CRAFT & SPIRIT

CURIOSITIES
Films That Feel Like a Threshold

Suggesting this one again because I include it to help build my case on thresholds.

Watch many of Hayao Miyazaki’s films and you’ll find thresholds in one way or another.

CRAFT AND SPIRIT
The Art of Thresholds

There's always a moment just before everything happens. It feels like standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to step forward into a new world. To click play is the threshold to my movie. The act of opening a book is the threshold to a new world—moving from the known into the unknown. It’s the space between points A and B that's often overlooked, yet carry the weight of the important change to come.

Take a moment and place your hands in the middle of your chest; this is your ideal center. A center for energy to culminate and distribute. Allow warmth to radiate through your body. You might begin by gently scanning each part of your body or inviting an overall embrace of warmth to fill you entirely. Now, let this comforting energy extend beyond you, flowing outward and filling the space around you.

Imagine a threshold beneath you—a clear, distinct line separating the outside from the inside. Visualize whatever space you desire on the other side. For me, it's a screen door on a warm summer day, reminding me of my grandmother’s house, a place where I played pretend with my cousins. There were no barriers to creativity, just pure joy and freedom as I sprinted toward the nearest tree to climb. This screen door is my personal threshold.

I let that radiant energy grow until I feel compelled to move forward, feeling my body naturally drawn through the doorway. And then... I take that step. I open the door, and suddenly I'm standing in the creative world I've chosen to enter. Have you stepped in with me?

This threshold symbolizes decisive action in our artistic lives. It's a bridge into a space filled with endless creativity, where we are safe to play, to fail, collecting scrapes, bruises, mud and grass stains. Here, you're allowed to be expansive—to invite planets onto your team, granting you cosmic powers. You're free to fight dragons, ride dinosaurs, scream like a banshee, and face fifteen enemies at once wielding dual samurai swords.

The space we left for this one is our everyday life. To challenge it’s mundanity, it simply demands an aspect of responsibility. We have to clean up, wash our hands, and eat politely rather than shoveling food joyously (though… I still do). It’s a space that faces reality, and steps back into a physical mortal body. We eye the enemies outside the screen door and with a sneer “just you wait until I’ve eaten my dinner fool!”

The atmosphere shifts between these spaces, and with sensitivity, you can notice the differences. After spending time in the creative sanctuary, step back into the objective world. Be mindful to know these worlds are separate, not to say you can’t bring things from the creative sanctuary to the world which you live. Please bring gifts.

Reach a hand into your creative space while remaining rooted in reality. Notice how each space feels distinctly different. Is it warmth, safety, beauty, ease? And the objective world—how does that feel? Aim to notice without judgment, observing quietly and clearly.

Physical thresholds exist too. The stage door of a theater holds sacred meaning for me, as does the boundary between backstage and the moment you step onto the stage. That space between curtains and audience is transformative. What about your office door, an elevator, or even a security guard who stands watch at the entrance? Aren’t they also thresholds?

I recently watched the film Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… And Spring. In this story, a wise Buddhist monk revered thresholds as sacred. The temple had just one room for sleeping, praying, and hosting guests, with a solitary, freestanding doorway marking the separation. No walls enclosed this door, yet it maintained a profound sense of privacy and reverence. It became even more powerful when characters transgressed these invisible boundaries, dramatically shifting the story's emotional landscape.

Nature also moves us across thresholds. Winter transitions into spring, inspiring movement and rebirth. Summer gives way to fall, transforming vibrant energy into the crisp crunch of fallen leaves. Days grow shorter, nights colder, until spring returns, bringing rebirth and fresh vibrancy to our world.

The threshold I’m particularly drawn to right now is that of creative work. It’s about deliberately creating a sacred space—a sanctuary of creativity and artistic support. A secret realm untouchable by outside forces—no person, government, industry, or society can compromise this haven. The most radical area of all, the safety of your own creativity. This sanctuary is where your extraordinary artistry can flourish safely and powerfully.

So let me gently ask:
What threshold are you standing in front of right now?

The Work
If You’re Feeling the Pull

If you’re navigating your own threshold and looking to step into it with clarity, intention, and craft—I offer 1-on-1 creative coaching rooted in the actor’s tools of presence, imagination, and transformation. Whether you’re seeking to unlock a role, deepen your process, or rediscover your artistic voice, this work meets you at the edge and walks with you through.

Book a free 30-minute consultation to explore the fit.

All following sessions are $45 for 90 minutes.

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