Settling in…
Building the Dream; Adventure Log
August 14th, 2023
Today is the day.
On Feb 14th this year, I decided to commit six months all in on an idea I had back in 2020.
I was having trouble giving myself over to what I could feel was going to be a long, winding road, and a friend suggested I break it down and give myself the space to work on it without the pressure of it being forever. I'm so glad I took her advice.
A lot of the last six months has been me, by myself, literally just dedicating the time to explore it each day (sometimes just half an hour) and seeing what came through when I showed up.
I've had a LOT of fun getting into the nitty gritty.
I've been learning to take myself and this idea seriously (trusting I'm the right woman for the job) while dancing with the mindf*ck that is being both flexible AND staying committed to the non-negotiables of what I want.
When I've felt called, I've reached out to people I have a hunch will align with this vision, and it's been such a relief to watch their brilliant insight and ideas integrate with my own into the ever-unfolding work of art that is this dream. (I know, shocking, teamwork actually makes the dream work).
I'm still working on waiting for the right alignments, rather than allowing anxiety to make me push when I think things aren't going like they "should" be. The sight and sensitivity required for this wheel of the journey is INSANE. (For all those coming through who think your sensitivity is a liability, TRUST ME, that sh*t is your lifeline).
I'm also learning to trust that beneath all the "I have no idea" there is ALWAYS a golden breadcrumb waiting to be discovered and actioned. (A few weeks in, I was so adamant I had no idea what to do next... after a really uncomfortable session with my coach, I sat down, and the entire draft pitch deck came pouring out of me).
A massive highlight has been researching competitors and market trends and seeing the EPIC advancements in education happening all over the world right now.
I first realised I wanted to do something in the realm of education back in 2013, after coming out of school and realizing how laughably unprepared I was for life in the "real world".
Thank God, SO much has happened in this field in the last ten years. Incubators and spaces like the Green School in Bali, Candlebark in SA, and Google's Moonshot Factory... are thriving examples.
Even mainstream public schools are getting on board with new well-being initiatives.
I'm so freaking inspired by the people using their creativity and inner genius to solve our biggest problems, and school definitely isn't what it was a decade ago.
Now what?
I don't measure the success of anything I do anymore (there's no point), but I can undoubtedly see the growth that's happened.
In the last six weeks, I launched "Mad House Monthly", a creative circle and open mic night for young people in our community. It's small and mighty. The next event is Sept 12th. (If you're in the Gold Coast or Northern Rivers, come along).
There is a lot of energy building within and all around me at the moment, which excites me a LOT.
I know my ideas are awesome, but I've had to work through a lot of doubt and disbelief about being part of a team and calling others in to be a part of this vision with me. It's surreal seeing other people start to agree it's a great idea and genuinely want to get involved.
The biggest thing for me right now I think is to stay patient, focused and connected to my Self and the real dream, tempering the compulsion to want everyone to see and like it.
It's so tempting to give into the "horny entrepreneur" impulse (thanks Anthea Balfour for that analogy) and give it all up at the first sign of outside interest.
I know that would be a huge disservice to a project that is essentially three decades in the making.
This is a slow burn, a gourmet meal. Great things take time and a lot of self-control.
If you want to get involved in Mad House, I've created a Facebook group. DM me for the link to join.
This vision isn't about elevating any one artist or art form.
It's about solving problems (mental illness, out-of-control student debt, boredom, disconnection and a massive lack of fulfilment in the workplace) on an individual and collective scale and answering the desperate call for a higher education model that celebrates creativity, individual gifts and talents and personal AND professional development. One that is as responsive, authentic and deeply intuitive as the women who will inevitably walk through our doors.
It's six months young today, and I'm just celebrating the hell out of all the work and play it's taken to get here.
