Musings on creativity, oomph, getting unstuck, playfulness and living a more joyful life.

Being a bald woman... my discoveries so far Apr 19, 2023

It's been nearly 3 months since I braved the shave at the end of January.  One most definite thing I've learned is that January is a poor time of year to go bald.  It's been a voyage of discovery in that respect, including testing out lots of different options until I've finally found...

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Why is my hair falling out? Jan 29, 2023

So many days asking “Why is my hair falling out” have come to an end.

Yesterday was the first day in nearly 4000 days when my hair didn’t fall out.  I didn’t check the bald patches to see what was worse, what was growing back, what was turning pure white.  I...

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Embracing Radical Generosity Jan 16, 2023

In one of the last face to face meetings I had just before the pandemic massively changed our lives, someone said to me “the only way forward is through radical generosity”.

We were talking about the arts sector and how it could withstand the year on year eroding of funding and...

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Christmas doesn't need to be a Stress Fest Dec 21, 2022

Let me put my cards on the table (next to a chai latte and a bit of baking goodness): I blooming love Christmas!

This isn't because every Christmas I've ever had has been idyllic.  Far from it.  10 years ago, my brother passed away suddenly right before Christmas day.  Then we had...

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On my terms: cultivating a sense of personal agency Nov 14, 2022

“What, in this situation, can you control?”

That question comes up a lot in coaching.  As a client tries to untangle something they feel unclear about which is complicated by lots of external factors: other people’s behaviour and choices, society at large, the weather,...

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Letting it develop slowly: the rebellion against our results driven & productivity obsessed world Oct 18, 2022

My best ideas come one of two ways.  One is the lightning bolt where an idea arrives, brilliant in it’s fully formed wonderfulness.  The other, which happens far more frequently, is a slow burn: one where an idea emerges from the depths of my mind, vague and indistinct.

I feel...

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The Art of Facilitation - musings on how to deliver more interactive and fun online workshops Sep 12, 2022

I’ve often said that facilitation is an art form in itself.

The beginning of my career was mainly focused around drama workshops.  I delivered these up and down the country with people of all ages and a huge variety of backgrounds.  They took an energy I’m not sure I could...

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Dear Sole Trader Aug 01, 2022

My blog this month isn’t a blog, it’s a letter to you, a love letter of sorts from one sole trader to another.

It’s an attempt to capture all that is wonderful about you and provide some words of support and celebration.

It is a whirlwind of brilliant stuff.  We are our own...

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Learning by doing increases the chance of failure Jun 30, 2022

Even as I type, I am unsure whether I should be sharing this.

There’s a little voice in my head telling me it will be damaging to my business if I do.

That I “should” always portray a sense of successfulness.  That being brutally honest about failure will make people less...

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How I love the magical power of a Retreat May 01, 2022

There are a few definitions of the word Retreat, which is my theme for this month.

The one that I’m on about is this:

Retreat: “A quiet or secluded place in which one can rest or relax”

It’s my chosen theme because, after a pandemic-caused hiatus, I’m producing...

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We All Love Stories Mar 31, 2022

Once upon a time…

No.

Hang on.

That’s a bit old hat, isn’t it?  Not how I want to start.  I’ll try again…

Let me tell you a story.  Come on in, grab a comfy seat.  You might need that cosy blanket too, March has been a bit cheeky, weatherwise...

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Being BOLD Mar 01, 2022

When I was thinking what theme for March, I thought about how fickle March can be.  It’s still pretty wintry, spring teases us with little glimpses before there’s another hail storm and the Easter holidays still feel quite a stretch away.  Also, for us entrepreneurs, March...

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"I want to be an avid reader" Feb 15, 2022

I had the pleasure of coaching fellow coach, Cari Silver last week. And this is what she wanted to work on. She wanted to read more. Seems a simple thing to achieve, right?

But there is something going on with reading.

I’ve experienced it a lot over the last year and I’ve heard friend...

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A story about the impact of colour in my life Feb 01, 2022

From the first moment I cracked open a new box Crayola crayons as a kid and gently skimmed my fingers over the 64 different colours with almost spiritual reverence, I have seriously loved colour.

I used to spend hours taking the crayons out of the box and then putting them back in, in chromatic...

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I Grew Up in A House Called Carpe Diem Jan 04, 2022

Over the last few months, I’ve been picking a theme for each month where my blog, my Monthly Musings newsletter and my Friday book reviews all connect to that theme.  There’s been Playfulness, Creativity, Hygge, Craftiness (for December) which I’ve loved exploring and...

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