How do I make creativity my job?
Quite a few people have shared with me that they long for creativity to be their central, sustaining effort. My sense is that folks are feeling transactional and burned out in their current employment. Much of traditional work, and employer-employee relationships more generally, aren’t working for them. They’re looking for something more balanced, respectful, human-centred, […]
How and where to start writing
A client once shared with me that when she thinks about writing something new she feels dread. (yes, DREAD!) As a seasoned professional, internationally renowned with decades of experience under her belt, she uses writing as a regular part of her work – grant writing, project proposals, website copy, among so many other things. And […]
Some Thoughts on Leaving Academia
Possibilities on The Other Side I get a lot of questions from folks considering leaving academia about what work will be like on The Other Side. The crux of what they seem to be asking is: “Will I continue to be independent? Will I have agency?” When I was contemplating leaving, these were some of […]
Calling it Quits?
Some thoughts on decision-making, grit and knowing when to quit Quitting often gets a bad rap. We usually associate greatness with grit, stick-to-it-iveness, persistence. And of course, grit can be useful. But we often overlook the importance of knowing when and how to shift gears and steer towards a new path. Public thinker and former […]
Burnout is not an individual problem: it’s cultural
The way we think and talk about burnout needs to change. As individuals we feel it. And we often think the solutions need to be individual too (more resilience training, anyone?). But it will take a cultural shift to really address burnout, and create sustainable workplaces that are integrated and even connected parts within our […]
Arts & Culture must be central in Canada’s COVID reality
COVID-19 has brought incredible social unrest and change, as well as personal disillusionment, and feelings of overwhelm. Many of us feel like we’re lurching from one task to the next, drowning in overwhelming inequities exposed by COVID and the realities of juggling multiple-roles and tasks simultaneously. This is why, my friends, arts and culture must […]