My little man max turns two in one weeks time and at the moment he is a learning sponge. Today as he walked up the stairs at the beach across the road from our little shack he counted the stairs from one to ten, all by himself. We hadn’t taught him specifically to count, aside from the 1, 2, 3; you are in trouble if you do that again march.
Today out of nowhere one to ten, he counted with pride.
One of his greatest loves at the moment is stars. He see’s them everywhere. We have a bowl full of shells in our lounge room and he pointed out to me today star, star, star… It took me a while to find what he was talking about and it was there hiding at the bottom of the bowl, a lonely little starfish.
Max see’s stars everywhere, so often I miss them.
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.
Pablo Picasso
To find new inspiration we need to stop looking at life through our adult cynical eyes and start to live through the eyes of a child.
If you are in a stuck place creatively, maybe sit down with a child and draw something together.
If you are feeling a little flat take time to sit on the floor and see things from a new perspective.
We are all artists, the problem is how to remain one whilst living in a very responsible, grown up world.
I found this quote this morning and although I don’t believe everything this writer professes, I wholeheartedly believe that the arts does make our souls grow.
Each time I draw, even though I’m not amazing at it, I feel something inside me change.
Every time I try something creative that I have never done before, my heart feels lighter.
When was the last time you wrote a poem? School?
There is something about writing in a different style that brings out new perspective and innovation.
When was the last time you turned the music up in your lounge room and danced? Feel silly? Feel insecure? It could be the exact thing you need to break out of that funk you find yourself in.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
