The Makening
A living anthology of sparks — small makes, reflections, and artifacts proving it's never too late to create.
Presence
Living awake in midlife. Interrupt the drift and pay attention to what matters.
Making
Proof that creativity doesn’t have to wait for perfection. Start at any age.
Anthology
A growing shelf of sparks, each project a marker of aliveness, collected over time.
make + awakening = makening
So, what is The Makening, exactly?
It's my name for this stage of life where I’m choosing to create instead of drift.
It’s a place to put down the little things I make — playlists, notes, experiments, half-formed ideas — so they don’t just get lost. Over time, those small sparks start to add up, showing me (and maybe you) what it looks like to stay alive and curious in midlife.
It’s a place to put down the little things I make — playlists, notes, experiments, half-formed ideas — so they don’t just get lost. Over time, those small sparks start to add up, showing me (and maybe you) what it looks like to stay alive and curious in midlife.
Artifacts
Check out some of the things I've made so far. This will be a growing library!
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artifact #1
Hand-picked Spotify playlist to boost creativity
A curated playlist that doubles as a soundtrack for making. It flows like one continuous piece — a little journey of sparks stitched together in sound. The anthology needed a pulse, so I gave it music.
Track Listing and Liner Notes
You can read a bit more about why I chose each of the songs in the playlist.
A hushed threshold; it feels like stepping into a doorway where something’s about to begin.
An anthem for shaking yourself out of drift; a call to presence, swelling and undeniable.
A reminder that we’re here for more than survival — we’re meant to live fully.
The EDM spark that lifts you into motion, a pulse of “don’t sleep through your life.”
All about an ecstatic release, like shedding heaviness and running free.
Pure buoyancy; the feeling of standing tall, arms wide, and with lungs full.
A 90s burst of defiance and hope, it urges us to keep showing up with heart — proof that grit and joy can still spark something bigger.
A soaring reminder to embrace life fully, scars and all — a spark for courage in the face of time’s rush.
Bubbly, infectious optimism bottled in a track — proof that joy can be loud and unapologetic.
Anthemic and raw, this song swings between doubt and defiance — capturing the messy, defiant heart of midlife.
Warm and grounding, it’s a call to trust the journey and make a place for yourself along the way.
A timeless ode to self-expression, reminding us to sing our own tune even when no one else is listening.
Future Improvements | Artifact 1
When I get access to Spotify's custom transitions feature I'm going to try to make this playlist a truly seamless mix :)
When I get access to Spotify's custom transitions feature I'm going to try to make this playlist a truly seamless mix :)
Nick Simard
Creator | The Makening
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artifact #2
Curated book collection to help keep you lit
A shelf of books that lit sparks for me — ideas, awakenings, provocations. Not a definitive canon, just the ones I keep returning to when I need perspective or fuel. Each title here has nudged me in some way toward making, and together they form a kind of companion library for The Makening.
Spark (6 books)
Loosening drift. Turning inward.
Flame (8 books)
Ignition, clarity, resilience, creativity.
Afterglow (6 books)
Integration, reflection, ongoing spark.
Future Improvements | Artifact 2
I plan to add images to the cards for the books. I didn't want that to prevent me from launching V1 of the website, so that's a "down the road" and nice-to-have rather than must-have.
I plan to add images to the cards for the books. I didn't want that to prevent me from launching V1 of the website, so that's a "down the road" and nice-to-have rather than must-have.
Nick Simard
Creator | The Makening
The Makening is a project by Nick Simard
nick@themakening.com
nick@themakening.com
