Liminal Writing with Ces and Lee

In honour of Black History Month, Ces and Lee reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s timeless reminder: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” What unfolds is tender, honest, and unexpectedly uplifting. The episode begins in a place many of us recognize — weary, overwhelmed, quietly questioning what “infinite hope” can possibly mean in the midst of seemingly unrelen...

In this session of Liminal Writing, Ces and Lee reflect on their practice of 10-minute timed writing sessions inspired by various quotes. They talk about starting this practice of writing together during the pandemic lockdown and discuss its impact on their lives. They take inspiration from a line from 'A Lion Tracker's Guide to Life' by Boyd Varty - “To stand your ground means to disrupt the hard...

Episode 12: Liminal Writing: A Night in Bangkok In this episode of Liminal Writing, Ces and Lee spend time together in Bangkok for the first time after several seasons of writing apart in different cities. Inspired by the trigger phrase 'night breeze', they reflect on the sensory experiences of a market in Bangkok, their shared history in street theater and activism, and their recent work in leade...

In this episode of Liminal Writing, Lee and Ces explore the interconnected themes of home, freedom, and immense possibilities. Through heartfelt storytelling, they reflect on how their first independent spaces became sanctuaries for healing, growth, and self-discovery. Ces shares memories of finding freedom and contentment in simplicity, while Lee describes the empowerment and new beginnings found...

Episode 11 Liminal Writing: Inspired by a line from Georgia O'Keefe about being terrified… Content Warning: This episode discusses sexual assault and child sexual abuse. In this episode of Liminal Writing, hosts Ces and Lee engage in a 10-minute freewriting exercise based on a quote by artist Georgia O'Keefe : 'I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I've never let it keep me f...

In this episode of Liminal Writing, Lee and Ces explore the interconnected themes of home, freedom, and open possibilities. Through heartfelt storytelling, they reflect on how their first independent spaces became sanctuaries for healing, growth, and self-discovery. Ces shares memories of finding freedom and contentment in simplicity, while Lee describes the empowerment and new beginnings found in...

In this episode of Liminal Writing, Lee and Ces explore the interconnected theme of home, freedom and open possibilities. Through heartfelt storytelling, they reflect on how their first independent spaces became sanctuaries for healing, growth, and self-discovery. Ces shares memories of finding freedom and contentment in simplicity, while Lee describes the empowerment and new beginnings found in h...

Episode 9 - "Learn to Question Your Thoughts" Welcome to another episode of Liminal Writing with Ces and Lee! In this session, they explore a contemplative line by Stella Ekaputri, "Learn to question your thoughts. Our thoughts aren't the true reflection of reality." Join them as they discuss the power of questioning our own thinking. Key Points: Our thoughts are shaped by internal beliefs, fears,...

In this episode, Lee and Ces bring up a piece from their vault of works - a reflection on the impact of travel on the heart and soul. This was written in 2021 when the world was at a standstill, a dramatic change of pace from frenetic trips across continents to the sensory overloads of public spaces. They discuss the profound experience brought about by forced stillness. Join them for a candid and...

In this episode of Liminal Writing, Ces and Lee explore the theme of “upheaval”. Drawing on their experiences growing up in the Philippines and navigating identity in a changing world, they reflect on the emotional and societal turbulence that shapes our lives. Key takeaways: Upheaval can be both external (natural disasters, political shifts) and internal (emotional turmoil, identity struggles). P...

Welcome to episode 6 of Liminal Writing with Ces and Lee! In this episode, Ces, joining from the UK, and Lee, tuning in from Canada dive into the art of free-flow writing, inspired by a single evocative line - “He wants nothing more in life than for me to feel better.” from Melissa Holbrook Pierson’s book, "The Secret History of Kindness": What’s Inside: Ces and Lee explain their writing process:...

Episode 5: Works from a conversation prompt "What's on your unofficial resume?" by Esther Perel In this episode of Liminal Writing, hosts Lee Moran and Ces Millado delve into a thought-provoking exploration based on a prompt from Esther Perel's 'Where Should We Begin?' A Game of Stories. They discuss the things that are unwritten, parts of them that may be unknown to those who know and work with t...

Episode 4: Inspired by a line from “Pintxo Possibilities” In this episode of Liminal Writing, hosts Ces Millado and Lee Moran engage in a timed, free-flow writing session inspired by a line from an article, “Pintxo Possibilities” by Jennifer Hope Choi published in Bon Appétit Magazine (May 2025). For Ces and Lee the chosen line links back to personal memories of grief and loss. Ces reflects on her...

Episode 3: Inspired by Khalil Gibran’s “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” In this episode of Liminal Writing, hosts Lee Moran and Ces Millado draw inspiration from a powerful line by Khalil Gibran: 'Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.' Both hosts engage in a 10-min...

Episode 2: “To build is to collaborate with the earth” - Reflections on Building Communities and Alliances In this episode of Liminal Writing, hosts Lee Moran and Ces Millado get inspired by the line 'to build is to collaborate with the earth' from the book 'Memoirs of Hadrian' by Marguerite Yourcenar. They reflect on their experiences of building both physical and social structures, drawing paral...

Liminal Writing Season 5 : Inspired by “Now I want to talk about the elephant in the room.” In this episode of Liminal Writing, Lee and Ces kick off a new season by diving into their unique practice of free-flow writing triggered by a chosen line. This week's line, 'Now I want to speak about the elephant in the room,' comes from John and Bea Dowd's book, 'Escape to Clayoquot Sound.' Both hosts rea...

Liminal Writing Season 5 Premiere: Inspired by “Now I want to talk about the elephant in the room.” In this episode of Liminal Writing, Lee and Ces kick off a new season by diving into their unique practice of free-flow writing triggered by a chosen line. This week's line, 'Now I want to speak about the elephant in the room,' comes from John and Bea Dowd's book, 'Escape to Clayoquot Sound.' Both h...

Episode 13: Rediscovering Parent-Child Relationships Through Liminal Writing In this episode of 'Liminal Writing,' hosts Ces Millado and Lee Moran revisit some of their earlier writing to explore the theme of parent-child relationships. Ces shares a poignant memory of a moment with her then young son Uyi, reflecting on the lessons learned about giving space to process feelings. Lee reminisces abou...

Episode 12: Inspired by a line from Carsten Henn’s “The Door to Door Bookstore” In this episode, hosts Ces Millado and Lee Moran are inspired by the line 'As he set foot on the pavement' from Carsten Henn's book 'The Door-to-Door Bookstore'. Using that line as a writing prompt produces imaginative and reflective pieces on the themes of choices and scenes coloured with burnt sugar, dying bananas, a...

In this episode of Liminal Writing, Ces and Lee reconnect from different corners of the world to revisit a piece written in 2023 on the topic of death. Ces recounts her memory of being present at the passing of her good friend, Queng, and Lee talks about the impact of Mark Asselin, the former facilities manager at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto. Their conversation attempts to see if...

In this episode of Liminal Writing, Ces Millado and Lee Moran get their writing spark from an unusual source, A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. One of the beloved book's characters, the typically melancholic Eeyore says, “It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine.” Through personal anecdotes and reflections on nature, including vivid recollections of a volcanic eruption, Ces and Lee explore themes...

Liminal Writing: Reflecting on Hope and Struggle through Song In this episode of Liminal Writing, writers and co-hosts Ces Millado and Lee Moran were profoundly inspired by the song 'Tanglaw,' its lyrics by Rody Vera and music by Jonas Baes. This song was first recorded by the group Patatag and produced by the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music in 1990. Ces and Lee talk about the enduring relev...

In this episode of Liminal Writing, host-writers Ces Millado and Lee Moran get their inspiration from a line, " The leader must go to the epicenter of the problem", by Gennadiy Mokhnenko in the book 'Character.' The discussion revolves around the concept of leadership, emphasizing the importance of leaders being in the midst of finding solutions with others. . Through reflections on personal exper...

Episode 7: Exploring Love and Connection Through Liminal Writing This February 14 episode of Liminal Writing, hosts Ces Millado and Lee Moran find their writing inspiration from Thomas Merton’s line - 'Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone. We find it with another.' What else but to dive into love - self-love, love for another! Ces wrestles with the weight...

Exploring the Dual Nature of Language: Alliance and Quarrel In this episode of Liminal Writing, Ces Millado and Lee Moran delve into a line by George Bernard Shaw reflecting the dual nature of language: 'A common language certainly makes an alliance easier, though you must not forget that it also makes quarreling easier.' Through their interpretations, they explore how language can both unify and...