Are you a local creative woman with your own creative business? If so, we would love to feature you on our Womenfolk website! This is free of charge and aims to celebrate local creative women. Get in touch with Christine at christine@blickstudios.org to find out more.
Peer Mentoring 2024 →
We are excited to be bringing back our Peer mentoring group for 2024 …
It’s very simple, but also very effective. Starting again in April 2024 on the last Tuesday of each month we will host a get together with a small group of self-employed creative women or women in the process of starting a creative business to chat about business and life. Each person will get the chance to speak. Sharing their monthly progress, plans for the following month, future goals and aspirations as well as any challenges they may be facing. This process gives you the opportunity to connect with and learn from like-minded creative women and helps with motivation, accountability, goal setting and planning.
As we want the group to be a safe-space for sharing we will be limiting numbers to a maximum of 8 participants. There is no cost to joining the group, but to ensure commitment and suitability participants need to fill in a short online registration to secure a space.
You can find the registration form below, if you have any questions about the group email christine@blickstudios.org
Balance: Balancing Motherhood and Business
An interview with Rosy James who is a self-employed finance and operations manager and book-keeper for Blick Shared Studios and other clients and mum to two small children under 3. Our theme this year has been balance and this interview is all about how Rosy tries to balance being a mum with running a business.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role in Blick
I have been working with Blick since it was set up back in 2007, at this stage I worked full time in a different role, I studied economics at university and worked as a economics researcher full time Monday to Friday. I volunteered part time at Blick as it was starting out as a small social enterprise. My role has evolved with Blick as it has grown as an organisation. I left my full time job and became self employed working with Blick and a number of other small businesses more than a decade ago. My main role with Blick is managing the finances (and chief plant waterer)
How many children do you have and what age are they?
I have two children - my eldest is 3 years old and my youngest is 1 years old (there is nearly exactly 2 years between them)
What are the challenges of having children while working for yourself?
It is difficult to take a traditional maternity leave, you don’t have anyone doing your work when you are off and you can’t just switch off from your responsibilities. You also don’t get maternity pay. When you are back at work there is no one else to do your work if you have, for example, a sick child, so you have to squeeze in your work around these extra responsibilities.
What are the benefits of working for yourself as a mother?
Flexibility and getting to pick the hours you work. I wouldn’t enjoy working 9-5 Monday - Friday, commuting and having to put my children in childcare every day (though I know lots of people have no choice in this) I’m very grateful that I have the opportunity to keep working but not full time hours.
When did you go back to work after each of your children? What did you find positive or negative about this?
My eldest - 3 months. I found it difficult leaving her at only 3 months and was very jealous of my partner getting to stay home every day with the baby. As an employee he had much better paternity leave pay than me so it made sense for me to go back to work earlier (though I wasn’t back full time at that stage)
My youngest - 5 months. I decided I didn’t want to go back at 3 months as I hadn’t enjoyed it the first time but started back gradually from 3 months doing 1-2 days per week. I was ready to get out of house more after 5 months of leave!
What do you wish you had known before having children?
That the initial new born stage is VERY intense and you have no time at all for anything but you do gradually get more independence and time over the months, in the grand scheme of things its a very short period of time and it was best for me to just accept that I had no time at all to myself during that period (especially if you are breastfeeding). You also get really used to having very broken sleep and it becomes totally normal!
What advice would you give to other women who run their own businesses who are planning on having children?
I only really have experience of having small children so can only speak to that. I think in my experience it is easier working as a self employed person than as an employee to balance work life and being a mother than I would find if I was an employee and had to be working set hours every week. Maybe it’s bad to admit it but I would not want to be at home all day every day with my children, but equally wouldn’t want to be working full time hours so I appreciate being able to continue working and still getting time with the kids.
What are the best bits of having children?
Getting to see them develop and evolve as little people
What are the best bits of working for yourself?
Having more control over the hours you work, who you work with and the work you do
Are you planning on having anymore children?
No, 2 is definitely enough for me!
Creating A Space founder Esther Mogada in her element.
Creating A Space 5th Birthday!
We got a chance to catch up with Esther Mogada, founder of Creating A Space, a business we love to champion here at Womenfolk.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your business Creating A Space?
My name is Esther Mogada and I am the person behind Creating A Space.
I am a creative based in Belfast and I have been working within the creative industry for the last 8 years.
I am half Irish and half Ugandan, born in Sudan but I grew up in Egypt. I lived in Dublin for a year and then moved back to Belfast with my family when I was 17.
It was a challenging time in my life because I had been living in a very different culture, and returning to live in Belfast was such a shock to the system.
I studied Fashion and Textiles at Ulster University for my undergraduate and went on to complete a Masters in Retail Management, Fashion And Textiles; specialising in brand development.
From there I started building my career in Belfast by trying out different business ideas and projects - so that I could discover the best fit for me, and where I belong.
I began on the journey, by co-founding a fashion streetwear brand, and that progressed to co-founding a fashion collective, where we organised underground fashion events. I dabbled in podcasting and events, while at the same time selling my own textile work. All of that led me to start Creating A Space, because I realised I needed to create a space for myself, by starting my own business.
What inspired you to start your business?
Initially, I didn’t start out with the idea of having my own business as I had begun Creating A Space with a friend.
I had just graduated from university, and I was trying to figure out which direction I wanted to take in life. To be honest, I was feeling a bit lost, as most people do when they first graduate from university. I discovered that I didn’t want to be a textile designer, and I had tried the fashion route - and realised it wasn’t where my passion lay.
In my early 20s when I was struggling to find myself, my purpose in life and questioning being in Belfast, interviewing others inspired me - and through interviewing others, I realised it was something I was good at.
I didn’t have many people around me that had the same creative vision, where we could dream big and believe that we had the potential to achieve anything we wanted.
Also, I struggled deeply with not seeing many people of colour in Belfast - and it caused a lot of conflict within me regarding my identity. Hearing interviews of people that were successful, got me through a lot of hard times in my life, and I knew that I wanted to create work that had that type of impact.
I decided to part ways with my business partner who I had started Creating A Space with, and began to run Creating A Space by myself, and threw myself into the brand and turned it into a business.
Having limited filmmaking skills, no equipment and no clients was a huge risk, but I knew that somewhere deep inside me I could make this work, and turn it into a business that I could be proud of, and that would creatively fulfil my soul.
During the pandemic, I decided to go all-in and taught myself how to be a filmmaker and slowly but surely, I started getting clients. By putting myself out there, doing every job and saying yes to every opportunity and putting the work in, my business has become a reality. It’s been an ongoing process, but thankfully I am still pushing through and have made many breakthroughs on what Creating A Space is all about and who I am here to serve.
Can you tell us about the different services you offer at Creating A Space?
With Creating A Space, I specialise in creating story-led photography and film content for businesses on their social media platforms. I work with clients and assist them to create a content system that enables them to stay on top of their game, by being consistent in a sustainable way. From there, I generate ideas and create their social media content on a monthly basis which helps businesses have a bank of content.
I find that many businesses really struggle with having a content structure which leads them to feel overwhelmed, stuck on the hamster wheel and grasping for headspace to move forward with their content.
My goal is to take the pressure off, but most importantly, inspire them to get excited about their ideas again, and fall back in love with their business.
My main job is really listening, holding space for creative ideas and encouraging people to believe that their creative dreams are possible and achievable. I love working with people that have a vision for their business - people that dream big.
It pushes me to dream big with them, and I help them to find creative ways to tell their story over and over again. That in turn builds deeper connections with their customers and target audience.
Our theme for womenfolk this year is Balance, through Creating A Space you seem to balance your commercial creative work alongside personal creative projects such as ‘How They See Us’
Can you tell us a bit about How They See Us?
How They See Us is a project that is centred around sharing stories about what people of colour (POC) go through within Northern Ireland. People that have a multicultural heritage, but identify as Irish/British or Northern Irish.
I had been wanting to create this project for many years, but after the George Floyd murder and the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted around the world in June 2020, I knew that I wanted to create something where I could contribute to the conversation, but also explore how other people of colour were feeling within a Northern Irish content.
Often you don’t get to hear the perspectives of POC in NI, because the conversation is usually about the troubles and the different community divides. I wanted to show how Northern Ireland is a diverse place, create a space for these types of conversations and show people that we have more in common than we are different.
I wanted to explore how people that have been born here experience feeling ‘other’ and how hard it can feel to find belonging because they don't feel accepted by society even though they have been born here & brought up within this culture.
What you hoped to achieve through the project?
I wanted to find a way to talk about race, identity and representation in a way that felt safe. To make it story-led and to share people’s lived experiences.
When it comes to talking about these subjects, there is a lot of fear around how you “should” articulate your opinions, and there is fear of saying the wrong thing or feeling like you might offend someone.
I wanted to hold space for these conversations, and just ask people about their experiences. To highlight what people go through. When you share someone’s story, it’s the vehicle to connect and show your shared humanity.
It was important for me to create it as a series and make it a social media series because I wanted to break down the different issues that people brought up. But also making it digestible for the wider public.
In a way, educate people in a subtle way where they can walk away feeling like they learned something in a safe space and spark discussions within their own communities.
What you learnt through the project?
I learned SO much in creating this project. From the filmmaking aspect right through to what I learned from the people I interviewed.
It was the first time in my life that I took complete ownership of a project from start to finish and it honestly has changed the trajectory of my life and business.
As I had mentioned earlier, I really struggled with moving to Belfast after living in Egypt and then Dublin, because I struggled to see the diversity here in Northern Ireland. I felt isolated and most of all, I walked through this world feeling like an outsider, feeling like ‘other’ and not having a place of belonging.
I had struggled with my identity, when people used to ask me where I was ‘from’, I had no idea how to answer them because I didn’t know what that meant for me. I almost wished that I was from one place, and was able to blend into society.
Creating this project connected me to others that had felt similar within themselves, and it was a healing project for me in coming to terms with who I am.
They taught me that having a multicultural background is beautiful and should be celebrated. They showed me that it’s okay to take ownership of myself and not to be small anymore.
I wanted to emphasise that we all need to be seen as individuals, and not grouped into the same category - when it comes to the labels of ‘ethnic minorities, Black, Brown’ - because that itself can lead to having our uniqueness and individuality taken away from us.
If you have any plans to develop the project or anything similar in the future?
I plan on taking this project to new heights over the next decade. I want to create about 10 seasons of How They See Us, focusing on different groups of people. I am so fascinated by how people move through this world, how they think people see them, and how they see themselves. I want to create a larger production, and my dream is to have 3-5 seasons of How They See Us featured on Netflix - so I am manifesting this into existence.
Can you tell us practically about how you balance both your commercial client work and personal creative projects?
At the start of every year, I map out each quarter and decide what I want to work on. Usually, from January to April, I am working on my business, maintaining my client work, pitching for more work and giving that my 100% full attention.
When it comes to passion projects, I carve out the time.
From May-August, I find that my client's work slows down as people are taking time off for holidays. I utilize that time to create those projects and see it as a season of just creating what's in my heart and soul.
From September to December, my client work picks up again, and I push right up until Christmas and then the cycle continues each quarter annually.
On a personal level, how important is it for you to have both these elements in your business?
It is extremely important for me to integrate this into my business because my passion projects are the things that have gotten me through the door. It helps me become a better storyteller, and where I get to develop my style of work and get recognised for these projects.
I wouldn’t be here without me following through on my passion projects and it’s a good balance to have throughout the year. I get to focus on seasons where it’s all about my clients, and then I get to focus on what creatively brings me joy and the stories I want to tell.
How else do you try to find balance in your life?
Over the last 2 years, I have really focused on building a solid routine in my life and really double down on being consistent with that. When I have a structure in place, it creates freedom in other areas of my life.
I journal and read every morning. I work out three times a week. I spend quality time with my friends and family and prioritise maintaining a healthy relationship with my fiance. All these elements help me stay grounded and elevate me within my business life.
Apart from your creative work, what brings you joy in life?
My relationships really bring me joy in life. Having deep conversations where I can connect with people and really work on myself so that I can be the best version of myself. It's important to focus on being a healthy person - physically, emotionally and spiritually.
What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
With Creating A Space, I want to work with international clients - working with brands all over the world, telling their unique stories.
I want to build my team and eventually have my own building where I can have my own space to produce all my films.
I want to do a global tour with How They See Us - and interview people of colour all over the world, and continue to tell those beautiful stories.
Most importantly, I want to be able to do this for the next 20 years of my life. I think I have finally found my calling, my purpose in life and I hope I can continue to be creatively inspired and keep learning.
Where can people find you online?
You can find me on Instagram at @creatingaspace and my website is www.creatingaspace.co
Balance: a situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.
Our theme for womenfolk this year is ‘balance’. I think we all strive for balance in our lives, between work and life, creativity and productivity, doing and being. Certainly it’s something I am constantly working at and trying (and usually failing) to achieve.
For self-employed creatives the lines between work and life can be even more blurred. When you are doing something you love it can be hard to establish where work ends and life begins and working from home can bring its own challenges around creating boundaries. Being self-employed also often means you have no control over when work comes in and how much of it. You have to be realistic when starting a business and put in the work and hours to an extent, yet this isn’t sustainable forever. When is the right time to start turning down opportunities and learn to say no? Often self-employed creatives have a genuine passion for what they do, they genuinely want to do every project and make the most of every opportunity. Sadly it isn’t physically possible to do and balance everything. It can also be hard to learn to relax and enjoy the inevitable downtimes without stressing and worrying about when the next job/ order will come in. Balance can also often be harder for women to achieve as sadly they often bear the brunt of life’s caring responsibilities, giving them even more to juggle in an already hectic world.
To explore this topic throughout the year we hope to bring some real-life insights from local creative women. We are asking each of our profile participants this year how they attempt to bring balance to their lives as they strive to be successful creatively and professionally. We will also be featuring some guest blogs by local creative women and hope to get back to organising some in-person events and workshops towards the end of the year.
Thanks as always for your support in building this community
Christine
Monday Motivation: Opportunities & Inspiration
OPPORTUNITIES
The Ideas and Pioneers Fund supports people with unusual or radical ideas to improve the life chances and opportunities of people in the UK. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is looking for ideas which relate closely to their own charitable mission – they aim to help people overcome disadvantage and lack of opportunity, so that they can realise their potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives.
Development Awards are grants of up to £500 to help young people who are struggling to access education, work or training due to a lack of funds. You can apply if you are a UK resident and are:
Aged 14-17 and do not have/are not expecting to achieve 5 GCSEs grades A-C-(or equivalent), or
Aged 17-25 and unemployed or working fewer than 16 hours a week, or in education fewer than 14 hours a week
INSPIRATION
Monday Motivation: Opportunities & Inspiration
OPPORTUNITIES
Call for ArtCart Artists/Creative facilitators – ongoing
Wheelworks are looking for enthusiastic freelance artists /creative facilitators to deliver engaging arts based workshops with groups of young people on the ArtCart.
Workshops will cover the following artforms:
Animation
Arts & Crafts
Augmented reality
Coding
Film Making
Game design
Graphic design • Motion capture
Movie special effects
Music making
Photography
Virtual reality
Visual arts
EU Exit mentoring support
Belfast-based small to medium sized businesses can request free, in-depth mentoring support to deal with significant challenges or make the most of EU Exit opportunities through Belfast City Council
COVID-19 Micro-business E-commerce Grant
A new £3 million fund to help retail micro-businesses in Northern Ireland looking to grow their business online
The COVID-19 Micro-business E-commerce Grant (MBEG) is open to any micro-sized retailer that wants to prepare for growth, develop their customer base and find new markets by enhancing their digital offering, building e-commerce capability and increasing online sales. The scheme was developed and is operated by Invest Northern Ireland.
INSPIRATION
BOOK: You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero
This week’s book is You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. This book will help you make changes in your life, by helping you to Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, help you push past your fears so you can take big exciting risks, figure out how to make money, learn to love yourself and others, set big goals and reach them.
PODCAST: Creative Capes by Future London Academy
This week’s podcast inspiration is Creative Capes by Future London Academy. Listen to relaxed conversations with inspiring creatives and innovators from around the world. Hear their stories, mistakes they have made on the way and opinions on what's going on in the industry. Get inspired!
Monday Motivation - Opportunities & Inspiration 1st Feb 2021
OPPORTUNITIES
The Core at Corby Cube want to engage with artists in all disciplines from across the UK to create Bite sized activities for young people and their families.
£150 fee - - - Aply online by 8th February
Delivered by the Goldsmiths Company, Getting Started is a free one-week introduction to business course for the most talented UK designers, designer makers and skilled craftspeople in the jewellery, silversmithing and allied industries
There are new rules for Northern Ireland businesses moving goods across borders or delivering cross border services. Businesses need to understand the changes and adapt to minimise any disruption.
Register for one of Invest NI’s EU Exit webinars to hear from subject matter experts. They will provide the latest advice and guidance on the implementation of the NI Protocol and focus on the actions businesses must take.
Businesses can also book a one-to-one ‘Ask the Expert’ slot at Invest NI’s weekly EU Exit Advice Clinics. Here you will have the opportunity to discuss your own EU Exit questions with specialists in key areas including customs and tariffs, VAT, transport and logistics, supply chain, immigration changes and data and legal.
INSPIRATION
Following on from Week 13 and claiming your story, this article provides a fascinating insight into how your internal monologue shapes your mental wellbeing by psychologist Ethan Kross and some tools to improve your inner voice.
This week’s book is Rework which shows you how you can succeed in business with less than you think. You don't need to be a workaholic. You don't need to staff up. You don't need to waste time on paperwork or meetings. You don't even need an office. Those are all just excuses.
This week’s Podcast recommendation is Debbie Millman’s Design Matters The world's first podcast about design and an inquiry into the broader world of creative culture through wide-ranging conversations with designers, writers, artists, curators, musicians, and other luminaries of contemporary thought
Monday Motivation - Opportunities & Inspiration 24th Jan 2021
TRAINING
Fully Funded Digital Marketing Course
Fully Funded Digital Marketing Course beginning 15th February Open to SMEs and Social Enterprises - funded under #SkillsFocus - eligibility criteria applies. More info email Margaret McCabe at mmccabe@belfastmet.ac.uk
INSPIRATION
Video with UU alumnus Jason Cooper (in partnership with Ulster University Business School)
FUNDING
StoryFutures Academy £10k Kickstart Funding Call Open **closes 4 Feb**
StoryFutures Academy has launched a new call for proposals for immersive prototypes.
Future Screens NI Funding Opportunities
Various funding opportunities for the creative industries in Northern Ireland
Behind The Branding of 'DIG DEEP' - Karishma Kusurkar
We had the pleasure of catching up with Karishma Kusurkar who is the woman behind creating all the fantastic branding for ‘DIG DEEP’.
Can you introduce yourself?
I'm a multidisciplinary designer, podcaster and lover of all things creative and entrepreneurial. In my spare time, I play in two bands - Alumna and Stubborn China Doll.
What do you do at Karishma's World?
Karishma's World is my business and I do many things through it: create new products and podcasts, design for clients and facilitate design workshops. I'm also Co-Director at Belfast Design Week, Co-Lead of Ladies That UX and Co-Founder on other projects including Small Town Big Dreams.
When did you start your own business? I started my business all the way back in 2014 after graduating from my MFA in Multidisciplinary Design. Its initial focus was in Textiles & Fashion accessories and was more product related. Since then, my work has become more multidisciplinary encompassing digital design and podcasting. I also collaborate with those working in other parts of the creative industries.
What was the inspiration behind the "DIG DEEP" branding?
For the Dig Deep branding, I collaborated with Christine and Esther who are co-founders of the programme. They had collected inspirational images and initial thoughts which they shared with me. From that, I developed the design concept.
Too often, designing for business products can mean that the end result is slick, minimal and serious, which is appropriate in some circumstances of course, but there isn't really any divergence from this status quo. When it comes to human-centred design, if you want different kinds of people to take part in programmes and projects, you have to look at what and how you are designing for them.
I wanted to create branding and design for Dig Deep that was warm, approachable and inviting to those outside of traditional business backgrounds as well as those in the creative sector. I wanted to make the brand rich, colourful but sophisticated and I used a mixture of hand-made textures and vector graphics to come up with initial brand elements and then the design of the Womenfolk Dig Deep 2020 Journal.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you started your own business?
That it takes time for it to build and become successful and to have the patience as well as the reserves to make it happen. And also the networks and the know-how of course. Sometimes timescales shown to those starting a business are unrealistic as everything takes a lot longer to do than expected in reality!
What piece of advice could you give to people starting their own business?
Always think about the end-user of what you are creating and whether your product helps solve their problem.
'DIG DEEP' ONLINE PROGRAMME
Join us for our new 9-month creative online enterprise support program for young women from NI & BAME backgrounds (18 - 30 years). This program will help you ‘Dig Deep’ and start and grow your own sustainable creative business. It will bring participants together to learn, share skills, knowledge, and experiences in a nurturing and supportive environment.
Taking a holistic view of starting a business, combining self-care and creativity alongside business skills and knowledge. It will be a tailored program to help you grow your creative business to meet your values, goals, and ambitions through a series of online workshops, resources, peer, and one-on-one mentoring.
This program is about sharing experiences, hearing other people's stories from different backgrounds, and collectively working to help each other to grow and build in a supportive and nurturing environment. This course offers a creative approach to starting a business. Giving participants the practical skills they need, alongside peer inspiration, motivation, support and accountability, one-on-one support, and space and time to focus on your business hopes, dreams, and ambitions.
The program will consist of online content with weekly videos, worksheets, exercises, and resources alongside industry expert workshops, monthly one-on-one mentoring, and group peer mentoring sessions.
Topics covered will include:
Business planning - values, vision, aims & objectives
Finance planning & management
Branding
Social Media
Setting up a website
Sales
Confidence
Failure
Self Care
Habits
Work-life balance
Imposters syndrome
Why take part?
This project will provide much-needed support and structure at a time of huge economic and social uncertainty. It will give you practical business skills and knowledge and the confidence and resilience to help you make your dreams of running a creative business a reality. It will give you the opportunity to meet people from different communities, build your network, and make new connections to help you build a sustainable future.
We are looking for determined women that want to succeed. You must be willing to commit to completing all aspects of the program, be happy to engage with other program participants, treat all other program participants with respect and empathy, and be happy to become part of the womenfolk community.
Are you ready to take the leap?
Our applications are open now! There are limited spaces available so book your space today!
https://blickstudios.typeform.com/to/G8VR3EMD
This is a project supported by Ulster Bank
Without further ado - we want to introduce one of the co-founders of this project is Christine James who is the founder of Blick Shared Studios, Womenfolk, and Co-Founder of Belfast Design Week and many other creative projects.
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @womenfolkco
Video created by Creating A Space
Introducing co-Founder of Dig Deep, Esther Mogada.
Esther is a creative based in Belfast and has been working in the creative industry for the last 5 years. She has worked on various projects in relation to Fashion, Podcasting, Events, and now is building a video production company called Creating A Space.
Jameson Creatives Design Challenge for Emerging Designers
Have you entered yet?
Belfast Design Week has teamed up with Jameson Whiskey NI on a t-shirt design competition for emerging creatives and those studying design (18+) to capture the 2020 Northern Ireland spirit on a Jameson t-shirt. With prizes of £500, £300 and Jameson Whiskey and Merch Pack for all shortlisted entrants, industry feedback and Intellectual property retained by the entrant, so this is a great opportunity for emerging designers and creatives to work on an industry brief.
The winning designs will be chosen by a panel of judges from Jameson Whiskey NI, Belfast Design Week and the local hospitality industry.
Prizes are as follows:
1st Prize:
£500 cash prize + Jameson Whiskey & Merch Pack
+ t-shirts printed and given to bartenders across NI
2nd Prize:
£300 cash prize + Jameson Whiskey & Merch Pack
+ t-shirts printed and distributed through our promotions and events in NI
Shortlisted finalists:
All 10 shortlisted entries will receive a Jameson Whiskey & Merch Pack and be showcased in our winner announcement countdown activity
Competition deadline is Sunday 9th August!
For full details visit: https://www.jameson-creatives.com/
Womenfolk Wednesday Wisdom // Growth vs Grace
Growth vs Grace or Both.
Springtime is here and it is exciting to see the change of seasons and entering into a new space where we start the year fresh with new energy.
We always find that spring is a season that brings a lot of rebirth and renewal. Whether that be in our jobs, lives or personal growth.
As we are three months into 2020, it can still feel like it's hard to get fully into the swing of things, especially if you have created many goals to achieve over the year. I know myself, it can feel overwhelming to keep going, especially when you are putting in the groundwork that doesn't have results until long term.
it can be easy to get bogged down in the details, loose perspective and not see the bigger picture. We are in a space where things are expected to move at such a fast pace, which can also translate to us feeling that we should be progressing faster than what we are doing right now.
For this week’s WF Wednesday Wisdom, I wanted to touch on the theme of progression. Finding that balance between pushing yourself hard, but also giving yourself grace and figuring out where to meet in the middle. To acknowledge how hard it is, but also keeping yourself accountable with what you have set out. To say that you are exactly where you are meant to be and it is okay that you have off days, doubt yourself, not see the progress you are doing. To also encourage you to keep going and to continue to show up and do the work, because the reward is high - even if you can’t see it right now.
In the space of self development, it’s so easy to constantly be consuming and pushing yourself to the next level, but there is also so much power in reflecting and revising everything that you do and figure out what you want to do with yourself.
Here are some youtube talks that have really given insight to the concept of progression and grace, and how they can both exist together.
Hope you all are being kind to your wonderful selves this week and give yourself some grace!
One Tree Hill Actress ON: Learning To Accept Yourself In The Present While Becoming A Masterpiece
Nia Long Talks Producing, Motherhood, New Film ‘The Banker’ + More
Brené Brown — Striving versus Self-Acceptance, Saving Marriages, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show
Podcasts to listen to :
Womenfolk Wednesday Wisdom // Slowing Down - Fast is not always better
Slowing Down - Fast is not always better
Within the Womenfolk team we have been discussing the different topics that we wanted to cover in these articles and one topic that came up was slowing down in 2020. It’s not about going at a snail pace, but slowing down the pace of life, understanding how to create sustainable practices for our businesses and wellbeing.
“The slow movement (sometimes capitalised Slow movement or Slow Movement) advocates a cultural shift toward slowing down life's pace. ... "It is a cultural revolution against the notion that faster is always better. The Slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail's pace.”
We are in a society that has such a fast pace life and it feels like things are just getting busier and busier. Feeling utterly consumed and thinking that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all that you need done.
We all feel it and it is not going away any time soon, however we need to re prioritise what is important to us and what matters.
It is important to ask questions like :
What do you want your life to look like?
What brings you joy?
What do you have control over right now that you can change slowly?
Is the life that you want to live?
Here are some articles, Ted talks and book recommendations that give insight to the concept of slowing down.
Articles
The slow movement: Why slowing down creates joy
https://www.mindful-company.com/blogs/notebook/the-slow-movement-why-slowing-down-creates-joy
Slow Business: The Case Against Fast Growth
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/slow-business-fast-growth-is-not-good-for-the-company.html
Ted Talks
Slow Down to Go Faster - The Power of Pause | Ralph Simone | TEDxUtica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Aly07FNiFA
When you feel the need to speed up, slow down | Kimi Werner | TEDxMaui
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFU_n1bSyyU
Redefining Rest - Slowing Down to Speed Up! | Bec Heinrich | TEDxFargo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hypNfi10JZo
The Infinite Game: How to Lead in the 21st Century
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vX2iVIJMFQ
Books
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
Slow Down to Speed Up: Lead, Succeed, and Thrive in a 24/7 World by Liz Bywater
Womenfolk Wednesday Wisdom
Womenfolk Wednesday Wisdom
Happy 2020 everyone, we hope that you are well and starting the year in a way that is kind and loving towards yourself.
We have introduced a new project called Womenfolk Wednesday Wisdom where we will be sharing podcasts, blogs, talks, books and more in relation to different subjects that we feel is helpful for our community.
It is a place where we want to encourage and motivate people to start/continue/maintain their creative careers. Some days will be sharing resources and others will be sharing inspirational stories to keep us motivated & inspired (us included).
Today’s topic is centered around goal Setting and creating good systems to achieve your goals.
At the start of every year, there is a surge of inspiration where people want to become the better version of themselves, setting the highest goals for that year and dreaming big to be productive. All of those things are completely valid and attainable, but so often we fall short of maintaining the consistency of our goals, and for me personally, I find that half way through the year that I have forgotten my goals and not kept up with what I had intended to do for various reasons.
This year I have taken my time to set my goals because I am still deciding what to do with my year and prioritise what is important. As I have been deciding, I have been reading this book called Atomic Habits written by James Clear. It is a book that has changed my life because it has broken down how to create new habits in a manageable way and it has changed my perception in how to achieve goals.
Clear writes that “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” He explains in the book that achieving goals has nothing to do with ambition & passion, but about how you create systems to achieve the goals you want. To be consistent, disciplined with small habits that lead to bigger outcomes.
It is a slow and sustainable process that over time compounds, and you start seeing results over time. He explains it’s about showing up and doing the work, even on the days that you don’t want to do something - they count the most.
He talks about how you change your language and mindset around the things you want to achieve, and you create an identity based on your outcome. Once your identity has linked to the person you want to become, your habit is likely to stick.
It has helped me a lot as I start planning for my 2020, my financial, spiritual, professional & personal goals. It is so easy to get impatient with yourself while you are trying to either build upon yourself, business, fitness, or money and jump ahead. But it is important to do the work to get there, not skip steps and take time to make monumental changes. Focusing on your direction on where you want to be rather than being upset at your current situation is a better way to approach your life.
If you are feeling overwhelmed or frustrated that you can’t seem to put things in place, this is a book for you. It will give you different ideas & exercises to try out in your life, and show you that anything is possible.
Here is a Ted Talk talking about the process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_nzqnXWvSo
Here is a link to his book https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
Here are some fab quotes from the book :
“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”
“When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running.”
“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”
“The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.”
“If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.”
“Professionals stick to the schedule;
amateurs let life get in the way.”
Women Who Code x Womenfolk
Some pics from our wonderful collaborative event with Women Who Code Belfast at Vault Artists Studios
International Women's Day Video
Creating a Space made us a lovely video at our International Women’s Day meetup. Many thanks to the kind women who put themselves forward to feature.
Womenfolk Creating a Space Video
Loving our latest video of local young female creatives from our Belfast Design Week ‘Time is Now’ event by Creating a Space
International Women's day event Friday 8th March 2019
It was great to see everyone at last week’s event on International Women’s Day. Thank you to Hannah Sharp for speaking to us about her Kickstarter campaign - please show your support for her project Make Your Mark on kickstarter. Make Your Mark is an inspirational book featuring interviews with successful women in design and tech.
Our next event is on Thursday 18th April 2019 in conjunction with Women Who Code at Vault Studios , check out event details and booking information over on the event section of the website
Call For Speakers: Women Who Code x Womenfolk
We have a super exciting collab coming up soon with Women Who Code and are looking for keen individuals to be involved in a panel event. Whether you've been in the industry since it's conception, or are dipping your toes into new waters, we want to hear about your journey, and what you've learnt along the way. Reach out to info@blickstudios.org to find out more! Looking forward to seeing all you amazing people there!