Welcome to the Dazzling Wilds
Welcome to the creative thinkers.
The way-finders.
The story-spinners.
The dreamers.
Welcome to you—just as you are.
Whether you’re a lifelong creative or just now dipping a toe into the unknown, you’re invited to step into a story-shaped space with me.
About twenty years ago, a shape-shifting question bounded across my path, and I’ve been chasing it ever since. It began with this:
What will it take for me to become an artist?
And over time, it transformed:
How does one live a creative, wholehearted life?
What is voice? What does it take to tap into our voice and use it meaningfully?
Is it important for adults to play? To imagine? And if so, how might I invite them into a space where they can reconnect with their sense of wonder?
Most of those years, I’ve been immersed in the world of children’s creativity—writing books, directing plays, designing curriculum, and co-creating alongside inspiring young minds at Society of Young Inklings. I’ve followed that shape-shifting question through countless encounters with creative thinkers of all ages. Each time, I come away more convinced:
Regardless of whether you’re 6 or 106, the quest to live creatively and wholeheartedly—to find and use our voice—is not a journey outward. We’re not seeking something in the distant “out there.” It’s not a quest reserved for the genius or the gifted. Everyone is invited. Each of us has a voice.
And here’s what I’ve come to understand recently, through a year of challenge and transformation:
Though each of our voices is deeply personal, our potential shimmers in liminal, in-between spaces. Counterintuitively, when we step into the space between ourselves and others, we often hear our own voices with deeper clarity and confidence. Once we brave this unexpected leap, creativity pours forth in generative, joyfully surprising ways.
I’ve certainly been surprised myself, setting aside a long-term book project because not just one, but two new books have shown up, demanding that now is their time.
✶ Into the Dazzling Wilds – my first picture book: a myth that maps the heart of creativity, inviting readers into a landscape where ideas spark, shift, and take flight.
✶ Think for Yourself – my first memoir: the story of how I reclaimed my creative voice and learned to think for myself—not in isolation, but in relationship. A journey through imagination, identity, and unexpected doorways.
If it seems odd for books to be so demanding, know this: it’s really the big idea at their center, relational imagination, that refuses to wait a moment longer to be shared.
Relational imagination invites us to think with—rather than just about—stories, ideas, people, and the world. It helps us move beyond siloed thinking and tangled mental loops, guiding us toward thoughtful questions, deep listening, and courageous co-creation. Along the way, we uncover fresh insight, unlock collective potential, and make space for meaningful transformation.
And here’s where Illumineering comes in. It’s a word I coined for this very process: the art and practice of stepping into our stories, lighting up from within, and thinking creatively on purpose. It’s a way of navigating the unknown with imagination, intuition, and intention.
On this Substack, I’ll share what relational imagination and Illumineering look like in practice. I’ll offer behind-the-scenes glimpses into these two new books as they take shape, plus prompts, reflections, and experiments you can try in your own creative life.
Most of all, I’ll invite you into the luminous space between—into insight and potential, into daring dreams about what could be.
Subscribe to Illumineering with Naomi Kinsman—it’s free—and join me in the Dazzling Wilds.
Or journey deeper if the path calls to you.
Choose your Creative Campfire path:
🗝️ Unlock the Explorer’s Pass ($10/mo) to roam the trails at your own pace—monthly Illumineering sessions (live or replay), creative tools, and drop-in office hours.
❁ Join a Trail Circle ($30/mo) to travel alongside like-minded creatives—everything above plus a monthly small group Zoom check-in to reflect, share progress, and build creative momentum.
Regardless of where you are on your creative journey, I’m delighted that you’ve found your way here, on this particular day, in the exact way you arrived.
Every tale begins with a character (in this case, you), standing at the edge of a moment (this one), as the journey begins to unfold, one page at a time.
May this be the beginning of something unexpected and joyful.
Onward! ✨
Want to keep exploring?
Here’s how to navigate this creative landscape:✴︎ Listen in:
Creative Lift✴︎ Subscribe:
Illumineering with Naomi Kinsman✴︎ Join the Community:
Creative Campfire