Making the Most of Your “In-Between” Era

Have you ever been in church, half-zoned out from the obligation, and suddenly thought, wait, is this play about me? That was me listening to Tracee Ellis Ross on Emma Grede’s “Aspire” podcast during a long drive. Tracee said, “People talk about how to get what you want. I think it’s more important to learn how to be who you are. The world around you will be built out of that.”

I had to pull over and sit with that for a minute.

She kept going, “The key is, do not go through your life asleep and then ask yourself, ‘How did I end up here?’ It’s very hard to know what you like if you don’t know who you are.” And honestly, if you’re navigating a career transition, dealing with creative burnout, or trying to figure out your next step, those words hit different, at least for me.

Going in, I wasn’t expecting to feel called out by an episode titled “Become the CEO of Your Life.” But Tracee Ellis Ross rarely steers me wrong. I’d listen to her read a phone book because she’d still find a way to drop something profound. So I wasn’t surprised when she said something that smacked me in the face with the truth.

Like many creatives and, honestly, many Black women, I’m in a transition phase. Unemployed but (thankfully) financially secure enough to make both a professional and personal shift. After leaving a challenging work situation that kept me in survival mode, my focus became escaping the uncertainty, anxiety, and fear as quickly as possible.

But Tracee’s words made me slow down and think about the now. I had to become a certain version of myself just to survive, and now I finally get to grow into the version who thrives. What would happen if I stopped rushing and actually allowed myself to sit in this in-between phase? This pause isn’t a punishment. It’s a chance for personal growth, creative clarity, and building the life I want, not the one I’ve been settling for.

“The key is, do not go through your life asleep and then ask yourself, ‘How did I end up here?’ It’s very hard to know what you like if you don’t know who you are.”

I don’t want to live with my hands over my eyes, peeking through my fingers until the scary parts are over. I want to open my eyes wide and hear, feel, touch, and taste every part of where I am right now. That’s the real work of mindfulness, especially for people trying to rebuild their creative lives.

Being a modern artist usually means being intentional about chasing work that actually pays the bills. Otherwise, we risk going the way of Zora Neale Hurston, who might not have died in obscurity if she’d had more resources. But as creatives, we have to balance the purposeful with the present.

So between the job applications, resume edits, networking, and certifications, I’m carving out space to slow down. Meditation, journaling, spending time in nature, and being in community help ground me. That balance reminds me I’m not abandoning myself or skipping the parts that matter just because they feel scary. 

And honestly, why get on a rollercoaster if you’re going to keep your eyes shut the whole time? The life of a creative is a wild ride. Stay seated, stay present, and keep your eyes open so you don’t miss the best parts.

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