2019 - The Highlights

With only a few days left of 2019 I have been reflecting and revisiting some of the most significant moments of the year for us at Edgewalkers.

Every year, since our first retreat in April 2016, has been a wonderful journey for me at Edgewalkers and this year’s contribution to that experience has been huge. I feel specially proud of what we managed to deliver in 2019 and I love that slowly & organically, at Edgewalkers we are delivering quality & powerful retreat products, as well as becoming one of WA’s more intimate & boutique walking tour companies.

Our reliable & consistent offerings have received excellent reviews and stand as a testament that when you follow your heart (and work your little butt off) you can really find yourself in the right place at the right time. I am also very aware that many kind, talented and generous people have been major contributors to the success that we are enjoying and they are worth celebrating - read about these special humans here.

So 2019 has been a HUGE year on every level, but there were some moments that have really stood out for me personally. Here they are:

1. New Year’s Day 2019

The Grand Canyon was covered in snow on January 1 2019

The very first day of 2019 remains a top highlight of the year for me. Not only witnessing the Grand Canyon covered by a magical layer of pristine snow, but doing so with my sister and niece, was a fantastic way to enter into 2019.

I was lucky to spend two months in Arizona with family I had not seen for years, while scoping out possible hike and retreat locations. Another lovely surprise while I was in the US was that Lisa, from Pennsylvania, - client/friend who walked in Mongolia with us in 2018 - jumped on a plane to Phoenix in early January, hired a car and picked me up for a few days hiking through the Superstition Wilderness and Sedona. It was a perfect way to start the year and a small but delicious taster of the rich and extensive hiking opportunities in the US.

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The Superstition Wilderness - Arizona

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Grand Canyon - New Year's Day 2019

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Red Giants - Sedona

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The Superstition Wilderness - Arizona

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Reavis Falls Trail with Lisa Franko

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The Grand Canyon

2. The Queen of Sheba

The Queen of Sheba … Thelymitra variegata …

I didn’t have to think long to come up with this top moment of 2019. It was such a great pleasure to finally see this most colourful and mysterious of our native sun orchids. The vibrant purple, red, orange, pink & yellow variations stand out against the burnt beige background of the drying bush. Each pattern on each tiny flower, unique.

I did not find the Queen of Sheba by myself. I had help from local orchid hunter and expert Terry Dunham at Tozer’s Campground on the west side of the Fitzgerald River National Park near Bremer Bay - it will be a moment that I will remember for a long time.

3. All the other wildflowers we saw for the first time…

Rose Coneflowers (Isopogon formosus) in the Fitzgerald River National Park - with Misako, Sept 2019.

Of course, the Queen of Sheba was not the only first sighting this year. There were lots of stunning moments over the season this year with lots of first sightings of flowers for me. Thank you to all the wonderful people that make this possible like the amazing people who came walking with us in the Fitzgerald Biosphere this year, including my dear friend Misako. It was so much fun.

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Blue-tipped Smoke Bush

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Flying Duck Orchid

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Lemon Scented Sun Orchid

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Cow Kicks Trigger Plant

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Forest Mantis Orchid

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Nodding Banksia

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Dragon Orchid

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Swamp Daisies

3. Malchin Peak, Mongolia …. again

The truth is that the whole of this expedition, with a sensational group of women, and some wonderful warm local hosts, was a highlight - so I guess climbing Malchin Peak was a highlight within a highlight!

When we got to the top of this 4,045 metre mountain in the Tavan Bogd National Park last year (2018), it was a breathtaking experience and felt like a huge accomplishment for all three of us - Lisa (US), Lot (Netherlands) and I were all overcome with deep joy.

I half expected it to be less impressive this year (2019) when doing it for the second time. I was wrong. It was a magic experience and I enjoyed every bit of banter, cajoling, complaining, gasping, and laughter as we all made our way, slowly, up the slippery scree face.

When you climb a very steep mountain it doesn’t take that long before there is a magnificent view and this was the case with Malchin Peak, which offered brilliant views of the Potanin Glacier right from the start of the ascent. Once past half-way we could see all the way to the Russian and Chinese parts of the Altai mountain range. Positively grand.

Thank you to the exceptional humans who have shared this adventure so far - I am so grateful.

6. The Kamchatka Peninsula

The environment is rugged and wild, the scenery spectacular and the hiking a hearty and satisfying challenge.

I have been planning to go to the Kamchatka Peninsula for about four years and this year it finally happened - but it tool some doing!

First, I posted a call out on Facebook to see if anyone was interested in hiking through this region with me. There were a few interested people but it was Alex (pictured above), from Newcastle, NSW, who met me in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky with a huge smile and a heart full of wonderment and adventure!

Together we negotiated Russian language, wrong addresses and local transport to get everything we needed before starting our hike: there were the permits needed to walk through the Klyuchevskaya Nature Park; there was getting bear spray & gas canisters for cooking; there was working out which bus to which town at what time; there was finding accommodation when we got there.. but we did it!

Here is at short video of the adventure once we got to the Klyuchevskaya Nature Park - a UNESCO listed world heritage site.

5. Lake Baikal

Getting to Lake Baikal - the deepest freshwater lake in the world - was an adventure in itself. It took a 24 hour train ride from Ulaan Baatar (Mongolia) , a tram from outside the train station to the car rental place, directions on google maps and a 270 km drive out of Irkutsk in peak hour traffic 💪🏼😬to the cottage I’d rented on Lake Baikal... 😅deciphering Cyrillic letters, in the rain and the dark... on the right side of the road... loved every minute!!

After spending a couple of days walking around the lake, admiring wildflowers and being on my own, I spontaneously took the ferry to Olkhon Island - full of natural beauty & enshrined in shamanic mysticism, this place was a gem. There was wild camping right on the edges of the lake, wildflowers everywhere and despite quite a few tourists in the main part of the town, there were plenty of places for serenity and alone time.

7. Meeting Georgiana Molloy’s great great granddaughter…

You don’t know this, but it is looking like my play Wildflowers, about WA women and flowers, will be staged during the heritage festival early May 2020.

I started researching one of the characters in the play, early settler and of WA’s first botanist Georgiana Molloy, in 2012. Can you believe the thrilling surprise to find out, casually while sitting around over dinner after a hearty day on the Cape to Cape track, that one of our walkers, the dynamic Patricia (pictured above), is Georgiana’s great great grand daughter!

… a highlight!

West Australian Christmas Tree or Nuytsia Floribunda or Mooja or Kanyaa ...

There is one flowering tree that you are guaranteed to see if you visit the southwest of Australia in December: the Nuytsia floribunda, also called WA Christmas tree, also called Kaanya or Mooja.

You can’t miss the spectacular flowering event of the Nuytsia floribunda. With their profusion of yellow-golden blossoms, they stand like radiant beacons, luminous against the drying bush. Its common name, WA Christmas tree is apt, many trees are still flowering profusely during Christmas celebrations (it starts flowering in October), but also because, curiously, it belongs to the Loranthaceae family, the same as the mistletoe, another Christmas favourite.

Like the mistletoe, the Mooja, one of the Noongar names given to this native Australian plant, is a parasite. However, instead of feeding off the branches of plants it sends its long roots far underground (sometimes over 100 metres) searching for other roots that it can tap into and feed from.

Another name that has been given to the Nuytsia floribunda is Kaanya tree or the tree of recently departed souls. Many traditional Noongar people from the southwest will not sit under a Nuytsia tree; or make use of any of its wood or flowers, as this tree is believed to be where souls stop on the way to the Kurannup, or the land of the ancestors that have passed away.

Whatever you choose to call it, there is no denying that its iridescent blooms light up the WA landscape and signal the start of summer.

The Cape to Cape Track - our cultural heritage

I gasped the first time I saw Wilyabrup Cliffs appear in the distance framed by honey myrtle branches and a blanket of yellow acacias and pink pimeleas. I had no idea that this short 4.5 km saunter along the Cape to Cape track on that sunny WA spring day in 2015 would have such significant impact on my life and direction.

4 years on and this 125 km trail along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge is a central part of our Edgewalkers offerings and continues to be a source of inspiration and motivation.

This is the first on a series of short articles sharing some of the things I love about the Cape to Cape track.

Caves, grottoes and underwater streams are important part of the Wardandi heritage.

The Cape to Cape – our cultural heritage

“Every time you go to a sacred place, … every time you connect to country, Aboriginal culture becomes a part of who you are.” Josh Whiteland

I love that walking along the Cape to Cape track is foremost a journey into country. When we walk along some sections of the 125 km Cape to Cape trail that extends from Kwirreejeenungup (Cape Naturaliste) to Talanup (Augusta), we are sure to be walking along the same track traditional Wardandi people have used to travel up and down this ancient ridge for millenia. 48,000 years to be exact. That’s the age of some of the archaeological remains found at Devil’s Lair Cave just south of Margaret River – some of the oldest findings on the continent.

There is plenty of evidence showing that the Wardandi ‘…used tracks or native paths (bidi) running parallel to the coast and southwards from Koombanup (Bunbury) along Geographe Bay to places like Kwirreejeenungup (Cape Naturaliste) and Talanup (Augusta).’

Today there are local Wardandi operators in the southwest offering cultural tours & events during which they share traditional stories of creation, history, astronomy, botany & other knowledge. Award-winning Koomal Dreaming run by Josh Whiteland, cultural tours Ngalang Wongi cultural tours run by Troy Bennell & the Webb family-run Wardan Centre in Injidup (temporarily closed) are all a source of authentic southwest Aboriginal culture.

8 Tips for Organising a Successful Retreat....

Apparently, I am an ENFP personality, so when I had the audacious idea to run a Creativity & Walking Retreat in Margaret River in April 2016, I acted before I had thought things through enough to scare me. Which was not necessarily a bad thing: it was a brilliant idea, I had a vivid vision of the concept: creativity, the content of the workshops, is one of my areas of expertise; I was contagiously excited about it.

Except, I had only been living in Margaret River for about five and a half minutes and never run a retreat before, ever.

‘How hard could it be?’ I thought.  It was basically an extra long workshop with sleepovers, right?

You are right to guess that what followed has been a whole lot of delicious learning AND a lot of fun. I ran my eleventh retreat last weekend and I think I am starting to get the hang of it, with still much more to learn.

Here are some thoughts about running a successful retreat.

1.     Nail the food!

The first retreat I ever participated in was a three-day silent Vipassana meditation course in the Perth hills.  No speaking, no writing, no reading, no Yoga, just breathing …and (thankfully!!) eating.

What stands out from this retreat almost 20 years later? Honestly? The abundant stacks of steaming green beans, bok choi and other colourful vegetables that greeted us after each session, glistening with flavour and bursting with comfort and warmth.

I remember the tea and coffee stand with a huge glass jar always full to the rim with Granita biscuits and scotch fingers. I remember the thick chunks of toast and dripping jam for breakfast before the gruelling day of contemplation and silence.

 Whatever you do, make the food outstanding – I knew that whatever I did, the food had to be a hit.  

 During our first retreat I may have gone a little overboard. I stocked the fridge with 8 types of cheeses, every type of milk: coconut, almond, rice, soy, skim, whole…hazelnut. We had fresh sourdough bread, local jams, preserves and spreads, abundant choice of muesli, gluten free crackers, biscuits, chocolate, nuts, and several bowls full of fresh fruit, enough for each person to have a couple of pieces each of everything, bananas, oranges, apples, mandarins, grapes; yes, it may seem like overkill, but I knew that I’d regret running out of anything. I still go a bit overboard…but only get hazelnut milk if I am asked!

With the rest of the meals I played it safe by having four different caterers provide a range of meals from different cuisines: vegan, raw and super healthy, Indian hot and spicy, Mediterranean hearty and soulful, and homemade, baked & wholesome. Now, we have a local caterer whose healthy & delicious meals can accommodate clients, no matter what dietary requirement they have.

I hope not, but 20 years down the track the food from this retreat might be all anyone remembers, if so I also hope it is remembered with joy.

2.    Choose outstanding locations & venues – no brainer!

In 2015 I did a multi-day, solo walk to the Annapurna base camp in Nepal. For 10 days I carried a (heavy-ish) backpack, slept in a sleeping bag on wooden cots covered by mildew and ‘well-used’ blankets; washed in sometimes icy, often questionable, clean water and used the same two changes of clothes and the same damp hand towel the whole time – I was in thru-hiking heaven.

But, ‘oh my gracious me’, as the taxi driver said when he pulled into the Hyatt where I had booked my one night stop-over in Calcutta before heading home, was I joyous to strip off my dusty, cruddy gear have a lush goddess shower in a spotless, white tiled bathroom and then throw myself on a king size bed with crisp, cool sheets and silky pillows? You bet!!

The spacious & architecturally designed homes I hire for our retreats have views (from everywhere you look) of either pristine Australian bush with Karri, Peppermints and Jarrah Eucalypts, vineyards with rows of perfectly manicured vines undulating towards the sun-setting horizon or the Indian Ocean in all its sultry, salty glow.

Make people feel special - the delighted look on the faces of everyone as they walk in on the first evening of the retreat always tells me that it has been worth the investment.

 3.    The content – do YOUR thing!

There were two components to the retreat.

1. Creativity: I was fully confident that what I had put together for an exploration of creativity using theatre and embodied activities would be well received, engaging, powerful and, most importantly, helpful. After all, what business would I have running a creativity retreat if I had nothing good to offer? Check the testimonials.

However, I was modest enough to know that it would be quadrupled in value if other artists were involved. I simply asked myself: what would I LOVE to do during a creativity retreat? So I looked for artists who could take us on a short but connected and intensive journey into their medium. A painter, a sculptor, a singer gave us gratifying and exquisite opportunities to play with our creativity. This was a huge success and I am grateful for all the artists that have contributed to our unique retreats: Jane Tangney, Rebecca Cool, Megan Hodgson, Paean Ng & Elaine Clocherty.

2. Walking: I can’t take any credit for the breathtaking vistas and inspiring natural environment we walk in, that came from the ultimate creative force – mother nature. I did, however, choose the specific walks, and for this I considered the distance, difficulty and ‘wow’ factor. I also made sure I did each of the walks several times before taking anyone on the tracks so that I knew them back to front; I even cleared fallen branches off the track.

NOTE: Don’t jam pack too many activities or too many other facilitators - for one of the first Walking & Writing Retreats we did yoga, sculpting, aromatherapy, sound healing, natural textile dyeing, walking & creativity, all in three days … at the end of it I felt I had been on a boot camp and worse, so did some clients.

 So far, so good. But this is not a blow my own trumpet piece, above are the aspects of the retreat that I know I got right, but I’m not finished because, well, there are a few things that I had to work on to improve for the next ones…

4.    Don’t be a solo act - get help.

OK…working alone has many advantages: flexible hours, quick decision-making, spontaneity; you can also cut costs by doing a lot of things yourself, like doing your own filing and making your own coffee.

However, holding a space for people to examine, unpack and transform creative blocks takes full attention, all I really wanted to be focused on was facilitating & guiding the work.

 I realised that it is imperative to have someone (or a team) with clear roles and responsibilities; someone to serve food, get people blankets, clear up meals, do the dishes, refill the water, tidy up the space, take photos, drive.

During the first retreat I sort of had someone helping me, a dancer who could not afford the retreat asked me if we could do an exchange: her help in exchange for participation – I agreed. She had a vague idea of what she had to do… she kinda knew how to load a dishwasher and to set a table…she sometimes paid attention to what everyone needed, she almost let me focus 100% on the content and the facilitation…almost. It was OK, but it was not ideal; it was not the set up for the best results.

I’m still working on getting the right balance here.

5.    Marketing: let’s face(book) it…social media works…but give it time!

Over the years with Act Out I ran a number of workshops and half-day/all-day events to which I had to attract people so I considered myself someone who can make use of her database and really get ‘bums on seats’.

So about a month and a half before the first retreat (I can hear you laughing) I wrote over 350 individual and 300 generic emails to people on my database, (yes, it took me days – 5 long days exactly) and tried to get them onside for promoting my retreat – no luck – just a lot of great & encouraging responses from lovely peers, friends and clients.

 Then it occurred to me, duh, since I had the event posted on the Edgewalkers Facebook page (yes, go LIKE it now!), to write Facebook messages to my friends and acquaintances asking them to share the event - that was better, a few passed on messages, shared the event and helped promote the page. Then, double duh, with only four weeks to go before the retreat…I realised I could pay to advertise on Facebook and sell the retreat that way…it was a bit late for that one. I ended up slashing the price in half to sell it (see next session on pricing) but since then, almost every person that has come to all of our 11 retreats was attracted through Facebook & Instagram.

I drive 80% of traffic to the website through social media - it is an integral part of our marketing AND selling strategy so I am constantly learning how to do it better. Making videos, sharing stories and…you might cringe at this, but actually speaking myself on video and connecting with our potential ‘perfect’ client. I have learnt a lot from the amazing women at Wanderlust Entrepreneur.

Start marketing the retreat at least 6 months if not more before and keep doing it…all year round. I have had people tell me they have been following me for 2 years on Instagram or Facebook before they came to a retreat!

6.    Price it right: cheapo begets cheapo

I am getting better at pricing! But the first retreat was priced at $1,050 this 3-night/4-day luxury accommodation, all meals and snacks plus hours of facilitation and workshops and guided walks and free books and four weeks on online coaching following retreat was an absolute BARGAIN…too much of a bargain!

As much as I truly enjoy working with people and facilitating a transformative result in their creative practice, this is a business venture where I get to do what I love but actually make a living from it. Of course, I was testing the water to see if there was interest so I was invested in running a retreat as long as I got my costs back.

After much coaching from business colleagues, friends and mentors, I have realised one thing: there is ALWAYS going to be someone who will find whatever price you put on your product too high. Even when that first retreat was reduced to half price (yes, it ended up being sold for $525!) there were people telling me they could not afford it, and asking if they could they get a discount - I’m not joking.

Do the math, make the sums, add a profit you would be happy with, and make it work for you and for everyone who participates. Don’t be fearful about it sounding expensive - your work is valuable and the people who value you and your unique offering are out there.

 7. Get feedback … and listen to it!

I know that at the end of a retreat the last thing you want to do is to be sending out customer feedback forms… but DO IT! There are so many reasons:

1. We improve our product - during one retreat I scheduled two 12 km plus walks - it was OK for clients wanting to walk the Cape to Cape but it was too much for the clients who came to a weekend to nurture their creativity. Thank goodness I asked - this has improved their experience as an Edgewalkers client;

2. We get to see that our clients are satisfied and this will make them long term clients … I am so happy to say that most of our clients stay in touch and many have joined other events and adventures;

3. We know we value our clients but asking them for feedback shows THEM we value their opinion and experience;

8. Don’t give up - if you really believe that retreats are what you want to do, then keep going. It takes time to establish yourself, your client data base, your marketing strategy, your pricing…but it is SO worth it when you get to the end of a retreat and you KNOW you have delivered a beautiful and powerful experience that your clients have found beneficial AND you have made a great income doing something you LOVE …that is magic!

Act Out ... engage, innovate, transform...moving on

The time has come for me to move on and leave the small legacy of Act Out behind.

I started Act Out in 2007 as a way to use the newly learnt Boal applied theatre techniques from Theatre of the Oppressed to facilitate what I considered would be a more real and equitable community development.

I spent 8 years wholeheartedly working towards ways to holistically tackle ‘wicked problems’ like violence against women, sexual abuse, bulling, marginalisation, homelessness, and other systemic social issues. It has been a privilege and I am grateful and proud of some of the work we have done with some many wonderful people in organisations and communities.

Here are some highlights fro the last 10 years:

Just Another Day is a forum theatre performance created and performed by young Aboriginal men as part of the HALO Leadership Development College program initiated, facilitated and produced by ACT OUT.

West Australian Orchids and the Art of Seduction

In the world of Australian orchids it is less a survival of the fittest and more a survival of the sexiest!

With a cheeky smile, orchid hunter Terry Dunham, points to the unusual looking flower on a sandy patch of ground at Tozers Bushcamp in WA’s southern coast. The warty hammer or Drakaea livida, is not a classically beautiful orchid like the colourful queen of Sheba, also growing at Tozers. Instead, its liver coloured body, sways tentatively on a thin green stem like a dark and furry insect, which is exactly what this seductive orchid is counting on.

‘It’s all game of sexual deception,’ says the wildflower expert.

Like many West Australian orchids the warty hammer makes use of its unusual morphology to attract a pollinator that will ensure its survival; in this case the male thynnine wasp. This libidinous male wasp flies around looking for a flightless females to lift, carry off and mate with in mid-air. The warty hammer, mimicking not only the shape of the wasp but also its powerful pheromones, lures the unwitting male wasp to land on its hinged lower lip or labellum.

Quirky looking Warty Hammer orchid mimicking a female wasp to lure a pollinator.

’(The male) sees one of these…he grabs hold of that and the column flips over and whacks him on the head...’ The unwitting male then goes off looking for another ‘female’ and transfers the pollen, repeating the process.

Over 250 orchids in Australia rely on their ability to imitate the scent of a fertile female to trick a male pollinator. In 2017 scientists from the University of Western Australia identified some of the sulphur-based chemical compounds used by spider orchids, Caladenia sp., to lure the males in.

The King Spider Orchid - Caladenia pectinata - emits powerful biochemicals that attract pollinators

Some orchids, like the bird orchid (Pterostylis barbata) have an even more sophisticated system that entraps the male insect, this time a male gnat. The gnat is lured by the scent, gets trapped inside the flower and has to crawl through a narrow opening ensuring it is well-covered in its pollen.

Bird orchid … Pterostylis barbata - entraps its pollinator ensuring it is fully covered with pollen.

These fascinating examples pollinator-flower interactions exemplify the Darwinian theory of co-evolution but prompt the question: in the world of orchids is it the fittest or the sexiest who survive?

Western Australian Wildflowers by their Noongar Names.

Pudjak…Banksia sessilis or parrot bush, abundant species in the southwest of Western Australia

With 40% of the world’s indigenous languages at risk of disappearing, this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (August 9) has a special focus on language. The UN calls on countries to ‘…recognise, protect and promote indigenous languages through legislation, policies and other strategies…’

In celebration of our unique and breathtaking flora, and acknowledgement of the Noongar land we inhabit in Australia’s southwest, here is a small collection of wildflowers, their Noongar names and their traditional uses.

CARA - Caladenia arenicola

Orchids (Djubak ) are much sought-after beauties and our southwest is gifted with a great diversity of orchids. What many people do not know is that these beautiful & delicate orchids used to form part of the Noongar spring diet. Their kidney shaped roots, distinguished by their maturity, can be eaten raw when young (chokern) or roasted when mature (naank). Likewise, the hollow, onion-like single stem that shoots up before the flower can be eaten raw and is supposedly sweet and gelatinous.

PUDJAK - Banksia sessilis

Commonly known as parrot bush as it attracts the endemic ring-necked parrots. This plant’s flower has traditionally been used for its sweet nectar and its wood to make message sticks allowing different Noongar tribes to communicate. The leaves are hard and their edges pointy and prickly. There is a lovely corridor of tall Pudjak bushes between Moses Rock North and the Moses Rock campground on the Cape to Cape.

BALGA - Xanthorrhoea preissii

Balga - so many uses for this magnificent iconic Australian plant.

The Balga - or grasstree - in a dominant feature in the Australian landscape. Noongar people have made used of this plant in many ways. For food, they used to dig down to the shoots at the bottom of the grass. Also, Its fronds could be used to cover shelters and its resin both as a tanning or binding agent.

KOORLA - Hardenbergia comptoniana

The stems from the prolific Native Wisteria plants were used to help build shelters and also as rope.

MINDALENY - Acacia Pulchella

Wattle had a lot of uses in Noongar tradition. The seeds of this and other species, like Acacia cyclops, were ground and baked into damper. The juice from the leaves could also be used to relieve eczema, repel insects and protect from sunburn. Also, the bark could be stripped from the wood and treated with fat from animals like kangaroo (yonga) or lizard (gnoomoon) and made pliable to tie things together.

KURULBRANG - Anigozanthos flavidus

The Red Kangaroo Paw, our state flower was a rich source of starchy calories for Noongar people. It is known for attracting birds like the Red Breasted Robin.

KARA - Burchardia congesta

These pretty Milkmaid flowers found along the Cape to Cape from September to November have a starchy, fleshy that could be eaten raw or baked over coals on a fire.

There are some excellent resources available if you are interested in Noongar plant names and uses. John Horsfall & Vivienne Hansen’s Noongar Bush Medicine: Medicinal Plants of the South-west of Western Australia and their latest Noongar Bush Tucker: Bush Food Plants and Fungi of the South-West of Western Australia are a delightful and comprehensive collection of many traditional culinary and medicinal uses for plants of Western Australia’s southwest.

I also looked at this site for some names https://www.perthnrm.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Traditonal-Ecological-Knowledge-By-Noongar-Names-Jan-2016.pdf

Small baby steps...

‘Creativity is something you practice not just a talent you are born with’

Wise words from IDEO design gurus David and Tom Kelley. In one of their contributions to the Harvard Business Review they talk about four fears that hinder most people from accessing ‘creative confidence’.

They blame creative blocks on four core fears: the fear of the ‘messy’ unknown, the fear of being judged, the fear of taking the first step and the fear of letting go.

They liken these fears to serious phobias and point to the work of renowned psychiatrist Dr. Albert Bandura and his groundbreaking work in helping people overcome their greatest fears. Dr. Bandura gets his clients to step-by-step increase his patient’s ability to deal with the feared object, for example, a snake.
The first step is looking at it in a two-way mirror, then looking at it through a doorway, then touching it with a big industrial glove and finally touching it bare handed. The key to over coming these fears?

Small, baby steps. 

Simple, isn’t it?

Since 2002 I have been running creativity workshops in some form or other. In the first couple of years the workshops were inspired by Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.  I organised small groups of about 6 - 8 people for a series of workshops over 12 weeks. We came together, did some activities and tasks aimed at reconnecting with our creative power and shared and supported each other through the journey of creative recovery.  

It was great fun and most people reconnected with their creativity and completed creative projects that to that date had only been a dream. Vanessa, who was interested in interior design and had started to delve into tiles and ceramics, followed the techniques for the full 12 weeks and began by doing some mosaics, then got a job at an exclusive tile showroom, for many years now she has been running her own interior design company in Sydney.

Another lady in her late sixties, finally got around to clearing out her studio by the river and began a series of watercolours which she turned into postcards to send her friends. One man, Peter, loved to write but was so afraid that if he put pen to paper it would all be rubbish. He began a gentle free writing practice that freed him up to express himself authentically and discover what he really wanted: to begin his own consulting business in alternative medicine and martial arts.

At the time I was deeply taken aback by the effect that the workshops were having on people... and on myself. During that time, I received funding to direct and produce my play Trollop(e), received funding for a novel, started a Masters and most importantly, planted the seeds that would grow into Act Out and later into, Edgewalkers.

What I was unwittingly but effectively doing, was not just cautiously guiding individuals along their journey of creative recovery but I was also letting myself take the first steps and overcome the incredible fear of the messy unknown that working for myself presented.

Those small, safe and simple creativity workshops were my way of crawling before standing up; toddling before walking. I learnt one workshop at a time, a few clients at a time; learnt by gently doing & learning what needs to be learnt to establish a new business based on creative approaches.

'I'm going to look like a fool!' one client said to me. He was part of a group being coached in assertive communication.

Yes! That's what I thought too when I thought about approaching clients with these 'airy-fairy' aesthetic, embodied, arts-based approaches, 'they're going to laugh at me!’

But they didn't.

Today based on my own ideas, practice and research, I am able to work on what I feel inspired to do. Today I am happy to stride in some areas of my life and toddle slowly in others.

What messy unknown are you scared of? What are you fearful of being judged about? Where are you fearful to take your fist step into? What are you holding on to? 

Remember what the creativity gurus said: small, baby steps!

Mongolia Walking Tour 2019 ... 9 intrepid women take on the Mongolia Wilderness - Day 1

The majestic view (above) of the Altai Mountain range greets us as we near the entry to the Tavan Bogd National Park. After travelling in a bumpy, 4WD Russian furgon van for over 6 hours this view of our destination is a welcomed sight. It also brings home the spectacle and grandeur of the following 9 days.

We were 12 walkers altogether: Deb, Leonie and Marg from Victoria and Natalia, Narelle, Robyn, Clare, Claire and Annette from Western Australia, Gundee our local expert guide who supported all our activities, Aibek our assistant guide and I.

Aibek (our assistant guide), Natalia, Claire, Robyn, Marg, Leonie, Annette, Clare, Debra, Narelle and Gundee … our local guide and Erika, Edgewalkers founder and facilitator.

The skies were a blinding blue and the weather mild and perfect for our first jaunt into the Mongolian wilderness. It really is a walker’s delight with so much space, expansive skies and a magnificent view no matter where you look!

Making our way towards our first camp on the southern shores of Khoton Lake in the Tavan Bogd National Park.

The Tavan Bogd National Park first attracted me because of its location along 4 different borders: Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan and Russia. It is mostly inhabited in the summer months when Kazakh and Tuvan nomads bring their animals to its green pastures. The National Park not only contains lakes, mountains, lush and rugged valleys and alpine sceneries, but also Mongolia’s highest peak, Khuten Mountain (4,300 metres) and the Potanin Glacier, Mongolia’s largest glacier.

We walk for about 10 kilometres to join our camp on the southern shores of Khoton Lake. The team there consists of our main cook, the wonderful Boggy and her assistant cook, Burma. We also have two friendly and helpful camel wranglers who manage the six camels that carry all of the gear and food for our expedition.

Camping on the south-western banks of Khoton Lake in the Tavan Bogd National Park - July 2019.

Our first dinner in the wilderness…we had a banquet every night thanks to Boggy (in background) our wonderful cook and Burma, her assistant. They managed to cook all vegetarian meals and cater for a gluten free walker!

And our first day comes to a tranquil and peaceful end on the shores of Khoton Lake.

Unpacking the voices that hold us back - why theatre is effective

Dr Erika Jacobson

“I cannot do it”, “I am too old”, “I don’t know enough”, “I don’t have a creative bone in my body”, “nothing ever changes”, “ I’ll never make any money”, “to get on in life you have to be realistic”, “I won’t be taken seriously”, “I’ve got nothing worthwhile to say”, “I’ll never have time”, “it won’t be good enough”, “I’ll look like a fool”… the list can go on and on.

Disheartening and pernicious, thoughts like these lurk around our minds like shady characters constantly whispering and criticising; judging and throwing doubt, deterring and deflating our dreams of a more creative life.

Using aesthetic, applied theatre techniques when exploring and unpacking some of these voices can be so powerful for three reasons:

1. The collective - When working on issues that affect a group of people, one person’s individual story can be the springboard for the collective examination of what is going on for everyone. This approach can allow people in a group to understand their own story by examining another person’s. As well as collectively exposing the voices that hold everyone back, the group can creatively problem-solve and rehearse possibilities for overcoming obstacles. ‘We do not interpret, we explain nothing, we only offer multiple points of reference.’ (Boal, 1995)

2. The aesthetics – the use of a creative media such as theatre, as well as painting, writing and sculptures, help to shift the brain from a survival, linear thinking pattern to a more imaginative, metaphoric, storytelling pattern that allows a playful yet deep examination of what's really going on.

3. The reconnection – working with the whole body means working with the whole person, their senses, their minds, and their emotions. When a challenge is examined using the whole of our bodies there is greater clarity and honesty. Similarly, when alternatives are rehearsed in this empowered state this rehearsal leaves a profound imprint, which can be the beginning of transformation.

Photos: Donna Wolter - Echoe Images

Location: Js Retreat, Wilyabrup, Western Australia

8 ways you might be stopping your creative practice in its tracks

I know what it's like.

Every day you say to yourself: tomorrow I am going to set up the corner of the verandah with my easel; or, next week, when this busy period at work is finished, I'll start writing daily; or, this weekend, I'm definitely heading out to take some photos in the park.

But it just does NOT happen. 

'I just can't seem to find the time!'
'Time just gets away from me!'
'If I only had another couple of hours a day!'
Sound familiar? It does to me! There is no doubt that most of us can list real and legitimate reasons for why we are time poor.

But let’s be honest, really honest.

We all fall prey to one or more of the following 8 activities, don’t we? Let’s take a closer look at what I think are our biggest time sucks:

1.    WORK – Ok, most of us have to do this. And true, work comes with certain time restraints that are just not negotiable. Add to that children or managing a small business, or having a leadership role, and demands on your time are high, no doubt.

But just examine closely this area of your life and see if you are doing more than you need to? Do you answer emails when you know that they can wait until you are back in the office or at the end of the weekend? Are you doing work that you ought to be delegating? Are you so immersed in the world of work that you no longer feel connected to other aspects of your life?

It’s not just about workaholism, which is a ’thing’; it’s about giving work more priority than you need to. Are you?

2.    TV / NETFLIX … or any other entertainment or gaming: this is my favourite time suck! I am so guilty of Netflix bingeing. I know exactly what it’s like, and I love losing myself in a great Nordic crime thriller or watching episode after episode of Orange is the New Black… or whatever catches my attention. What about you? How much of your time is poured into entertainment and passively watching someone else’s creative output? Would missing an episode of My Kitchen Rules be that detrimental to your week? Can you do one day without Wordscapes?

3.    ALCOHOL/DRUGS… has ‘taking the edge off your day’ become something that extends for the whole evening… every evening? Is it the first thing you do when you get home from work?

If you are self-medicating for existing issues (we all have them there is no shame in taking a look at them) maybe it’s time to get some professional help. I’m not against a bit of mind-altered time but we all know when we are over indulging, right?

4.    OVER-EXERCISING – I love exercising and it is part of my self-care and wellbeing, so I am very conscious of how important it is to make time for it and that sometimes this is also hard to prioritise.

That’s not what I am talking about here.

Over-exercising is when you cross the line between a healthy, life-enhancing habit and damaging, obsessive behaviours. If you are reading this and something has come up for you because you know you do this, that is what I mean!

5. OVER READING – like exercising, such an enjoyable, benign and rewarding activity. Learning new facts, experiencing new fictitious characters and situations, expanding your mind. But when we are trying to create something new, we need time and space to think and engage our imagination. Are you escaping into someone else’s creation and imagination to avoid facing yours? Are you filling your head with so much information that you have no space for thinking something of your own?

6.    SOCIAL MEDIA – who is not a culprit here? For the last 7 years, since I have started using social media for marketing, promotion and sales, I have been spending a disproportionally large amount of time staring at the phone or tablet screen. Because it’s a work activity I have to do, I’ve tried to turn it into a platform for some self-expression and creativity. But what a time suck! Isn’t it? I know you know what I a mean! How might you reduce the time you spend here?  

7.    FRIENDS – what is life without friends? If you are lucky to have good friends, awesome, rejoice! Spending time with friends is important. It’s also equally important to spend time alone, by yourself. If you don’t have a good balance of ‘friend time’ and ‘ME time’, take a look at what you are, perhaps, avoiding. Their latest news will still be there next time you catch up, and maybe you’ll be sharing with them about your latest project.

8.    NEEDY PEOPLE – how wonderful does it feel to be doing good for someone else? And good for you! I’m not saying you have to turn into a selfish, uncaring person. But are you putting other people ahead of yourself, all the time? You might want to look at that.

It is important to support and help people we know are having a hard time, the way people have helped us. But you know where I’m going with this. I’m talking about the people who take, take and take some more. People whose life is always drama and emotional rollercoasters, the ones Julia Cameron calls ‘crazy-makers’ and who might never get enough of you even if you spent all day with them.

SUGGESTIONS

Caveat: there is nothing inherently WRONG with any of the above behaviours - I am simply pointing out areas where I have been able to carve extra hours for myself in order to pursue my creativity.

Here are some suggestions to stay on track:

1. set some boundaries:

   for yourself… get some RIGHT NOW! e.g. No email or text responses after 9 pm. No laptop in the bedroom. No work reading material in bed. Netflix only 5 times a week.

   for others… tell people what you’re up to. Don’t always pick up the phone. Tell people who care about you (without making it sound like you are going to join a cult) what you are up to. Let them know that you have set aside some time to make stuff. They might follow suit!

2. self-awareness: ultimately, a great goal - a reflective, journaling practice has helped me to understand my behaviours and deal with them more effectively. Knowing ourselves better is key to knowing what motivates us and what gets in our way.

3. time yourself: I have started doing this regularly. I set the timer on my phone and let myself indulge in a game or a magazine article, and when the timer is done, I go back to what I was doing.

4. alcohol free evenings: go on, you can do it!

   If you have any suggestions or have ways of managing your time that you’d like to share, feel free to post below!

Who is Dr Erika Jacobson?

The other day I was at a cafe where I display flyers for our retreats. Two women were having coffee, one of them had one of our flyers in her hand. As I walked by, feeling quite happy that someone was interested in a retreat, I overheard her saying to her friend: ‘who is this Dr Erika Jacobson?’

Isn’t that funny? I wanted to turn around and say: it’ me!! I’m that chick.

I didn’t. But as I walked back up the street with my soy flat white in hand, I was thinking two things:

1.    OMG, there must be a whole lot of people out there who have seen the marketing material for the creativity retreats and wondered the same thing. Who the hell am I? They don’t know why I’m claiming I can help them;

2.    If I had turned around and said to the woman in the café: hi, it’s me, I design and facilitate the retreats, what would she want to know?

So here are few fun facts to help you see if I am the right person to spark your creative mojo:

• I teach Creativity & Innovation at Murdoch University - I designed the structure and content …actually, since 2002 I have been teaching people how to embrace their self-expression and be more creative…so I have a tool box full of techniques, processes and activities that spark creativity, help explore creative blocks and generate ideas;

• I have a degree in writing; I have taught writing since 1996 in various forms to diverse students, I have written two novels (unpublished - one was funded by DAC), I’ve written, directed and produced six plays with state, federal & non-government funding…I have taught it long enough to know that the main lesson is that you have to turn up - because YOU CAN’T EDIT AN EMPTY PAGE!

• I was a zumba instructor for 8 years… relevant because…I got moves ;-)

• Through Act Out, a business I founded in 2007, I used creativity, social theatre and other arts-based approaches to help communities problem-solve around tough and wicked issues like domestic & family violence, sexual abuse, bullying, marginalisation, eating disorders, racism, sexism…to collectively express the problem and access creative solutions and share that with the community;

• Over the years I have learnt that what I love the most is being creative, having adventures, walking, especially in nature, and travelling…so I created Edgewalkers - it’s my way of combining it all… it’s going OK so far ;-)

• Most importantly, I have developed a creative habit, that is, I regularly engage in a creative activity that fuels my spirit, whether it is a daily writing practice or a daily yoga practice, or a daily walking practice, I understand the importance of sticking with it NO MATTER WHAT… I have learnt that judging the outcome, the creating process is what is liberating and expansive, not the creation itself…sure, that can be a work of art that everyone admires or a something mediocre that nobody notices, but it does not matter, the gold is the action of being in a creative action regularly.

• Basically, I have been turning what I love into income generating endeavours since 2002… and that is something worth sharing…