Last week I was lucky enough to spend four days in the Cedarberg Mountains. And it was here that I got to experience the rhythm of calmness and realising how important it is to us. This happened during a guided rock art tour. Abi, our guide was explaining that even though the tools that were…
As many of you who have read my blogs and posts know how highly I place the need to play when it comes to creativity development and contributing to our wellbeing. While recently doing some research for one of my coaching clients who has slightly diminished executive functioning skills, I came to realise how much…
Have you ever wondered why some teams gel and work, and some just can’t get it together to be a success? I’m not only talking about sports teams but organisational teams too. I think I’ve discovered a few gems that can contribute to team development. Over the last while I’ve watched two documentaries. The first…
It’s been mentioned on numerous occasions including on platforms like LinkedIn that adaptability is the key skill that we should be developing. We’re now living in a time with information is coming our way at greater speed, hyper disruptions in global economics, wars, politics and of course the growth of AI. Jobs are changing, communication…
Thank you for taking the time out to read my #blog. If you enjoy it, please like and share it. If you have any points either for or against, please comment. In my effective leadership program, which is a personal leadership development program, I outline the 12 traits of effective leadership, one thing I’m always…
Accountability: The Trust Builder that Elevates Performance “Accountability breeds response-ability.” Accountability extends far beyond mere responsibility. It’s a crucial trait for thriving in life. While it’s easy to shirk responsibility, pass the buck, or even lie to avoid being accountable, the real test lies in building and maintaining trust. Here’s why accountability is a game-changer…
“Our imagination doesn’t promote creativity.” And I’m sure that you are reading this article just to try to find out who is the weirdo that would write such a statement. We all have imaginations, and we all use it every day-to-day dream, dream up new ideas, dream of contributing to the world, or even dreaming…
In 2001 I knocked on the door of the manager’s office at the then working grain silos in the VA Waterfront in Cape Town. I asked him if I could take some photos of the grain being loaded into the trains, the men carrying the bags of wheat to the trucks, and the people working…
“The purpose of the beehive isn’t to make honey: Honey is a by-product of a healthy hive.” The Song of Significance – Seth Godin Why this quote emphasises the need to consider the wellbeing of those involved in any relationship, whether personal or professional When we do that, we create a healthy environment. An environment…
What is Createfulness? Createfulness is about growth and expansion – whether for personal self-development, or for an idea, team, or venture. The changes needed is not always the easiest, but utilising the 3 tools of play, create and lead produces a more holistic journey that promotes the idea of being cognisant of our well-being, exploring…
Think back to the time when we were children when we just did things because we could – when we indulged in PLAY. We flew kites or drew with coloured pencils on a piece of paper. We chased our friends, we laughed, we shouted, we play-fought, we built sandcastles, played with puppets, we had imaginary…
Why is creativity a leadership trait and not bravery?
It’s a question that gets asked often when I introduce the twelve traits of effective leaders.
In this article, we delve into creativity and what it REALLY is, and why even leaders can be creative.
Effective communication is one of the most important pillars of effective leadership. This article looks at the elements of effective communication and how we can develop our skills in this area.
What is an effective leader? Some of the questions I commonly receive as an accredited leadership trainer and a credentialed Life and Transformation coach when I’m facilitating my leadership skills program is “What is an effective leader?”, “What is effective leadership?” or “How do effective leaders behave?” I always like to start with what effective…
WHY does micromanaging happen? WHAT are the Effects? HOW to combat it? In an organisation what can happen is that a person gets good at their job, they perform it excellently so that the powers that be take notice and decide that a promotion is in order. Along with the promotion, an added responsibility is…
In 1891 a German physicist, Hermann von Helmholtz spoke about a thought process that he used when he was trying to solve a problem or make a connection or create something new. He said that this process included 4 stages. The Preparation stage – the stage where he studied, researched, explored, and acquired as much…
The difference between working as a CEO and a Solopreneur couldn’t be bigger. As a CEO you have teams reporting to you, and limited “me,” time. As a Solopreneur you have to motivate yourself and be accountable to keep on moving forward and It can get lonely. In this latest episode of the Createfulness podcast, “Creating…
In this latest episode of the Createfulness podcast, the tables are turned as the usual host, Gary Hirson is interviewed. For 20 days he was trying to raise funds via a crowdfunding platform so that he could get to see his photographs that are to be exhibited in the Swiss Museum of transport. In this…
Ever lain awake in the middle of the night with what seems like 1000 thoughts flying around in your head? I’m sure you have as it’s not uncommon at all. During the middle of last night, it happened to me, and try as I might I couldn’t stop thinking, so I couldn’t fall asleep. In…
When is a good age to start with personal leadership development? Jayne a Life Coach and ex-school teacher, along with her husband Chris have created a multi-media platform to introduce personal leadership skills to young teenagers. Have a listen to my chat with Jayne as we discuss all that she and Chris are doing, the…
Paul Zamek’s mantra is, “keep it light, keep it interesting, and keep it going!” An icon in the global music industry and a fantastic raconteur, Paul, along with his wife -living according to their ideals, beliefs, and aspirations, ventured to foreign lands to start a new. In this episode, Paul not only talks about his…
I do realise that we’re currently experiencing very uncertain times. However, I wanted to introduce myself and bring to your attention what I offer in the way of upskilling students in Leadership and Life Skills. I can only imagine the stresses and strains that Chefs, kitchen, and hospitality staff must endure. Hot and enclosed environment,…
I’m not sure how many times I’ve heard, “I’m not really creative,” or “I wish I were as creative as so and so…” I believe that we’re all creative, but we live in a world where we have to have accomplished something to be recognised, and because of this some feel that they offer very…
The one thing I remember about my childhood, teen years, and twenties, is how brave I was. Back then my dreams were big, taking on the world didn’t require a second thought, and I had the energy to do it. That’s the beauty of youth, the world is an adventure, the bravery is close at…
How your choice of what you do with your #_Createful_ Matter, (our unique brand of #_createful_ expression) Matters… Whatever our #_createful_ matter is, we can tend to have doubts, to start it, or showcase it to the world. This could be related to self-doubt or doubt that our #_createful matter_ won’t be appreciated. The thing…
Recently I read this quote by Albert Einstein, “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value,” and it got me thinking. Our interpretation of success is a personal thing and if striving for success becomes all-consuming, it could result in us becoming self-centered. However, if we prefer to be of value,…
This morning I woke up and life seemed…shit! The wind was howling and the rain pelted the shutters. I hadn’t slept well due to stress. I was tired, irritated and all I saw was grey…through very scratchy eyes. Getting out of bed wasn’t my 1st choice. I’m busy with creating a new online program and…
Here I find myself doing research on how to do something, fun, exciting, romantic, entertaining, adventurous, etc. every day for the 31 days of August… …and “why,” you might be asking? I blame it on the combination of the extra glass or two of bootlegged wine during a lockdown lunch and being the ideal and…
Don’t you just love it when you come to an understanding which makes something so much easier? I’ve come to understand that there is a formula to being Createful. In a recent video, I posted I used the analogy of a train journey when it comes to the journey of being Createful – there’s a…
This last Sunday morning I was sitting outside in the garden, with my partner Helene- Marie. We were enjoying a cup of coffee on a warmer, clear, winter’s morning, chatting about this and that. Helene – Marie mentioned something related to my Createfulness program that I run, and without realising it I was internally swimming…
I’m happy to tell you this, but you are creative! Sure you might not have a piece of art hanging in The Tate Gallery, or you mightn’t have won the Booker Prize for the novel you never wrote but I’m certain you’ve done the following; You’ve tried something new, You’ve been curious about something and…
So here I am sitting in my office, my door is closed and just short of a sign hanging on it saying, “DON’T DISTURB!!” I’ve disconnected my internet connection, and my cell phone is upside down, off, and out of sight. All of this just to write this post. It probably all sounds quite extreme…
Whenever I do either of the 2 magic tricks that I know the audience is left truly speechless before they almost always ask, “how did you do that?” One is a card trick, and the other one involves making 3 nuts disappear into thin air. So what exactly am I doing when I’m doing the…
I had arrived at the village of Muang Ngoi in Northern Laos. It was during the monsoon season – the air was damp, thick and grey. It had been an 8-hour boat up the Nam Ngoi river and I was tired but happy to be there. Muang Ngnoi squats on a riverbank and is wrapped…
Mindfulness is too serene, wispy, and it takes too much work. It lacks drama – all the stuff that we love in our lives. In the movie that’s in my head, I continuously swing between the past scenes – reliving old dramas, comparing myself to others, attaching happiness, anger, and regret,…etc. Or to the future…
Coronavirus isn’t the main challenge anymore, there’s something more – and no this isn’t a conspiracy theory. As per the experts’ instructions, we’ve done what we can do to hopefully keep us out of the virus’s reach. We wear masks, we exercise when we can, we keep social distancing, and we continuously wash our hands….
As mentioned in the last post, it’s really difficult to get your “dream” out there without help from others who see value in what you’re doing. But somehow like-minded people always seem to find each other. I was recently interviewed by Belinda Doveston from Apian Learning. Where we chatted for about 40 minutes about creativity,…
Hi There. We all realise that it’s one thing creating something close to our hearts but it’s another thing entirely getting it “out there,” if that’s the intention. More often than not we need all the help we can get. Earlier this year I was contacted by a French Literary blogger, Marie-Hélène Fasque, who is…
Many of give up on something before we start because we feel we don’t have the natural ability towards achieving it. In recent case studies conducted by Behavioral Psychologists – where they pitted teams with natural ability towards the goal against teams told to focus on perseverance. The outcome was quite interesting and to view…
Hi there. Did you know that there are 3 beliefs that are crucial for us to achieve our goals? We have to believe that the goal is achievable. We have to believe that if we don’t have the knowledge to achieve the goal it can be learnt. We have to believe that we are good…
What does “Success” mean to you? I’m relatively short, have a shaved head, wear glasses, have to budget how I spend my money and only powerful enough to try and disagree with my girlfriend which usually results in me losing another discussion, debate or at worst an argument. Would you think me successful? The Paparazzi…
According to John C Maxwell, there are 5 reasons why dreams don’t take flight. Ever since becoming a professional photographer it was always a dream of mine to have a coffee-table book, containing my photographs, with my name on the cover. I’ve achieved that goal – twice. John C Maxwell’s reasons that our dreams don’t…
Why do I need to go see Anthony Robbins? Because even Mentors need Mentors. Through the books that I’ve written and the workshops that I’ve facilitated, I’ve always said that we do have the power to achieve what we set our minds to. I’ve also said that if we silently look inwards the answers we…
Albert Einstein’s Life-Changing Lessons. Albert Einstein is considered to be one of the greatest minds that has graced our planet. He believed in the power of the imagination – stating, “Value your imagination. The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.“ In my interactive book, The Magic that’s Our’s “Magic” says to Joel and…
Are you aware that goal-setting can change the scenery of your life? What I mean is if you take a look at your life, i.e. relationships, finances, career path, health & fitness etc, are you happy with how it currently looks? If you are that’s fantastic! If not, do you want to change the scenery…
I relate entrepreneurs to the pioneers of old. They have to be brave, deal with uncertainty, venture forth boldly into unknown territories, throwing caution to the wind, while risking all. As much as all the market research, product perfecting, and planning can be explored beforehand, at the end of the day, the entrepreneur has to…
It can be quite difficult to decide on what goals we choose to set and pursue and then work out how we’re going to achieve them. So how do we decide on the most important ones? One of the ways is by using a technique called Mental Contrasting. So how do we do Mental Contrasting?…
There is a married couple – let’s call them Mary and Tom, and they a have an 18-month-old son who is starting to learn to walk. Mary is more concerned when it comes to the safety of her son while he embarks on his journey. She packs away all the objects that her son might trip…
What do we do when our desired goals, which we’ve actively been pursuing, don’t seem to be getting any nearer, or we’ve run out of ideas of what to do and anxiousness starts to set it? Relax! I don’t say this lightly as it’s not always an easy thing to do. But, haven’t you ever…
Many of the goals that we set for ourselves are positive, magnificent, grandiose, and in our minds eye they are majestic. Even though all of these qualities are extremely encouraging, not knowing how we are going to achieve the end result, coupled with the fact that the goals are (possibly) long term, can seed the…
It’s always been said that more minds than one will reach a solution quicker. Does this apply to personal goals? According to Dr Gail Gross, in her blog post about goal-setting for children, one of the points she states is that when setting goals with children, we want to communicate a feeling of community rather…