growth – and so she thinks

Start Where You Are: An Illustrated Journal For Self Exploration – Meera Lee Patel

admin — Tue, 30 May 2017 08:50:43 +0000

A sucker for pretty books, a passion for scribbling, and an endless curiosity mean that I’ve tried plenty of journals over the years, but Meera Lee Patel’s Start Where You Are: An Illustrated Journal For Self Exploration has got to have been one of the most beautiful.

Small and unassuming, this notebook focuses on embracing the process, not the product. The tasks are less tasks themselves, and more signposts to help readers along their own journey of navigating the imagination, using creativity as guidance. As the blurb says ‘Every answer is inside you.’

Short and accessible, the exercises include listing five things that always make you smile, reflecting on dreams that have not yet happened, seizing the one thing that motivates you in life and moving towards it, circling your values and looking through a different lens.

Quotes from thinkers, creatives, visionaries are illustrated with vibrant watercolour paintings in Meara’s signature style. Just by presenting those familiar ideas in a new way they are shifted and transformed, made more personally resonant through the reflection. Her early years on the New Jersey shore inspired her illustrations, and you can see the mystery and magic infuse the style, whilst the bold colours of her native India illuminate them. Even when you don’t do the tasks, as in sit and put pen to paper and write something profound, it feels as though you are still working and transforming your consciousness through the visuals.

So many of the illustrations and quotes I want to put up on my wall, and so I was thrilled to learn that Meera sells the prints. Uplifting in all ways, it’s a nice way to both look inside of yourself and expand and grow out into your life.

The Art of Shouting Quietly: A Guide to Self-Promotion for Introverts and Other Quiet Souls – Pete Mosley

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 08:32:00 +0000

First published on Alt Magazine.
There’s a lot of brilliant people out there. But we don’t always hear about them, because society is formed in a way that suggests that to be brilliant you must be bold, brash, shout loudly and tell everyone about your brilliance. This doesn’t come easy to everyone, and as Pete Mosley states in his new book, The Art of Shouting Quietly: A Guide to Self-Promotion for Introverts and Other Quiet Souls it does not need to. Introversion can be a strength in itself. Pete Mosley identifies as an introvert, but has made his name as a writer and coach helping people name the beasts that hold them back – and to systematically engage with and overcome them.
Filled with worksheets sweetly illustrated by Clare Duffy and in a folder format the book feels like a project planner for self promotion. The first half is about recognising the strengths and qualities that you have, understanding your place in the world, your drivers and values, and trying to instil the confidence that you have the power and freedom to shape your world. He doesn’t suggest that as an introvert or shy person you change, but instead realise that these are qualities that can be employed to your advantage. As he says ‘The Art of Shouting Quietly, in some senses, will encourage you to become ninja-like in the application of your strengths rather than fretting about your weaknesses.’

Knowing what makes you excited and motivated to live your day is what you need more of – and deserve more of it. Exercises include writing down what boosts your confidence and what diminishes it, identifying the times in your life that let you shine, and deciding your priorities. Confidence is key, and the techniques aim to help the reader ‘systematically reinforcing your belief in yourself, understanding what you are put on this planet to do, being true to your values, knowing that you can shape your sense of what is possible, having a plan and a strong sense of purpose, and knowing how to ask for help.’ Pushing through the fear and uncertainty to a place where things start to happen is not easy – but introverts are just as capable as extroverts.
The book then moves through strategies to tell the world about this, including social media tips, public speaking, branding and profile building. By listening to others, identifying those who inspire us and mapping out our networks it becomes clear what we already have, not just what we want to have. Throughout the book self confessed introverts share their stories of seizing opportunities and showing up, from sending ‘cheeky letters’ to taking risks. His approach is direct and reassuring, without sounding cheesy, with sentences such as ‘You are, by nature, one of the fascinating people on the planet’ and ‘You have the power and the right to create your own framework of possibility.’

What makes this book different is the way that it sees self promotion as starting within, the confidence inside rippling out into the world and echoing your qualities loudly until others can see them. Mosley is a creative soul, and recognises that ‘stories are the currency of human relationships’ and really, through all the motivating talk, promotion techniques and confidence strategies that is what this book is about – finding your own story, and telling it to the world.

5×15′s Capitalism and its Discontents, London – review

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 09:28:20 +0000

5×15. Not 75, but an evening of intellect and inspiration. A brilliant concept, developed by journalist Rosie Boycott, her daughter Daisy Leitch and the literary events promoter Eleanor O’Keeffe, the event is a highly relevant literary smorgasbord.
Five speakers, 15 minutes each. Sometimes there is no connection between the orators at all; the only link being that these are five interesting people passionate about a topic and wanting to share it with the audience.
Read more at Blue & Green Tomorrow.