Peeking from behind the mask
24 March 2012Two articles in today’s Melbourne Age newspaper stood out. This one and this one. “Tell the story – the more times you tell it, the better off you’ll be.” This was the advice given to Brant Webb and Todd Russell, survivors of the Beaconsfield goldmine disaster. They were trapped underground in a small wire cage…
Asking for help
25 January 2012I quite enjoy helping others. I’m not so good at asking for help. From an improv perspective it’s like making offers – asking for help is making an offer to the world. And boy, does it pay back big time. Those of you reading this blog recently will know I’m in foreign parts designing a…
The Casuarina Project: Community Leadership 10 years on
8 September 2011It’s 10 years this month since the first group of local Surf Coast Shire residents finished the inaugural Casuarina Project. The final session was on September 15th, 2001 and I remember it vividly. We’d booked out a local restaurant for us to gather to reminisce on the journey we’d shared over the previous seven months.…
Good advice
31 August 2011Two things caught me eye in the newspaper this week. Sarah Wilson was writing about trusting the process. She was referring to the creative process – the sometimes messy, unconnected, seemingly random process that we go through when being creative. The secret? Just start. Good advice. And the other was an interview with Eva Cox,…
The power of connections
17 June 2011I spent the weekend at Gathering11, with 100+ other people. I found myself at Gathering11 because of connections, generosity and curiosity. I’ve come away with yet more connections, ideas, inspiration and dare I say, a good old dose of enthusiasm. It’s not often I have an opportunity to be a participant, to feel what it’s…
Community
7 December 2010It is in discovering community that I feel most fortunate, most blessed, most thankful. In general, my community has flourished on-line, and in particular there has been a small, close-knit community that I really cherish. We call ourselves The Slips – a nod to cricket, the only thing we could discover, apart from all coming…
A lost opportunity
1 July 2010Apologies, this is a bit ranty… An information sheet for a local community group arrived in my letterbox today. Here’s a few exerpts: The [group] requires your input and support in order to maintain its vigour and effectiveness and to ensure that it is accurately representing your views. and Please provide us with an up-to-date…
Hastily formed networks
17 April 2010In times of crisis, disaster or uncertainty we often find ‘hastily formed networks’ (HFNs). In researching HFNs, I was surprised to find web sites devoted to ‘how to’. This seems a bit odd to me, and here’s why. A couple of weeks ago the husband of a friend of mine was killed in an accident.…
The heart of connection
14 February 2010When we find, and stay in touch with, people whose ideas and conversations align and challenge, who are generous and willing to share not only their insights, but also their fears and anxieties, questions and musings, whether we’ve met or not, this is the heart of connection. And it’s worth nurturing. Post Script: Checking out…
Living an improvised life
1 February 2010The third and final day of our Playback Theatre Summer Intensive Workshop presented by Melbourne Playback Theatre Company brought together a number of disparate threads – and brought to mind some of the key lessons I’ve learnt over the years from improv theatre in its various forms. Lessons learnt and still being practiced in that…