Welcome to Open Sources from alchima_
The go-to resource and guide for leading artists and pioneering creatives who are currently busy nurturing and cultivating their next phase of work but find themselves increasingly concerned about the effects of Creative Compression on their focus, work, craft and practice.
Typical Signs of Creative Compression:
Oversaturated by the constant demands and digital noise of content production
Overwhelmed by the ‘always on’ filtering of algorithms, feeds, platforms and AI
Overstretched and disconnected from your intentional attention in your practice
Overcome by a loss of motivation around commencing your next phase of work
alchima_ is a new type of lab that leverages alchemic creativity in vibrant new ways, in order to rapidly navigate new paths into our most pressing cultural challenges and complex contemporary conversations.
Open Sources > The Art of Intentional Attention - Part 2
A central idea that emerges when exploring Creative Compression is the vital need to reclaim Intentional Attention.
In our modern world, it’s incredibly easy to get swept up in the unending flow of digital distractions—endless content streams, algorithm-driven feeds, and the ever-growing presence of generative AI.
This relentless barrage can leave us feeling adrift and discouraged, draining our energy and making it hard to imagine the next steps in our creative journey—or even to simply begin the task in front of us.
Much of the confusion surrounding creativity stems from a fundamental misunderstanding—and often, an inversion—of the roles involved in the creative process. We tend to think of creativity as simply generating ideas, but in reality, it’s a dynamic interplay between being both an active signal and a receptive receiver.
Image (C) Daniel Martin Diaz
This distinction is crucial. What truly sets some creatives apart from those who are merely generative is their ability to seamlessly inhabit both roles. They don’t just broadcast their ideas outward; they also possess a unique sensitivity to the signals around them. They tune in, absorb, and respond, making the act of creation a two-way exchange rather than a one-sided output.
To be genuinely creative, then, is to own both the signal and the receiver. This means that creativity isn’t just about broadcasting your ideas into the world; it’s equally about knowing when to pause and absorb what’s coming back to you.
The most impactful creators are those who can recognise when it’s time to transmit their vision—and when it’s time to listen intently to inspiration, feedback, and the subtle cues the world offers.
This dual capacity is what elevates creativity beyond mere production.
Instead of a one-way street, creativity becomes a living, breathing dialogue between the creator and their environment. It’s an ongoing exchange where ideas are not only expressed but also shaped and refined by what is received in return.
A reclaiming of intentional attention.
In this sense, the artist or creator becomes something like an echolocator.
Just as dolphins navigate by sending out signals and listening for the echoes that return, the creative individual hones their craft by continually sending out creative impulses and tuning into the responses.
Each project, brushstroke, or sentence is a call into the unknown, and the feedback—whether it’s external critique, internal intuition, or the subtle resonance of the world—acts as the echo that guides their next move.
Over time, as artists and creators refine this process, they become more adept at interpreting these echoes and tuning into their Intentional Attention.
They learn to distinguish between noise and meaningful feedback, between fleeting trends and genuine inspiration.
This ability to echolocate in the creative process is what allows them to navigate uncertainty, discover new directions, and ultimately produce work that is both original and deeply resonant.
In short, true creativity is not a static act of making, but a dynamic process of sensing, responding, and evolving. It’s about being attuned to the conversation between yourself and the world—a conversation via the medium of Intentional Attention.
More on this in ‘Reclaiming Intentional Attention Part 3’ next week.
In a few short sessions of working through the terms and framework alchima has developed, I went from feeling burnt-out and stuck to energised and full of an irrepressible urge to make stuff. Dan Am’s concepts helped me untangle the tangle and extract the golden threads of joy from deep within the mess. Together using this new magic language, we found ways for me to create space for myself away from my business; ways of working to satisfy my current need for physical formats; and ways of working that will enable me to process my lost ability to knit (previously essential to my work) and my late diagnosis of neurodivergence.
Felix (Felicity) Ford | www.knitsonik.com
I've worked with many creative minds over the years, but Dan stands out. His polymathic thinking, fearless exploration of new ideas, and unfiltered encouragement create a rare energy. Beyond his creativity, Dan is a steady, approachable presence — the kind of ally we all need in today's world.
Ryan Board | www.board.cc
As a modern day philosopher and practitioner of systemic constellations, I am fortunate to have to navigate paths through many original and enquiring minds - both past and present. However, there is something about Dan’s innate ability to consistently decode and decipher concepts and language into emergent and vibrant new forms that always stands out. It sometimes seems like he is channeling disruptive ideas in real time out of the ether like jazz or street poetry!
Robert Rowland Smith | www.robertrowlandsmith.com