Aligned & Awake: Why I’m Taking Creative Advice From a Cake and a Sunset
And why your next breakthrough might look a bit mad!
Aligned & Awake
My reflections on life through travel, human design, energy, astrology, and emotional clarity. Not as a guru. Just one person figuring it out in real time.
It hit me in the middle of bumper-to-bumper Toronto traffic, returning a rental car I could barely afford to extend.
By the way, in case you’re wondering, I no longer have a car.
That was taken too. Cheers, divorce!
And there I was, sitting in a tin box of chaos, listening to The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, trying to remember who I was without a permanent address or a glove box of my own…
When suddenly...
Black Forest Gateau.
And sunsets.
No, I hadn’t lost the plot (at least not entirely).
Yes, this is going somewhere.
The Gateau (the posh one)
Black Forest Gateau has always been my favourite cake.
It’s indulgent without being obnoxious. Soft without falling apart. Rich, layered, just sweet enough, like it knows exactly what it’s here to do.
It’s got depth. It’s got drama. It offers light fresh cream and cherries with a wink.
As a kid, I used to feel like I’d arrived when I got a slice.
Like someone had noticed me.
Like I mattered.
It wasn’t just dessert. It was a declaration.
The Sunset (the show-off)
Then there’s the sunset, the ultimate cosmic diva!
Sunsets don’t ask for permission.
They don’t rush or perform.
They show up full of colour and chaos and glory, like:
“Here I am now. You’d be mad not to watch.”
A magnificent sunset takes its time.
It builds. It burns. It lingers.
It doesn’t care that you’re in a hurry or have 42 unread emails. It moves at its own pace and, in doing so, reminds us that beauty isn’t found in speed. It’s found in presence.
In a world that demands faster, slicker, shinier —
The sunset says,
“Stall the ball.” (Translation: Slow the hell down.)
What They Have in Common
They shouldn’t go together. And yet, they do.
Both are layered.
Both invite presence.
Both are too beautiful to rush.
The gateau is crafted with care.
The sunset just is.
One is nostalgic. The other is timeless.
But both hold magic in contrast.
They whisper,
“Slow down, you eejit. This moment matters.”
(If you’re wondering, eejit is Irish for “lovable fool.” It’s affectionate. And if you’ve ever sobbed over a rainbow or argued with your intuition at 3 am, you’ve earned the badge.)
The Realization
As a multi-passionate human trying to make sense of how my life, heartbreak, fantasy writing, operations spreadsheets, and projector energy all fit together…
This ridiculous metaphor actually made me feel calm.
Like:
Oh. Right.
They don’t need to make logical sense.
They just need to land.
Creativity isn’t linear. Business isn’t always strategic. Life isn’t tidy either.
And sometimes, the best thing you can do is let your brain go a little bonkers and see what beauty shows up in the pairing.
Because we’re all trying to build something that feels like us.
And sometimes, us is a cake and a sunset. Go figure.
The Power of Play
This is where PLAY steps in, grinning like a gobshite with a glitter pen.
PLAY is the portal.
It’s the space where ideas go to dance.
It’s where gateaux and sunsets get to hang out and where your next breakthrough is probably already waiting, arms crossed, wondering what took you so long.
Because, let’s be honest, creativity doesn’t bloom under pressure.
It blooms in freedom. In weirdness. In space.
Your Challenge: The Weird Pairing Prompt
Here’s what I want you to try:
Pick two totally unrelated things.
Maybe it’s bubble wrap and Jupiter.
Maybe it’s grief and glitter.
Maybe it’s your dog’s snoring and your last voice note.
Mash them together.
Make it mean something. Or don’t — just play.
Let the metaphor find you.
Bonus points if it makes you laugh.
Double points if it makes someone else feel something.
Then come back and tell me.
DM me. Email me. Or tag me — for the craic.
(Craic = Irish for fun, joy, and general delightful nonsense.)
Because if a gateau and a sunset can remind me who I am as a creator…
I know your odd pairing holds gold too.
xo,
Tanya
Loved the Tanya, thanks for sharing. And btw, I listened to Rick Rubin this morning and then I saw your post :)