Bramble & Fox Blog — being visible RSS

2023 was not the year of Momentum. It looked like a year where I stood still for a large part of it. Dig below the surface though and a lot was going on.

No one loves vanilla ice cream. There, I said it. Everyone likes vanilla ice cream, it’s safe. It’s dependable, it goes with everything and no one turns it down if it’s offered to them. Pistachio ice cream though? You love it or loathe it, but if you love it, you’ll drive across town to get your hands on it...

This was the overriding feeling of my year of visibility.    I felt dangerously exposed and uncomfortable, which meant it was hard to sustain long periods of visibility. Yet playing bigger was exhilarating. I love extended metaphors, so bear with me on this...

I’ve always preferred being behind the scenes, rather than the spotlight. At school, I loved Drama but was always backstage, helping to make the costumes and props then scuttling on to the stage as the lights went down, to help with scene changes.  Then I realised that’s what I’ve been doing with my life.    As we’re now halfway through the year, it’s time for me to reflect on what I’m learning in my year of visibility.

In a scrappy notebook held together with an elastic band, is the pre-launch plan for Bramble & Fox. Hygge workshops are on that pre-launch plan. I intended to weave workshops into the mix some time ago, but Covid hit and like many plans, they were shelved for a while.  Once or twice, I reached back to the shelf to retrieve the idea and I hesitated. After journalling on it, I realised it’s because I’ve been waiting for permission.  So many of us are subconsciously pressing pause on our dreams and waiting for permission slips, I thought I’d dig into some of the factors at play.