Biscuit Cake, Season 4, and a New Name

Evolving & Enough is now Creative Resilience

The new name for this newsletter, previously called ‘Evolving & Enough’

Dear reader,

There’s this No-Bake Biscuit Cake I’ve been wanting to make. It is ready in my imagination, but yet to manifest itself in my kitchen. I never have all the ingredients at once. Either I finish off the biscuits or I gobble up the dark chocolate. Today, I finally have all the ingredients together, but I don’t know where to start.

The same thing has happened with this newsletter. When I have energy, I don’t have time. When I have time, I lack the energy to get started. Thankfully, I am more committed to this space than to a biscuit cake.

So as the ingredients stare at me from the kitchen, I sit to write. This newsletter has been my sanctuary. Work changed, cities changed, friends changed. A pandemic happened. But this space was there, for me to show myself to you.

‘Evolving’ into A New Name

I had been looking for a new name for this newsletter for a year. I brainstormed with close friends and made lists, but nothing seemed sturdy enough for the joy ride I plan to have with my writing in the coming years.

As cliche as it sounds, the idea came to me in a shower. What is not cliche is that it was a painfully long shower. I was struggling to detangle my hair. I was forced to slow down. Conditioner, a wide-toothed comb, and patience helped me in the bathroom which I usually vacate as soon as I can. As I worked at the thickest knot, the name Creative Resilience hit me! These curly hair are an ally, I tell you.

Just by itself, the word Resilience means nothing to me. It is a value other people have. Stronger people. Not weaklings like me. And anyway the word is misused by the media, for people who have no choice other than going back to work, in the face of a disaster or tragedy.

But putting Creative in front of it, is like watching a chemical reaction. Not only does it make resilience feel possible, it makes it exciting. Hopeful. Colourful. A method for sensitive and creative beings to thrive in hard times. It gave me a name for the direction in which my work, writing, and life has been heading.

In the coming months, you will see me trying to bring these two words to life.

Does the name even matter though?

Whether she calls it Brain Pickings or The Marginalian, one always sighs at the beauty of Maria Popova’s work. I don’t know if you will like this name or any of the 108 names that I must have considered. Maybe a name is only important for one person. As long as it inspires me to write more, it has done its job. Inspiration ki firaaq mein, I have changed my own name, toh newsletter kya cheez hai? :)

If you are desperate for an answer, a solution, or a name, I see you. Get under the shower more often. Wait with faith. It will arrive.

We are allowed to change our minds, outgrow things, renew our vows to our creative practice.

We are allowed to begin again.

Welcome to Season 4!

Yours creatively,

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If you wish write with me and the awe-inspiring and resilient

Natasha Badhwar

, we are facilitating two more workshops in 2023. As I had written to you before, it is truly a gathering of the most wonderful people who want to write to discover themselves anew.

If you have any questions about this, feel free to reply to this email or write to us at Ochre.Sky.Workshops@gmail.com