Paying attention with Erin Taylor.

#12 ATELIER, a collaborative interview series exploring our creative spaces, processes and rituals.

Lyndsay Kaldor

and

Erin Taylor

Jun 18, 2025

Hello I’m Lyndsay, I am so glad you have found your way here…

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“Creating happens whenever and wherever we are paying attention”.

—Erin Taylor.

Dearest reader

I do hope all is well in your corner of the world, and that you are able to take some time to bask in the almost impossible luminosity of this time of year here in the northern hemisphere, or indeed make space to sink into the velvety depths of darkness if you are in the south.

I am so excited to bring you the latest ATELIER interview — with

Erin Taylor

— yoga coach, author, creative, mother. I first discovered Erin when attending a dreamy event she hosted with
Alice Vincent
, savour sessions x balance practice last summer — a morning of yoga and writing within the storied walls of Chelsea Physic Garden, I can’t think of a more ideal combination, or way to spend time (so much so that I almost got locked in when immersed in the gardens way after closing time!).

I adore Erin’s practical yet joyful and expansive yet gentle approach to moving our bodies, and find her writing and practices here on Substack, inspiring and potent in their simultaneous simplicity and depth.

I invite you to discover more about Erin’s creative process, practices and space in the latest instalment of the ATELIER series…

ATELIER, noun, [French atuh-lyey].

a workshop or studio, especially of an artist, artisan, or designer.

Where do you write and create?

I write and create wherever I am. While I’m fortunate to have a sweet little home office fully supplied with my favorite stationery (Life notebooks, Kaweco pens, a rainbow of washi tape), yoga space, and props, so often I find myself making on the go and in the folds of my daily rhythm — out walking and capturing ideas on an unruly note in my phone, sitting on the beach and listening to ideas rise with the tides, morning pages curled up on the sofa with my littlest…

My work explores the themes of balance and practice, and practicality is the connective tissue. If your practice doesn’t fit in your real life, it won’t work. Creating happens whenever and wherever we are paying attention. I am here for it!

How do you like to approach a creative workday?

With clarity. For me this is about consciously setting my state. There’s a few practices that I use as entry points…

I rise before my family — only more recently possible now that my children are getting bigger (6 + 9). The quiet of the early hours is when I can hear myself most clearly and I prioritise listening closely. This sets the tone for the entire day before I’m swept into the inertia of plans, logistics, and to-dos.

I move my body — beginning the day with gentle movement helps me to land in a way that makes me more available. Simple breath work, a little flow to mobilize key areas, lately some core strengthening... My gentle warm up is a go to.

I take a brief inventory — What’s important? What’s needed? How best can I support myself/my people? Two to three key tasks or areas of focus. Anything else I get around to is an unnecessary bonus.

Erin on the mat, photograph by Claire Pepper.

Are your surroundings important to you?

Absolutely. For me clear space = spacious mind. I’m a minimalist by nature and out of necessity, having moved many times over the last decade. I’ve come to deeply appreciate having less in my periphery.

I love curating my space and the simple gestures of placing fresh flowers on the kitchen table, stacking seasonal books by the sofa, and arranging our latest beach finds on the windowsill conjures a deep sense of connection to the moment and season.

I keep yoga mats open around the house regardless of what’s going on and they beckon practice. I mean, it’s hard to walk past that invitation for a quick forward fold or downward dog. My yoga mat is usually an island in a sea of Lego and it reminds me to practice and to rest even in the mess of daily life.

How do you like to feel whilst you are working?

Spacious. I struggle to settle into any kind of rhythm or workflow when I feel rushed or squeezed. Rushing and doubting go hand in hand. We live in a world of such urgency and we’re asked to do so much, all the time, with little to no space to integrate or absorb what’s happened. The more I try to fit in the less spacious I feel. The more I rush the more doubt tends to arise.

Slow down, breathe deeply, pay attention is one of my most loved mantras. It helps to quell the urgency and opens up a bit of space. I think of it often and write it down all the time. Inviting you to use it, too.

How do you set the tone and energy of your environment?

By paying attention. Watching the light, moving slowly, attending to things gently. One thing at a time. Otherwise I feel out of sync.

I also use my breath, knowing it’s our most powerful and accessible tool. Even my yoga classes always begin with the same instruction:

Take a deep breath in…
a slow breath out…
Continue to deepen your breathing.

This sets the tone and energy of everything.

Where do you source creative inspiration?

My daily happenings and surroundings are a wellspring of inspiration — the sky, seasonal rhythms, my kids’ juicy cheeks and stories, a good farmer’s market haul, the taste of my favourite tea, the coastal palette where I live, the sound of the sea, the resonance after putting my legs up the wall for 10 minutes…

Do you have any rituals around your work?

When I need to do something focused I try to clearly transition in and out — a pivot practice. Something is ending and something is beginning and without paying attention to that space in between, things start to blur together and can feel like a bit of a cluster.

On the way in, I take a few minutes to organize my desk with whatever materials I need, light a candle, and pour a cup of tea. I silence my phone and take a moment to drop in to the task at hand. On the way out, I leave a few breadcrumbs (notes) as to how to pick things up when I return, close the laptop, a few deep breaths, a brief restorative posture if I’ve been sitting for a while, or a little shake out.

These gestures are like release valves that make me more available to the work, and then more available to what’s on after the work.

What would your dream creative studio space look like?

My dream creative space is settled attention and that can happen anywhere.

In other words, I have it already. We all do. We just have to pay attention.

Erin Taylor has been a writer and yoga coach for more than two decades. She writes about balance, wellbeing, yoga, creativity, motherhood, and rest, and creates practical mental and physical entry points to wellbeing at her Substack publication, Balance Practice.

Erin’s latest book Move, Rest, Recover is available via all of the usual channels here, or can be purchased directly via her website, which includes a free month of Balance Practice + exclusive art from the book.

This summer at Balance Practice is Your Weekly Reset — a new yoga-inspired video every week designed to move you into balance, right where you are. It's a space for you to catch your breath — an accessible reset amid all the action of your week.

You can find Erin online below:

Balance Practice | erintaylor.works | Instagram @erintaylorworks

I loved learning more about Erin’s approach to creativity, about fostering a sense of spaciousness through simple rituals, and most importantly that creativity happens any time that we are paying attention. Her beautiful insights felt both illuminating and resonant as I find the tone of everything changes when I remember to simply make space to notice.

How do you bring creativity into your everyday life? How do you remember to pay attention?

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into Erin’s creative world — as always, your thoughts and own experiences are so welcome in the comments.

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