I Didn't Win An Award

... but I'm winning in other ways.

I didn't win an award at the fancy-dan business conference I went to last week in Kildare (official name Network Ireland Businesswoman of the Year Awards.) I was nominated in the Creative Professional category.

If you don't win one of these awards, you're meant to believe that you're a winner anyway. But I believe there's comfort in naming things for what they are. I didn't win, or come highly commended. Disappointing, maybe, but there's no shame in it.

Photo Description: Here I am with my fellow Network Waterford branch members having fun at the conference. There are ten of us in the picture, all glamorously dressed. I’m on the far right, wearing a pink trouser suit.

Still, I won in other ways. I met loads of dynamic women and planted some seeds which may bear fruit in the springtime. And the food, drink and crack were pretty mighty too.

Workshop Facilitation Opportunities

And I'm winning closer to home. Two tasty opportunities have come up to facilitate arts workshops. One is at Waterford Healing Arts and as this newsletter goes out, I'll be attending an interview for their Artist Facilitation Panel.

If I'm accepted onto it, I'll be working with kidney dialysis patients and in the mental health units.

Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford City is also assembling a creative facilitator panel, and I submitted my application for it this week. The brief for that is pretty broad, so if I'm called for interview, I'm going to be putting some of my ideas forward. Watch this space.

Workshops With Teachers

I was accepted for the BLAST schools residencies run by Waterford Education Support Centre, which offers supports and training to teachers. I was matched with a boys' school on the outskirts of Waterford City and we've started to chat about setting it up.

I'm also giving a seminar at Waterford Education Support Centre itself, which I call Creative Writing in the Classroom. I'm delivering it on Monday 16 October, so I'll be able to let you know in the next newsletter how it went.

I'll be showing primary school teachers how to add a splash of creativity to the activities they do as part of the language curriculum. I'm preparing the fancy PowerPoint as we speak.

Big Shout Out: ASA Brands

At the conference, I met a woman called Michelle Johnson who runs ASA Brands, a company that creates sustainable branded products for companies. I'm pure mad for stationery, so I was delighted to discover that pens and notebooks were included in their range of products.

In the past, I always gave out pens and notebooks at my workshops and people used to be thrilled. So, I'll resurrect that practice now, with the added flow of knowing that what I'm offering them is good for the environment. Here's the info about their stationery, if you want to take a look.