Living in the In-Between

Lately, I’ve been thinking about death… yeah, cheerful topic, I know. More so, I’ve been reflecting on transitions—the spaces in between. I recently listened to Pema Chödrön’s talk on the Tibetan Buddhist view of death and the concept of the bardo—the in-between state between death and rebirth.

She explains that we are always in some kind of bardo—a space between what was and what’s coming next. What happened this morning might as well have been a year ago. What will happen later today could feel like it's a year away. Time, after all, is something our minds create.

In the studio, this season—January through May—feels like its own bardo. It’s a quieter time, a space for reflection, experimentation, and preparation. It's when I make and dream, getting ready for the next season of shows, markets, tourists, travel, and all the movement that summer brings.

I’ve started to think of my day in segments of “now.” It gives me pause—and a deep sense of gratitude for this creative life I get to live.

If you’re curious, I highly recommend listening to Pema Chödrön’s talk Embracing the Unknown. It’s just over three hours long, and truly, it’s mind-blowing.  I listen on Audible, it's also available from Sounds True.