Exploring with images

A few weeks back I was complaining to Naomi Dunford from IttyBiz that I had reached a stage in my life where I was just middle aged frumpy, with no online persona or presence. Dull, boring. Wondering how I was ever going to add video or get any of the spark I know how to create offline through facilitating experiences. (In case you are wondering, she suggested audio so you don’t have to look at me).

Shortly afterward I was having coffee with a colleague. She was telling me about thinking about me as she read the chapter about the explorer brand in the book, The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes . When she mentioned explorer, I realized it was so central to who I am and what I do that I couldn’t even see it. She reminded me perhaps there were parts I was forgetting about.

Now that I think about it, most of my prior businesses have had an explorer aspect to them. My first retail store was Quests End, a later one was Four Winds (bookstore specializing in healing, inspiration, and celebration). I created Soft Sculpture Environments (underwater scenes). My artwork often has themes of roots, doorways, passages.

It’s hard to imagine fully expressing the power of images through strictly audio. I figured I better start creating images to go with what I might want to talk about. That is how this new series of images and framing metaphor was born. This is the first image, the overview. I see it as describing the many paths we can take to explore the world. There are so many paths, it can be overwhelming if you don’t pick things to focus on.

I’m working on a small deck of images to be used in conjunction with a series of workbooks. I’m starting with these three areas; exploring me, my life, and my business. I can’t tell you all the details yet, since the images come first for me. I have been painting and capturing the visuals. I’m just starting to work on the words.

The Explorer Metaphor

I’ve been asking friends to help me explore the metaphor of exploration. I’m just fascinated by what they’re telling me.  There has been a lot of talk about preparation. At first this surprised me, but as I thought about it, I realized it’s as big a part as the adventure itself. I’ve started to organize the various aspects of being an explorer into categories. I see a correlation to the three focus areas.

Exploring Me

  • Qualities of explorers
  • What motivates us to quest?
  • Who do we hang out with?

Exploring My Life What it takes to prepare for a journey.

  • How are we traveling?
  • Who is going with us?
  • What are we bringing with us?
  • What do we want to bring back?
  • What knowledge is required?

Exploring my Business How do we share what we have learned with the world?

  • What gifts have we  returned with that can be shared with others?
  • How can we make the world a better place?
  • How have we been changed?
  • How can we guide others?

What else do you think about around Exploration and Explorers?

I’m gathering all sorts of ideas about explorers. Got any to share?

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What kind of experience do you want them to have as your customer?

glbheadergraphic

This is part of a series of posts showing how I am working through the worksheets on the Good Little Biz™ site.

Dreaming Worksheet

Good Little Biz has a series of worksheets, the first one is about Dreaming. I started by writing the answer to the question, what experience do I want them to have as my customer.

Feel cared for, appreciated for their knowledge, expertise, and participation.

Next I quickly selected images from the VisualsSpeak ImageSet in response to the question, and assembled them on a piece of blue background paper. I photographed it,  then recorded myself describing the images in the screencast below.

What do the words tell us?

From the words describing the image, I get

  • independent individuals being celebrated for who they are
  • feel creativity is welcome and celebrated
  • feel a part of what we have created
  • room for many kinds of people
  • feel part of a network of resources
  • all coming together to share ways of doing similar things
  • color, creativity, expansion
  • part of a bigger whole
  • different applications coming together to help each other see how beautiful difference can be

What do I see?

The central image is about being part of a larger whole. Having other similar parts creating something larger. Overall there is a spiral pattern, starting with the images representing individuals encountering art, then becoming part of a larger network or community. Belonging seems to be an important element. As a creative, there have been so many times I haven’t felt appreciated for my gifts, so inviting and including others is something I want to figure out how to do effectively for others.

Join me?

Anyone interesting in working through the worksheets with me? No pressure, informal. I started a group on the Good Little Biz site called Creative Good Little Biz. Email me christine (at)  visualsspeak . com or Dm me on twitter, or just join the group after you register for GoodLittleBiz if you are interested.

Subscribe to this blog in a reader

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follow me on twitter @cmartell

Posts about the Dreaming Worksheet

a. What would you really LOVE to be doing?
b. Who would you LOVE to be working with?
c. Who do you most want to benefit from your work?
d. What kind of benefits do you want them to enjoy?
e. What kind of experience do you want them to have as your customer?

What kind of benefits do you want them to enjoy?

glbheadergraphic

This is part of a series of posts showing how I am working through the worksheets on the Good Little Biz™ site.

Dreaming Worksheet

Good Little Biz has a series of worksheets, the first one is about Dreaming. I started by writing the answer to the question, what kind of benefits do I want customers to enjoy?

Better communication, deeper connections, deeper insights, fun

Next I quickly selected images from the VisualsSpeak ImageSet in response to the question, and assembled them on a piece of blue background paper. I photographed it,  then recorded myself describing the images in the screencast below.

What do the words tell us?

From the words describing the image, I get

  • ability to reach their goals, they have the ability to reach their desired outcome
  • ability to reach new heights with structures to support them
  • engage the creative processes that work for them
  • get new skills to align with the people and organization in their lives
  • creativity and color in life
  • gain skills to work with differences
  • see alternative ways to engage
  • see they are capable of engaging in multiple ways
  • exciting lifelong learning
  • curiosity
  • skills to bridge cultures
  • moving forward in common goals
  • small group will affect a huge number of people

What do I see here?

The central image has a number of elements in it. Being able to engage conflict effectively was part of it but also the ability to see that what may appear to be an advantage may not be. There is something about leveling the playing field by building the capacity of the one who might be perceived as the underdog.

When it comes down to it, I am really driven to provide tools and processes that help people get along better. Or know themselves better, but really so they can intersect with others more effectively. Seems important since we walk through these lives of ours with other people. There is also something about fostering a sense of belonging. I know there is a particular kind of energy in the room when people are working with images. There is a sense of discovery and curiosity about self and one another.

Join me?

Anyone interesting in working through the worksheets with me? No pressure, informal. I started a group on the Good Little Biz site called Creative Good Little Biz. Email me christine (at)  visualsspeak . com or Dm me on twitter, or just join the group after you register for GoodLittleBiz if you are interested.

Subscribe to this blog in a reader

Subscribe by Email

follow me on twitter @cmartell

Posts about the Dreaming Worksheet

a. What would you really LOVE to be doing?
b. Who would you LOVE to be working with?
c. Who do you most want to benefit from your work?
d. What kind of benefits do you want them to enjoy?
e. What kind of experience do you want them to have as your customer?

Who do you most want to benefit from your work?

glbheadergraphic

This is part of a series of posts showing how I am working through the worksheets on the Good Little Biz™ site.

Dreaming Worksheet

Good Little Biz has a series of worksheets, the first one is about Dreaming.I started by writing the answer to the question, who do I most want to benefit from my work?

The professionals who use the tools and their clients

Next I quickly selected images from the VisualsSpeak ImageSet in response to the question, and assembled them on a piece of blue background paper. I photographed it,  then recorded myself describing the images in the screencast below.

What do the words tell us?

From the words describing the image, I get

  • working directly with diverse independent professionals
  • collaborating and creating tools
  • professionals provide link to bigger group by working with them as clients and colleagues
    • kids
    • different races, ethnicity, regions
    • corporate people feeling out of place
    • people unhappy in their jobs
    • people interested in personal development
    • relationships and families
    • having fun
    • working with challenges in gentler more playful ways

What do I see?

As long as we assemble the images quickly without thinking too much, there can be additional clues in the visual language. The center often holds something important, and the center of this image is about the linkage. This photograph was also in the center in the question about what I love to do. Perhaps even more significant this time, since this question specifically asked about who, and still the central answer is its about providing links. The specific who isn’t as important.

I want to help my colleagues get better results for their clients. I can reach more people indirectly, more people can benefit from the visual tools if I work in collaboration with others. Use visual tools to help deepen the interactions they are already having.

Visual tools are fun. Most people find it delightful to look through the images and find things to speak their stories. There is so much hard in the world right now. Any little piece of joy that can be interjected seems really important to me.

Join me?

Anyone interesting in working through the worksheets with me? No pressure, informal. I started a group on the Good Little Biz site called Creative Good Little Biz. Email me christine (at)  visualsspeak . com or Dm me on twitter, or just join the group after you register for GoodLittleBiz if you are interested.

Subscribe to this blog in a reader

Subscribe by Email

follow me on twitter @cmartell

Posts about the Dreaming Worksheet

Here are the posts about the first section of the Dreaming worksheet:

a. What would you really LOVE to be doing?
b. Who would you LOVE to be working with?
c. Who do you most want to benefit from your work?
d. What kind of benefits do you want them to enjoy?
e. What kind of experience do you want them to have as your customer?

Who would I love to be working with?

glbheadergraphic

This is part of a series of posts showing how I am working through the worksheets on the Good Little Biz™ site.

Dreaming Worksheet

This is the second question on the Dreaming worksheet. I started by writing my answer to the question, who would I LOVE to be working with?

Very smart creative highly skilled people who work with other people to make the world a better place. People who are collaborative and can recognize the gifts of one another. People who believe in the collective and who possess the skills to work with creative tension. People who are intensely curious and meet difference with it.

Next I quickly selected images from the VisualsSpeak ImageSet in response to the question, and assembled them on a piece of blue background paper. I photographed it,  then recorded myself describing the images in the screencast below.

What do the words tell us?

From the words describing the image, I get

  • people who are independent, doing their own thing, but still willing to play
  • people willing to walk a different path
  • people who are willing to engage with dynamism
  • people who have the skills to be in conflict and work with it
  • people who are diverse in many ways
  • people who are working with their challenges
  • people who are fully collaborative while maintaining independence
  • people at varying distances contributing elements to a synergistic whole
  • people willing to engage over the long haul
  • people wanting to make a big impact

What does this show me?

This is an area where I know more about what I want, and the images reinforced what I knew and offered some deepening to my understanding. I like pioneers, adventurers, those who are seekers. Exactly what they are doing isn’t so important to me, I’m  more interested in them being passionate and wiling to share. Willing to engage, with constructive ways to agree and disagree.

I’m better when I have other people to bounce ideas off. To get input, to check realities. I like creative engagement, but also people who think really differently from me who open my mind to other possibilities.

Other posts from the Dreaming worksheet

Here are the posts about the first section of the Dreaming worksheet:

a. What would you really LOVE to be doing?
b. Who would you LOVE to be working with?
c. Who do you most want to benefit from your work?
d. What kind of benefits do you want them to enjoy?
e. What kind of experience do you want them to have as your customer?

Join me?

Are you interested in working through the worksheets with me? No pressure, informal. I started a group on the Good Little Biz site called Creative Good Little Biz. Email me christine (at)  visualsspeak . com or Dm me on twitter, or just join the group after you register for GoodLittleBiz if you are interested.

Subscribe to this blog in a reader

Subscribe by Email

follow me on twitter @cmartell

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