I’M constantly surrounded by people who feel comfortable belonging to one trade or one hobby or one organisation. It certainly seems more advantageous to specialise in something rather than to be a generalist.
I think I’m more of a generalist than a specialist. After exploring one skill or one hobby, I like to move on to learn other things, more so things that are entirely out of my comfort zone. That is why I’m very comfortable with Marianne Cantwell’s concept of liminality in her TED talk on “The Hidden Power of Not (Always) Fitting in Liminality” is a state of in-between-ess.
It is not being good at only one thing, but being good at many things. You don’t fit into just one world or one group of people to the exclusion of others. You create your own space and bridge worlds by not limiting yourself to any one world.
Liminality is all about being comfortable in your own skin.
You are not restricted by what others think about you or what others expect of you. This gives you the freedom to be who you are and to be good at what you set your mind on doing. Most of all, you have no fear of what people are saying to your face or behind your back. You have no fear of going to new places or trying out new things without needing to justify what you intend to do.
People say I am creative. Others have asked me what is it that I can’t do.
Believe it or not, I don’t realise it myself that I am creative or that I can do many things. I’ve always thought that anyone can be creative and can do many things given the right guidance or encouragement. I still believe so.
I attribute this artistic inclination to the spirit of liminality. It is a quest to pursue the unknown, to learn more, to think and to see things differently and to be part of this and that.
Recently, I chose to be in three new worlds.
WORLD 1: Going for a retreat where everyone knows someone in the group and you are quite a stranger to all of them.
When I heard about a three-day trip to An Grianán in County Louth, organised by the Clare Irish Countrywomen’s Association, I was most curious. I had a look at the programme and decided that I should go. Just like that — no ifs, no buts. The duration and the timing of the trip suited me. Most of all, I was keen on learning how to make fascinators and there was a full day dedicated to that.
I was not disappointed. An Grianán, which means Sunny Place in Irish, is a beautiful Edwardian manor house situated on 35.6ha of park with mature trees and a gentle path to the nearby sandy beach. I had a lovely en-suite room and hearty meals, complete with freshly baked brown bread and yummy desserts.
Did I feel left out not being a member of the guild? Not at all, because I was made to feel very welcome by the warm and friendly crowd. I went home very pleased with my new knowledge and my new friends.
WORLD 2: One day, I just woke up and told myself I must learn horse riding. I’ve always enjoyed going to fairs and watching show-jumping. So, I called up the horse-riding school and booked myself for beginner’s lessons. I was introduced to Junior, a fine stallion. I learnt how to saddle him, to hold the reins, to manoeuvre and to trot. I went home very pleased with my new knowledge and my new friend.
WORLD 3: I have always been fascinated by batik art. So, when I was back in Malaysia last month, I did a Google search and discovered Sam Karuna’s Dyetik class, which is a fine art batik technique that he pioneered. More than 12,000 students have benefited from Sam’s skills and experience through his courses. Due to limited time, I could only spend half a day learning the fine art of batik painting under the tutelage of a patient master artist. It was a wonderful experience altogether and I went home happy with enough raw materials to start my foray into this new world.
So, what is it about liminality that strikes a chord in me?
It is about hovering between worlds and enjoying them to the fullest.
No apologies.
Dr Koh Soo Ling was a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara and now spends her days enjoying life as it is.