Song of Cidadas
Song of Cicadas is a multi-media contemplative experience by eco-chaplain and art curator, Leslie Pace.
Give yourself about half an hour. Get comfortable: sit back or lie down. Go to a quiet, cozy place without distraction, and enjoy the ride.
What inspired you to create “Song of Cicadas”?
This project was a deep dive into liminality, transitions, sitting with our discomfort, belonging, and being present to people’s stories without trying to soothe or help or fix.
You speak about liminality as a place we often rush through or overlook. What first drew you to hold space there, both personally and artistically?
There are moments in life when we find ourselves in-between, no longer who we were, not yet who we are becoming (relationships and jobs ending, moving, retiring, parenthood, death, thresholds, etc.) These bigger liminal times can feel both disorienting and potent. The familiar structures that once held us may dissolve, leaving us untethered, grieving what’s ending, and uncertain about what lies ahead.
And yet, these in-between spaces are also thresholds of profound transformation. Like the cicada molting its shell, something new is taking shape, even if unseen. Too often, we celebrate the “before” and the “after,” but overlook the messy, vulnerable, fertile middle. It is in this middle ground that renewal and reimagining quietly take root.
I’m drawn to these threshold times, not only in our personal lives but also in the shifting, collapsing, and rebalancing of our ecosystems. They remind us of impermanence, and they call us to notice how the natural world can hold us, mirror us, and even teach us through change.
This is how “Song of the Cicadas” emerged. I gathered stories, songs, poetry, artistic expressions, and imagery, weaving them into a beautiful web.
What was it like for you to make this piece? What was the process of weaving together the many voices and stories like for you?
Many pieces of this project brought me a lot of joy and comfort, one in particular is that folks I hadn’t even told about my project got in touch to let me know they’ve been exploring these themes on their own through writing, collaging, drawing, and personal reflections.
What do you hope someone feels or notices after engaging with Song of the Cicadas?
For me, it served as a reminder that we are not alone, and that even in the most uncertain thresholds, there is connection, resonance, and possibility.
Deep gratitude to Leslie Pace for her contribution to Project Sekai’s exploration on wayfinding.
