees felt a bit better but the muscles… oh my God! It was the old penguin day walking… old and decrepit penguin walk.
On the third day after I had been converted to a new and young penguin. But a penguin none the less.
Only on Friday I was truly recovered. About nature all I can think is: f@#@$ nature I don’t wanna see any for a long long long time!

(Orble Votes: 59)

Beyond all Sane Limits – Part 5

Posted on by taniacreations
The commune with nature at a bushwalk is something to be … envied. Honestly I didn’t get to commune at all. At the beginning I was aware of nature, this mushroom, that tree, the wonderful sound of birds, the crickets, the rivers and the sound of water. It was doubtfully beautiful. And I did enjoy it. But it was such a hard walk I didn’t manage that special feeling I get sometimes of total and complete wonderment. The real “commune” with nature. I had to push myself the whole time so I couldn’t totally give myself to the moment.
After midway I was living in the future: the arrival, the end, the finish, the car, a nice bath and my bed. Oh, and pizza – very important.

Digital StillCamera

At some point I was asking:

– How many up hills are there, just tell me the truth, if there is another yet to come leave me here to die…

The leaders didn’t tell me the truth. Obviously. After a while I stopped asking:

– I don’t believe there is a Berowra station anymore. It’s a myth. I don’t care I can walk the whole night.

Really, there is a point of exhaustion you reach and go beyond. You can keep going until you die. My head felt light, my legs heavy but I could continue walking for an eternity. I didn’t care anymore if the trail was flat, going up or down, if there were puddles I would splash right in the middle of them, I could se we stumbled a bit here and there not being able to properly get the legs up to walk.

One of the girls joked with me:

– We have deceived you! We brought you here to kill you ! HA HA HA

– Ok, please do it soon and end the pain! I answered in a wail!

That friend that had been previously looking for the dead body had found another idea to chew on:

– What if we could get home and change to a new pair of legs. Rested ones. Some that would not be this painful.

She found an accomplice for the thought:

– Yeah! Then we could have different sets of legs with the proper muscles developed for each activity… like one pair for running…

– One for dancing!

We all joined in:

– One for walking.

– One for rollerblading.

– One to use mini-skirts with, perfect smooth skin over a nice long muscled leg…

We imagined a few more legs…

 (Orble Votes: 34)