Being inspired is magic, it’s what gets you through when things are difficult, it’s what sends a million thoughts colliding in your brain that will keep your creativity going for months to come, it’s an injection of energy and motivation right where you need it. This week has been a festival of inspiration for me from a myriad of sources so I thought I’d share some of them with you, it seemed selfish to keep them to myself.
The first was on Sunday, I went to watch my son Tom play cricket. I don’t often get the chance due to workload but on Sunday I did. One of the reasons I don’t make it a priority is often I find the world of sport difficult to palate. By that I mean the values and outlook of some of the central figures are in opposition to mine and when I see them being imposed on children I worry. However that outlook was shifted considerably as I watched Simon coach his team of under 9’s. A hugely tall figure, whenever he talked to his cricketers he came right down to their level, spoke to them in a firm reassuring voice and reminded them of the holistic link between mind and body. It was wonderful to watch this consistent reassuring presence and the impact of this on the young men that made up his talented and connected team.
Inspiration number two. On Monday evening I was invited to watch two musicians play at their most significant gig to date. Despite feeling vaguely out of place when I first arrived, as soon as they began to play I was so pleased to be there. The sight and sound of them playing their own music, singing their own words with artistry and conviction was a privilege to behold. In addition the awareness I had of the support emanating from their friends and family who were there to be part of this experience added an extra element of brilliance to the evening.
Then onto inspiration number three. Wednesday saw me making one of my rare but cherished trips to London. There I got to meet up with a friend who I have worked alongside too infrequently. He had generously invited me to his studio and I got the chance to watch him work with a group of professional actors from across Europe. By the time I left my head was buzzing with ideas, questions, thoughts, conclusions, things fell into place and got tipped upside down simultaneously. What’s great for me is that this intellectual and philosophical internal debate hasn’t finished yet and so the legacy of inspiration works its magic.
Inspiration four occurred on the same day. Whilst in London I got to see Arcadia by Tom Stoppard. The inspiration in this experience came from a range of sources…great performances, exquisite direction, perfect designs and intelligent writing full of immense ideas and thoughts. Again my now full brain was treated to another wealth of stimulus to store, play with and invest in my work.
Finally inspiration number five. Strolling through the rich, frustrating, addictive world of the internet I noticed a musician I admire greatly and am lucky enough to call my friend had posted a work in progress version of a song she had written and recorded. It’s breathtaking…as I listened to it I was both utterly absorbed in it and aware of potential projects firing off in my head, I wanted to realise it in physical theatre, write a play, a poem…in the end I just listened and enjoyed…the other things can wait…but the inspiration in listening, will enrich what I write, what I say and what I do from this point.
These events weren’t the only inspiration I had, I could tell you about my amazing 11 year old daughter’s dignified dealings with someone trying to bully her on the internet or my admiration of my husband as he supports and encourages our children or the workshop I had the pleasure of facilitating on Thursday, the list goes on and on. So this blog is essentially an acknowledgement of how lucky I am but also a promise that all of the inspiration I have witnessed and absorbed will be interweaved into my future and enrich both my work and the people I work with…
Saturday 29 August 2009
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Resistance
This week I was doing part of an assessment day with a number of professionals. When I say professionals I need you to interpret this in such a way that you picture people at the top of their profession, who have studied and trained and grafted to be experts in a difficult and complex field. These people utterly inspire me with the sheer weight of what they know that I don’t. I can’t be any more specific than that because I have integrity and some of the people we work with don’t need it broadcast that we work with them.
To get back on topic, my part in the assessment day is to role play a challenging situation with these professionals to assess how well they cope with it. They’re given a scenario and essentially after some preparation they play it out with me acting opposite them. This is one of a number of tasks they have to do to see how well they’re suited to the organisation.
The first few hours had progressed smoothly until the final participant of the morning walked through the door. Within the first couple of minutes it was very clear that his intention was to catch me out by asking awkward questions as oppose to assuming the role dictated by the scenario. Despite the inner shock of his almost threatening behaviour I maintained role and he had no alternative but to go along with me, after a while I sensed him relax and contempt was replaced by mild interest and a hint of humour.
I’ve been reflecting on this since the assessment day and one of the main things it highlights is the way people can make their mind up about a task, a challenge or an educational opportunity without taking the time to discover what it offers them. The risk we take when we write such opportunity off can have a serious impact on our development and our prospects. Perhaps what students (using the term in its widest sense) should learn before they learn anything else is to be open to the opportunities afforded to them in any circumstance. To assume that there is always something to be gained from a learning experience – formal or informal. Apart from anything else it’s the only way that education/learning/professional development can be in the least bit enjoyable.
Far too frequently when teaching or facilitating, my first challenge is to counter resistance from groups or individuals before I have any hope of actually delivering the material I’ve been commissioned to deliver. This equates to so much energy taken up in convincing people that there might be something of value in what they’re about to take part in. For some of my participants this attitude is understandable, failed by mainstream education, damaged by life’s experience, struggling with difficult circumstances. However I naively hadn’t expected to meet it with someone so successful, someone who had engaged in so much learning. Unfortunately for them, in the same way as it does for the less fortunate learners of this world, this resistance had a negative impact on the way they were perceived, on their own sense of fulfilment and consequently on their future opportunities.
This makes my next challenge as a facilitator very obvious, to make dealing with resistance a priority. I need to encourage openness so that the most locked up individual can access the riches to be found in embracing learning opportunities. These are all things that I subconsciously aim to do but from now on they become a primary concern, regardless of the individual or group I’m working with.
To get back on topic, my part in the assessment day is to role play a challenging situation with these professionals to assess how well they cope with it. They’re given a scenario and essentially after some preparation they play it out with me acting opposite them. This is one of a number of tasks they have to do to see how well they’re suited to the organisation.
The first few hours had progressed smoothly until the final participant of the morning walked through the door. Within the first couple of minutes it was very clear that his intention was to catch me out by asking awkward questions as oppose to assuming the role dictated by the scenario. Despite the inner shock of his almost threatening behaviour I maintained role and he had no alternative but to go along with me, after a while I sensed him relax and contempt was replaced by mild interest and a hint of humour.
I’ve been reflecting on this since the assessment day and one of the main things it highlights is the way people can make their mind up about a task, a challenge or an educational opportunity without taking the time to discover what it offers them. The risk we take when we write such opportunity off can have a serious impact on our development and our prospects. Perhaps what students (using the term in its widest sense) should learn before they learn anything else is to be open to the opportunities afforded to them in any circumstance. To assume that there is always something to be gained from a learning experience – formal or informal. Apart from anything else it’s the only way that education/learning/professional development can be in the least bit enjoyable.
Far too frequently when teaching or facilitating, my first challenge is to counter resistance from groups or individuals before I have any hope of actually delivering the material I’ve been commissioned to deliver. This equates to so much energy taken up in convincing people that there might be something of value in what they’re about to take part in. For some of my participants this attitude is understandable, failed by mainstream education, damaged by life’s experience, struggling with difficult circumstances. However I naively hadn’t expected to meet it with someone so successful, someone who had engaged in so much learning. Unfortunately for them, in the same way as it does for the less fortunate learners of this world, this resistance had a negative impact on the way they were perceived, on their own sense of fulfilment and consequently on their future opportunities.
This makes my next challenge as a facilitator very obvious, to make dealing with resistance a priority. I need to encourage openness so that the most locked up individual can access the riches to be found in embracing learning opportunities. These are all things that I subconsciously aim to do but from now on they become a primary concern, regardless of the individual or group I’m working with.
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