NAACP’s Post

Hand on heart - this... 'Living without Art is like living without Nature'. CREATIVE HEALTH This is a stunning example of the importance of creativity and connection. Looking forward to the report I am confident it will be policy and life changing! Smartz #creativehealth #inclusivity #neurodiversity #buildbettercommunities #equalopportunity #embraceart #nurture #valueart #valuepeople #fostergrowth

4 more chances to witness this one!

What legacy will you leave? This is a question I often ask of leaders when we are in the midst of strategic planning. It’s an important question, but not one that’s easy to answer - because most leadership teams and boards are merely temporary stewards of a longer history in an organization. Last week, I was absolutely delighted to hang out with three of the founding members of Shakespeare In The Ruins as we talked about the remarkable legacy they created 30 years ago when they first performed Romeo and Juliet on a bootstrap budget and a dream. Could they have known that 30 years later, their wish would be thriving as Manitoba’s only Shakespeare company, selling out performances every summer under the artistic direction of Rodrigo Beilfuss and expert management of Sara Malabar? Could they have known that their dream would spark our school program and accessibility commitments - ensuring that everyone has a place in theatre (including those who haven’t always felt welcome)? Could they dream that their three public performances would lead to our partnership with Stony Mountain Penitentiary- where offenders have the opportunity to engage in the transformative experience of theatre? As we celebrated the opening night of Iago Speaks - another incredible feat - that our theatre is now running a full repertory season (we have two shows running back to back, with the same actors, 40 performances for 30 days straight) - I asked Deb Patterson, Lora Schroeder, and Arne MacPherson their thoughts on what made the organization so successful. They commented that one of the most important decisions they made was actually to step back and put the company in the hands of people who loved it. That by allowing for a changing board and staff, new life and ideas could be breathed into the company - keeping it current and agile. Ensuring it remained relevant for new audiences. It’s pretty insightful and inspiring as the current chair to hear such wisdom from these visionaries. It makes me think about decisions I’ve made in my career, to step back or out of the way, to create space for others to run. I’m curious about your thoughts on this. How do you know when it’s time to let someone else take the reigns? #legacy #strategy #theatre

PREACH! ...and not just because of my overwhelming bias towards University grassroots sports. An important reminder on the wider benefits of sport beyond health, focus, and discipline. Particularly relevant as clubs open their beginners courses at the start of the academic year (here and across the country). Many sports clubs welcome staff members so do consider getting involved if you're interested in starting something new! "Because sport is not just about science, physiology, stopwatches and progress, but also about aesthetics, play, friendship, community, laughter, mystery and memory: the attributes of art and the humanities, or what it means to be human. I learnt as much on playing fields or the river as I did in the classroom, and as others do in the theatre, or concert hall." Vice Chancellor's Annual Oration 2024

Did You Know? Before its transformation into the Empire Arts Center, it was first called the New Grand. The New Grand stood as the first theatre in Grand Forks designed specifically for showing motion pictures. Currently, the Empire is the city's last surviving downtown movie house! For more information about the Empire Arts Center and our history, visit the link in our bio #gfiscooler #grandforks #greatergrandforks

Trust the process. Mastery is not gained overnight. Believe in yourself. You are the most important character in the theatre of your dreams. The world is your audience. Now, shine on stage. Your Partner in progress, Joyce Daniels Queen of Talk Invade the JD Universe, here: https://lnkd.in/e3kvTziE #TBT #ShineOnStage #ThrowbackThursday #PublicSpeakingCoach #PresentationSkillsCoach

Excited to share one of my favorite pastimes: watching commencement speeches! 🎓 They’re like a dose of inspiration that transcends any academic milestone. Can't contain my anticipation for Angela Bassett's upcoming commencement speech! 🌟 As a dedicated enthusiast of commencement addresses, I'm eagerly awaiting the wisdom and inspiration she's sure to deliver. #CommencementSpeech #AngelaBassett #ExcitementBuilding #Inspiration"

It’s amazing the heights that people can achieve, the impact they can drive, when they have even 2 people who see them and support them. When mentors help others walk their own path and find their very special gifts, it can unlock powerful positive change. We all have our own unique gifts. Catalysts can walk a very lonely and sometimes traumatic path. Partly it’s from not knowing oneself or understanding the power of the unique gifts Catalysts embody. And partly it’s because most people don’t stop to bring curiosity to understand those in front of them. Especially if the “don’t fit in the box”. So this week, make the time to bring your curiosity, empathy, and support to someone you don’t understand. Discover or help them find their own special gifts. Then give them the support, encouragement and space they need to activate their superpowers. #Catalyst #catalystmovement

Be brave enough to live your life on your own terms and never feel the need to apologize for it. Embrace your uniqueness, challenge societal norms, and choose the road less traveled instead of following the crowd. Stay true to your beliefs, and don't conform to others' expectations. Don't try to fit in; instead, embrace your unconventional nature and march to the rhythm of your own drum. #inspiringwomen #inspiringstories #inspiringjourney

"Thank you for SEEING me" This - in a nutshell - is how we don't just survive, but THRIVE as we follow our path in life. Sometimes you need that one shining light - a mentor or guide by your side to really sponsor and SEE the unique SELF that you are becoming. I struggled with Visibility in my career and then my business for several years - in fact it led to me retraining entirely as a trauma informed transformational coach and hypnotherapist precisely for that reason! - and it's still one of the main triggers for why women decide to work with me now... I didn't understand how I - as someone with a lengthy background in marketing and acting (!) - could be confident and comfortable up on a stage or gesturing at a powerpoint presentation and still struggle to "put myself out there" when it came to starting my own business. I had to take a deep dive into healing all of the ways early developmental trauma (childhood abuse/ narcissistic abuse, emotional neglect, bullying etc) could lead to a deep Fear of BEING SEEN - and SEEN as my true, authentic self. And then understand how that upbringing had also created a myriad of layers to stop me SEEING myself! To SHOW yourself you must KNOW yourself - and some of us went into hiding a long time ago to keep SAFE. We also need caregivers to be our mirror and reflect back our unique, authentic essence- the little tender, essence of us that is growing. But not all of us received that attention. The impact is we land into adult life pretzelling ourselves for others approval, people pleasing to stop love or attention being withdrawn and overfunctioning to feel safe and in control. Most women I work with are high achieving, powerhouses succeeding in their corporate career or transitioning out into their own business - you wouldn't think on the outside they struggled with something like presenting themselves or their message... and yet.... It's what's going on in the inside that's a struggle. The creeping anxiety, or dread the night before an investor panel pitch or the boardroom meeting that regresses you to feeling like a little girl in the playground and not a powerful woman in charge of her own destiny...with no idea why... If this resonates with you I'm doing a short, deep (but very concise!!) talk on the three origin pillars of the Fear of Being Visible at the Fully Booked Fempreneur Festival at 14.20 tomorrow Wednesday March 13th 2024. You can book a FREE place here: www.cassiehicks.com/fff There's a whole host of amazing women speakers offering their gifts for free, and talking about everything from the energetics, mindset and strategy to running your own business.. Do join me or feel free to DM me to organise a virtual coffee chat over zoom and I would be happy to connect. www.radiantwomanchat.com