What Was, What Is, What Will Be

"For every trend there is a countertrend with potentially equal and opposite effects.  Part of the process for addressing this dynamic, in this particular forum, is to focus on the implications and outcomes that have potential for positive impact and are tied to ideas worth spreading for the greater good." - Rebecca McQuigg Rigal

From The Noodler

As we return from summer hiatus, The Noodler co-curator Rebecca McQuigg Rigal shares her insights and takeaways from the inaugural issue, Liminal. Rebecca is an expert in consumer insights/foresights, cultural strategy, and community cultivation. She has worked at leading agencies, on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, and independently as a consultant for brands like AARP, Target, Samsung, and Pepsi.

The past three years have offered a unique reflection point for every member of each living generation - one that for the first time in human history put the entire world on pause. Specifically in the US, where the majority of the country experienced extreme lockdowns. As contributor Elisa Camahort Page put it, “people had something close to universal income granting an opportunity for reflection and inflection,” without many of the economic pressures we normally face - we collectively had access to liminality. It was an opportunity to examine the systems, successes and failures that have contributed to US society over the millennium.

In the inaugural issue, we explored many of the dynamics and paradigm shifts that resulted from this unprecedented historical period - through the stories and voices of an insightful cadre of contributors. Here we close out our inaugural issue with a discussion about the vision and impetus to explore the "liminal," recap some highlights, and share some personal reflections and their implications.

Q&A

Brady Hahn: When we initially started talking about this project, we had mapped out a long list of potential themes to highlight across the year - and liminal was one of them. Can you share a bit about your approach to gathering cultural insights and how Liminal emerged as the front runner for the inaugural issue?

Rebecca McQuigg Rigal: I love that we came to the decision together, after many conversations and brainstorms. We were working from a dynamic list of relevant, meaty themes to explore (more on those later) and “Liminal” just felt appropriate for this particular moment in time, at a gut level.

The art of cultural and consumer trend analysis and insight work - my area of expertise for nearly 20 years - is grounded in science and also entails good measures of instinct and intuition. And because of the creative nature of this project, I/we had freedom to take a more visceral approach.  I had been seeing and hearing the word liminal and the illusion to liminal experiences appear here and there and then seemingly everywhere over the last year or so - in conversations, articles, etc., in addition to the rise in the literal and figurative applications of liminal. So many recent cultural and societal phenomena are representative of the word and its meaning to be “on the threshold”, or, in transition - from our emergence from the global pandemic to climate change, unspooling consequences from the regression of civil and human rights to changing power shifts in the workplace across industries, and the looming effects of new technologies. I could go on but, the point is, these are all major issues that are top of mind societally.

There is so much to unpack around liminality and I was curious to hear how others were processing, and articulating their experiences. I/we - knew the resulting conversations and explorations would be dynamic, insightful, thought provoking, resonate, and cathartic.

On a personal level, as a bi-racial/multicultural, xennial traversing through some major life moments - working in the midst of a career change while transitioning my 5 year old from preschool to Kindergarten and my 89-year-old father from independent to assisted living while investigating some mysterious health issues, and then some - I have no other choice but to embrace the liminality of my life experience and existence.

The metaphoric light at the end of each tunnel ranges in distance (near to far) and brightness (non-existent to blinding), depending on things like social strata, experience and perspective -  casting varying, graduated swaths of gray area that can be both disorienting and transformative on micro and macro levels.  So, this collective conscious awareness of being “on the threshold” has emerged and the implications are shifting attitudes, expectations and behaviors around mood, mental health, identity, association, tribalism, work/life mindset, and more - including my own! This felt like something exciting and urgent to explore.

It was no wonder that we saw a rise in interest in liminal subject matter over time, and also that dictionary.com had recently added “liminal space”, which further validated the thematic decision, and brought everything full circle. The data was there, and the instinct to dig into this topic was both personal and existential. It felt universal. There is so much to unpack around liminality and I was curious to hear how others were processing, and articulating their experiences. I / we - knew the resulting conversations and explorations would be dynamic, insightful, thought provoking, resonate, and cathartic.

Brady: Building the content over the course of the past few months, what has stood out to you most, in terms of trends that are unfolding before us?

Rebecca: As validated and illuminated by our excellent contributors, there’s a growing collective consciousness around actively finding oneself in “betwixt and between”, of “going through” something - naming it, and coming to terms with the indeterminate amount of time and work (or non-work/release) it may take to get from one point to another - it may be quick, it may be slow, it may be beautiful, it may be painful, ultimately it will be transformative.

So, the bigger trend here is a collective awareness and awakening around our own moods, feelings, and states of being and as well as the collective state of the world around us - and what we can do to reclaim agency. People are seeking… seeking… trying to determine the meaning behind it all.

When it comes to the liminality of identity - for those, like myself, who are “both/and, neither” when it comes to race, culture, and/or identity - it may just be the choice to embrace and use our “in betweenness” as the superpower that it is. For those who are feeling/paying attention to major cultural and societal shifts, changes and phenomena, the heft of so much gray area can be expansive - overwhelming even - and create space for contemplation, innovation, and transformation. So, the bigger trend here is a collective awareness and awakening around our own moods, feelings, and states of being and as well as the collective state of the world around us - and what we can do to reclaim agency. People are seeking… seeking… trying to determine the meaning behind it all.

It’s a powerful thing to be able to identify if and when we are stuck and unable to move from one point to another - and whether it’s because of ego, burn-out, stress, anxiety, unrealistic standards and expectations of success or beauty, lack of faith, apathy, external forces like political gridlock or pandemic fallout, recession, inequitable social constructs, or mercury in retrograde (joking, but not really joking!). We can then choose to accept certain things as they are and/or choose to change what we are called or willing to change.

As is our intention with The Noodler, our contributors’ pieces provide a lens through which to explore some of the current, evolving and change-making trends we are seeing and will be seeing more of, on the horizon.

Elisa Camahort Page talked in depth about her peripatetic career - and several of our contributors including Melody Godfred and Savala Nolan have had non-traditional, non-linear professional trajectories (in fact, in both Melody and Savala went from practicing corporate law to inspiring audiences with their writing/essays/poetry and movement-starting/sustaining activism) and we’ll continue to see women (and men) buck tradition and choose more explorative and meandering career paths as they explore creative passions, search for meaning and redefine success on their own terms.

Claudia Camargo's commentary on not taking a cushy corporate job because of its location (in a red state where women’s and LGBTQ+ rights are under fire) illuminates an emerging dynamic whereby prospective employees/talent put extra weight on how a company’s corporate/political/social values align with their own life/livelihood and values. To that end, Sabrina K Garba's piece highlights shifts in the workplace at the intersection of cultural and organizational change and calls out capacity for partnership, vulnerability, and cross-cultural communication as key qualities leaders will need to drive success in the current and future climate.

Speaking of climate, as in climate change and the dire need for collective movements towards more sustainable mindsets and practices, individuals corporations/organizations can take away quite a bit from Julie Schenkelberg’s unpacking of liminality via upcycled artistry. Her approach to “embrace and reinvent the unknown based on a legacy of things past [as a means to] discover and unveil the future” is a practice -  in meditation, education and application - worth exploring.  And Jess Mack’s musings on wayfinding explores what’s found - and what can be gained -  when we let ourselves get lost, in the search for what we seek. This is a powerful takeaway as the quest for meaning and purpose in life is universal.

In other trends around innerwork that can propel positive external outcomes, collectively, our contributors mentioned the practice of things like radical self-love, radical rest, remembrance, faith and acceptance as means to cultivating greater capacity for community care - whether by exploring and addressing systemic racism head on, understanding our identity in relation to others, or examining a shared history - thereby making the experience of liminality more equitable. This of course being in direct opposition to the countertrend of inner-”me”-ness where self-care has more of an individualistic, insular connotations and manifestations.

For every trend there is a countertrend with potentially equal and opposite effects. Part of the process for addressing this dynamic, in this particular forum, is to focus on the implications and outcomes that have potential for positive impact and are tied to ideas worth spreading for the greater good.

Brady: This is a question we have explored with several contributors, and that is, knowing all of this, do you see the liminality as positive/negative/neutral - or does it depend on the context?

Rebecca: To have the ability to be in the midst of a transitional moment or period, and identify the liminality of the situation, is an advantageous place to be. Having the awareness of liminality is a luxury. It means you have the time/space to make that connection, get that download and also that you have agency to choose to make a move and/or have the revelation that “this too shall pass”, or this can be transformative, or I am okay being here in the in betweenness and I am going to use it to my advantage.

To have the ability to be in the midst of a transitional moment or period, and identify the liminality of the situation, is an advantageous place to be.

That’s not to say that the implications or context can’t be bad or good or painful or feel regressive or neutral, but arriving in a state of mind to allow for thought, contemplation, to write a think piece or remark to a friend about the liminality of the moment is a luxury. This is a download I got while listening to and reading several of our contributor’s pieces. And I love this because that’s the point of The Noodler - to contemplate multiple perspectives and spark new ideas!

Brady: How would you like to see individuals and brands use the insights, ideas, and stories we’ve gathered as inspiration for their own work?

Rebecca: I would like to see boundless opportunities for connection, collaboration, contemplation, expansion and innovation. First and foremost I hope the content connects and resonates with folks on a personal level, as well as connects them with new ideas, voices, projects, and concepts. I hope the content sparks collaboration - whether directly with our contributors or through an idea, seeded here, that propels a personal or professional colab forward - and inspiration.

Our contributors to Liminal have touched on some hard truths, as well as behavioral and attitudinal shifts that any organizational leadership team - from HR to DEIB to brand/marketing - would benefit and innovate from. They’ve also shared stories that contain insights into not just creating healthier versions of ourselves, but a healthier society, and a healthier world.

Our intention to spotlight diverse voices and perspectives around topical issues is, by design, to educate, validate, and encourage contemplation and conversation around forces and themes that we feel are pressing and important to address. The contributors to Liminal have touched on some hard truths, as well as behavioral and attitudinal shifts that any organizational leadership team - from HR to DEIB to brand/marketing - would benefit and innovate from. They’ve also shared stories that contain insights into not just creating healthier versions of ourselves, but a healthier society, and a healthier world.

Rebecca: I'd like to turn the mic around. How about you, what would you like to see?

Brady: I definitely want to echo your sentiments that the insights and research we’ve collected, the conversations we are looking to elevate - connects and inspires our readers. There is a lot of gatekeeping around content that is research and insight based - the cost of creating research, the fact it’s typically presented at select conferences, or between agencies and clients.

In addition to wanting to make the content accessible - by offering a variety of formats - my hope is that individuals and teams can use The Noodler as a leverage point to start conversations, and create their own projects, and content for their audience.

Further, we have both seen how data and insights can be watered down to fit corporate agendas, or people's comfort level - which is understandable. But our goal is to be subscriber supported so that we can continue to curate content freely and provide our contributors with a competitive stipend to participate. It allows us to have a truly collaborative process. As you highlighted above - we both had moments of surprise and awe with each of the different ideas each of the contributors brought to "Liminal," and we saw that in reader feedback as well, which is exciting!

Rebecca: Well said.

And on a final note on why this/why now; exploring the liminal through The Noodler - a slow content vehicle by design - allows us to push back against the endless news, information and trend cycle that have so many negative effects on our health and the health of our society (from turning minds to mush, to causing burnout/fatigue, anxiety, apathy, and addiction). Giving into the liminal is signaling to oneself and others that it’s okay to slow down. It’s essential to unplug. It’s healthy to counter the “go, go, go and do, do, do and scroll, click, scroll” mindset and behaviors so prevalent in society.

As we close out this issue, I hope that our individual awareness of the liminal mindset - the naming, embracing, and/or coming to terms with - serves as a collective call to action to do something to help with progression, evolution, healing, fortification. Whether that means to embrace communication, embrace “radical rest," embrace the rejection of unrealistic and outdated signposts, embrace your story, embrace your community, embrace turning down an opportunity you thought you needed because it’s not the best fit for your family, embrace your right to love yourself and claim your identity for yourself, embrace your voice and make it loud.

So, we encourage those who have not had the opportunity to dig into the wonderful work of our contributors, both here and out in the world, to take some time (when you have the time) to do so. There’s so much more depth and dimension to their pieces than we were able to recount here.

And be on the lookout for our next issue exploring the theme of “Duplexity” with a new group of exciting contributors.