Fresh off our recent triumph with the Idea Parties (we're up to ten attendees now- great things being generated. Lots of forward momentum for all!), my good friend A and I went in search of psycho-educational testing for her learning disability (which may be dyscalculia or might just be lazy teachers). While we were hunting for information at the local Health Centre we met David, who is the volunteer coordinator. Naturally, we engaged in conversation about the services available for A, which lead to a discussion of what volunteer positions are available at the Centre. Lo and behold, A and I are now going to be mentoring GBLT youth! Awesome. I'm really looking forward to getting to know the kids and seeing how I can apply my skills to help them reach their potential.

I've been kicking around the idea of starting several community-based groups for a while now. The big two are a vegan community kitchen with a focus on outreach (bring a non-vegetarian friend so they can experience how tasty vegan can be!), and a tool library. It doesn't make sense to me from an organizer's point of view to buy and then store a tool you might use once or twice a year if you're really ambitious. Why not borrow it? So I've been doing some research on these concepts, contacting folks who are already doing it in other places, and trying to find some people who want to play too. Fun stuff- if you're in Barrie drop me a line to get involved! 

As I mentioned in my last post, I signed up with Wishbomb to see what they're all about. The site is really easy to use, and has all kinds of fun features, including a section called My Word where you can make a public commitment to an alternate outcome if you don't reach your goal. "If I fail to complete this goal I promise that...." It's motivational in a negative sort of way. There's also a heading for My Wish, where you can choose a reward from Amazon. Ok, they don't buy it for you if you complete your goal, but the item will be on your page for you to see each time you log in. I'm really enjoying My Activity Wall, where I've set tasks and milestones on the way to achieving my goal. I log in every morning and see what tasks need to be completed. It's a great way to stay on track and not fall into the trap of breaking down your main goal into micromovements over and over. It's easy to take your large goal and put it on your to-do list every day, taking the time you would have spent on progress constructing those small step breakdowns again. To-Do Lists get lost- the internet is always there! My next step is to invite a few people over to Wishbomb to join me as supporters. I'll keep you updated on how that goes.

I signed up for an account on Wishbomb.com today. They have a happy little interface and loads of links to books, videos, and forums to support you in achieving your goals. I'm a little dubious about sites this these, since in the past I have been known to sign up and then completely forget what I was doing or even what site I visited in the first place. Out of sight, out of mind I suppose. I'm hoping this one will be a bit different. You can invite up to 6 friends to be supporters as you work towards your goal, which I suppose is the online stand-in for accountability. We'll see how it goes!

Last week, I was fortunate enough to find myself hosting  a group of truly creative folks all focused on helping each other reach their goals. The seven of us took turns explaining our number one dream to the group, and then we came up with steps and strategies to bring those dreams to life! From coming up with solutions for a time management-challenged graphic artist to fundraising ideas for a student needing tuition, it was a successful event and we all went home happy with our results, looking forward to the next meeting. No matter what your goal might be, having a group of people who support you is a great help! 

Well, this is it. My first ever public showing of my paintings, if you don't count posting the occasional picture on Facebook. It's both terrifying and exhilarating. I have no illusions about the quality of my work, or dreams of selling anything at the show. I'm simply participating so people will see my work, and think "Hmm, I could do that..." I want patrons to feel the little spark I'm passing on, the creative frisson of moving from "I could" to "I do!" My art is primarily images of women thinking. I know, how do you express the act of thinking in a picture? I'm still trying to figure that out. That's the reason there's a series. I'm still exploring the concept.