Category: Creativity

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Facing weakness

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A couple of weeks ago on a sunny Monday morning I joined thousands of people around Australia on a 12 week challenge.

Week one was brilliant. I stuck to the routine, I shopped excitedly, I exercised my pregnant body carefully.

Week two started valiantly but ended terribly. Add in some social occasions, Valentines day, some Pringles and a magnum and I was ready to admit defeat.

This morning I woke determined deciding to get back on the horse and start again. I went for a walk, then some stretches and I went for a swim at the beach. As I stood in the ocean I reflected on the weak points of my two week journey.

My weak spots are; snacks, exercise and water. As I stood there with the wind gently blowing, I realized I needed to face my weaknesses head on.

I needed to admit them to my husband, I needed to acknowledge their sabotage in my health journey and bring change gently into my daily routine.

The whole shopping healthily as well is something I hate. The details, the expense…I faced this problem head on today again and did a decent shop filling our house with goodness.

I wouldn’t bat an eyelid at spending 50 dollars on a curry takeaway dinner from our local haunt, but spending 200 on 7 or 8 healthy meals makes me froth.

Why am I so quick to spend big on the immediate?

But so slow to fill my fridge with healthy stock that helps my family thrive?

Because they are my weak spots. They are my crutches. They are my stumbling blocks on the road towards my goal which is health and well being.

What are your weak spots?

What are your stumbling blocks?

What sabotages your goals?

Write them down, acknowledge them to a loved one and work slowly at breaking their hold.

Raw day today, I am very aware of my weakness, but at least I’m facing that which is holding me back.

Being real with our issues is a hard reality to face.

Worse however is living a life in denial pretending everything is totally fine when you are constantly disappointed in yourself.

Facing my weakness and growing stronger in it’s light.

A

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Time capsule

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22nd of November 1988, I was in year six at ‘Star of the Sea’ primary school, Rockingham. My Sister, Brother, Mother, Father and I lived 5 mins from my school and I was obsessed with dancing.

My mum still lives in the same house and received a letter a few weeks ago, from the local council, to say a time capsule had been found from our family planted in the council archives 26 years ago, November 1988.

Here are some of the items found in the Powell family archive.

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The cutest part of the time capsule was a letter I wrote to myself back then. My dad was on our local council, I loved school and I was obsessed with dancing. It is so amazing to see 25 years later a letter written by a ‘not yet in highschool’ little creative, how much my life 25 years later looks like what I imagined.

Here is the letter…

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I may not be a kindgarten teacher or a dance teacher (although somedays it feels like it as max and I create our own little grooves). I am however a teacher. Not formally, but someone who lives to love and help people.

My friends were important and dear enough to make it to my letter.

I loved my family, my sister, my brother, my life.

I’m soon to be the mum to two little people and the last line just melts my heart.

In the future I just want peace and caring but mostly I want everyone to love God.

That indeed is still my heart.

Spoken from the mouth of babes.

Maybe you should make a time capsule with your children. It’s a fascinating way as an adult to look back into the heart of your childlike innocence.

Speak tomorrow.

Inspired.

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An ode to tim

tim

One of my dear friends Tim Bain, turned 30 on the first day of this month. His ever creative wife Bek, set 30 of his friends a challenge. Every day of February, we have each been allocated a day to encourage, inspire, hang out with, do something to celebrate Tim.

I met Tim over 10 years ago in Sydney (I have a feeling we may have met in Perth, in a speakers lounge at the Challenge Stadium, when I dropped a plate on the floor and he laughed at me ferociously.) But officially yes in Sydney. Fast forward the clock, he is now married, living in Perth, with two delightful children, leading a creative arts team brilliantly.

My ode to Tim for this 30th year of his life, is to encourage him to watch my top 5  TED video’s at the moment for young creative leaders. If you are a leader in the creative arts maybe you too could write a comment of your greatest tips in leading creative people to bring change down the bottom of this post to inspire and encourage other leaders and mostly tim.

Hope you are inspired by these videos Tim. Happy Birthday. My 30th year was one of my favourites ever. Own it. You are an amazing musician, leader, teacher, encourager, dad, husband, friend. Grab a coffee and a little treat and I pray you are inspired to live the next decade with the noblest of pursuits leading people.

Drew Dudley: Everyday leadership

An amazing talk that shows simply how to redefine leadership so that you empower every person in your team to lead. I completely agree, that we make leadership so unattainable for people. The reason why you are struggling to find leaders, is you have made it impossible for people to believe that they can lead. Check this out. Stay humble, stay accessible, stay authentic. The best leaders are those that are everyday ones. Leave the titles behind, lay down the priveleges and hang out with the people. You will be a better leader for it.

John Maeda: How Art, technology and design inform creative leaders

To lead a creative team, we need to learn how art, technology, design and leadership marry together to change the way we communicate. Tim my favourite part of this video is when John talks about the old and the new combining together to speak a new language. It is easy to look to the old, the way we used to do things and traditionalise them, making them seem like that was the good old days or some leaders take the new creatively and throw away the old in pursuit of fresh innovation. I believe the best creative communicators, take the ancient and the modern and combine them to build a bridge to lead both old and new generations to a new space of inspiration.

Seth Godin: The tribes we lead

If you want to bring change, you need to create a tribe. If you are not leading change, I believe in the culture we live in you are not leading. Be bold and bring change. Ps- Im sorry for the balloon animal section. (Smile)

Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a champion

I have found in my leadership experience is there are many people who are a part of creative teams, who long to be acknowledged, who long to be encouraged. The creative innovator often brings their ideas and best in the midst of much vulnerability. So we need to be the greatest cheerleaders of our teams. Creative people need to be championed. If your people have stopped creating, then maybe you have stopped encouraging.

Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity

One of my all time favourite speakers. His teaching and books on creativity and education are profound. Even though you are not a school teacher, you are a teacher. If you are leading you are teaching. Teach in languages that your people understand. Teach creatively. Communicate with stories. Live inspired. Lead and teach the next generation in a language they understand.

 

 Tim and Bek keep on being amazing.

All my love

Happy Birthday Tim

Amanda

 

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Love, Love

Amanda and Charl V dayLots of people roll their eyes at Valentines Day, shouting at its consumerism.

But for us in our household, we celebrate love.

I don’t need a special day to do this, I believe we should say the things we need to say to everyone who is special to us, whenever the thought arises, but a day dedicated to spreading love… I am all in.

There is enough cynicism, there is enough violence, there is enough greed. A day that promotes encouraging words, simple gestures, breakfast in bed, longer kisses than usual, picnics in the park, whether you are dating or not, is something I wholeheartedly believe in.

For most special holidays, Christmas, Birthdays, Mothers day, Anniversaries, My husband and I don’t go over the top with crazy gifts and dramatic gestures. We have traditions that are simple.

For example our only sons first birthday, we declared a non present birthday. My family of course were furious, but we believe memories are more important and longer lasting than gifts.

A tradition for my husband and my wedding anniversary is that we give each other a book each every year for our anniversary, something simple, something memorable and we write in the front of the book about the year our marriage has just celebrated.

The world declaring love is the most beautiful of pursuits in my eyes.

Maximus just went to his dancing lesson this morning and took his favourite Aunty Jenna a bunch of flowers that were the same height as him and a be my valentine card.

We together just went and took my Granma out to the shops, so that Max and her could share an ice-cream together celebrating their love.

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I love, love.

In fact my favourite lover of all time said this.

‘Love one another as I have loved you…’

So if you find yourself a little jaded this lovers day, whether single, engaged, married, divorced… Why don’t you celebrate someone you love this year.

Send a text, send some flowers, make a cake, do something little for someone who you know feels a little lonely and unloved this year.

It doesn’t need to be your partner, it can be someone who needs a dose of kindness and a little reminder that they are loved.

All my love

Amanda

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Attention seekers anonymous

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I just went for a big walk on the beach to cool my shoes down so I don’t respond out of reaction to something online. Needless to say, I won’t be on much social media for the rest of the day I think. Time out.

I feel bombarded by people’s opinions, where in an everyday context, I wouldn’t get involved but I do because they come up on my newsfeed online. I would walk away from that conversation. I would abstain.

Oh this creative, over publicised, opinionated world we live in.

I am a little over attention seeking.

Maybe we need to form an Attention Seekers Anon.

Yes, this blog is full of opinion as well, I realise that.

Is reading other people’s thoughts helpful though?

Sometimes

Often

Never.

I think it depends on the fruit.

I think it depends on the character of the person who is speaking, writing or communicating.

It is so easy to have our attention drawn to the loudest, proudest voice.

I however am drawn to a person’s fruit in their life rather than their opinion or spin.

‘Beautiful things don’t ask for attention they are just there…’

The secret place, a place of discipline, a place of courage, an anchor of peace.

Beautiful things like;

grace

peace

long suffering

joy

believing the best in people

humility

kindness

understanding

forgiveness

These are all amazing and releasing traits that build a life worthy of listening to.

Someone who has built these into their everyday, someone who is quick to say sorry, someone who is aware of their own failings.

I will sit under their teaching and consider their ideas. I will listen to their thoughts, their wisdom and their reflections.

I am sure if they are living a life of growth and beauty, they will not have their opinions, judgements and ideas set in stone either.

They are aware that their opinions and thoughts are a moving, shaping, life evolving, learning species.

Beautiful things don’t ask for attention, they are just there.

If someone constantly demands your attention, look to the fruit.

If someone is unwilling to listen to your thoughts and ideas and grow and change, then be aware of the influence on your life.

Breathe in and let go.

Paul Scanlon an amazing communicator yesterday posted on instagram ‘I choose to unsubscribe from your issues…’

Talk tomorrow.

A