APRIL 14TH: SPRING IN THE YUKON

That’s what this series of three illustrations is entitled, but I feel it could be “Spring in Edmonton” right now because it’s been snowing all day in my much-less northern city (although, admittedly, still quite northern by most of the world’s standards). My Mom always says that I was born during a snowstorm, so I like to think that April snow falls in honour of my birthday.

During my time in the Yukon this past March I took some early Spring photos in areas that inspired me. When Elm Cafe asked me if I wanted to create some art to hang in their space for the month of April, I decided to create something that brought to mind the varying blue and white shadows of an early Yukon spring.

Get a soy latte and one of the delicious breakfast sandwiches of the day (if you want to copy me, that is) and check it out at Elm Cafe any time until the end of the month!

Pssst – to find out what they’re serving any given day, follow them on twitter: @elmcafe

MARCH 29TH: STOP EATING THE BABIES!!

Thought of the day: Did you know that the fruit of a plant is the equivalent of a plant’s fertilized egg in the womb?? 

Maybe we are looking at the situation all backwards: maybe it’s the vegetarians that are the cruel ones, the way they casually peel the skin off an orange or make lemons bleed into their tea. As the Arrogant Worms sing, perhaps it’s time you “Untie your beans, uncage your tomatoes, let potted plants free, don’t mash that potato!”.

 The Canada Food Guide will never look the same again.

MARCH 12TH: THROUGH THE FISHING HOLE

I wonder how many other things we humans are completely oblivious to? I suspect aliens and love.

I went ice fishing for the first time this past weekend. My Northern bearded man Kieran woke me up at 6am on a Sunday and took me (or rather, local fishing expert and friend Oliver took both of us) to Great Atlin Lake for a day of trout fishing. On the Southern tip of the Yukon we drilled our holes through a meter of ice and set up camp under Oliver’s portable fishing tent, the massively stunning Coastal Mountains keeping watch (apparently you can reach Juneau, Alaska if you walk straight for 10 days over yonder mountains).

What I love about ice fishing is that you create this tiny portal into an otherwise hidden underwater world. Looking across the frozen expanse of snow and ice you would never know that such a thriving community exists just under your feet…

Thought of the day: I wonder how many other things we humans are completely oblivious to? I suspect aliens and love.

MARCH 6TH: THE POWER OF PLEASANT

“Pleasant things work better.” – Don Norman

How true is that! Don Norman was talking in this TED talk about how aesthetics and fun positively influence our experiences, and I couldn’t agree more. We stick around longer if we’re enjoying ourselves, and we will play with something longer (or work more diligently on a project) if we find it pleasing. Heck, people that we feel good around are magnetic - people are drawn into and linger in their presence.

Besides being an eloquent defence for putting a priority on creating things with beautiful aesthetics, it’s also an eloquently simple line of reasoning for working with pleasant people. For me, this couldn’t be more true: I look forward to working with people who smile at me and treat me well. It creates a pleasant environment that I enjoy working in, and I almost can’t help reciprocating the pleasantness. Think about it: how hard is it to not smile back when a pleasant-looking person smiles at you? See?? Virtually impossible. Their pleasantness is not only nice to be around, it’s catching.

Never underestimate the Power of Pleasant.

FEBRUARY 21ST: ON COMMUNICATION.

“Every act of communication is an act of translation.”

- from “If This Be Treason”, by Gregory Rabassa via TED Talk – Chris Bliss.

FEBRUARY 20TH: THE RISK-TAKERS

I was talking to someone in my working-world recently and they were talking about a “smart” statistics instructor they’d had during their years of education who had declared (I’m assuming based on the math) that starting a new business venture was so risky that they would never do it. This person then stated that they thought people who started businesses were not very smart to take such a huge risk.

I declined to point out the fact that their shoes, clothes and lunch were all created by privately-owned businesses, and that they would be walking through the city naked, shoeless and hungry if it weren’t for some enterprising, risk-taking butcher, baker or clothing-maker from the past. Instead I talked about why I had started my business (being one of these crazy, risk-taking souls myself). And I started to think about all the different kinds of smart.

I declined to point out the fact that their shoes, clothes and lunch were all created by privately-owned businesses, and that they would be walking through the city naked, shoeless and hungry if it weren’t for some enterprising, risk-taking butcher, baker or clothing-maker from the past.

I thought I would mention a few here. But first, let’s talk a bit about risk, shall we?

It’s true that starting a new venture is risky. About 70% of small Canadian businesses survive the first 5 years, but that means that  a sad 30% don’t. And that’s only the first 5 years! Speaking of risky ventures, do you know of an (even riskier) venture that many people embark upon? Marriage. In Canada you’re looking at around a 60% success rate, with a 40% failure rate (currently 4 in 10 first marriages end in divorce – Stats Can, via this CBC article).

Does this mean all the smart people of the world are single, unmarried, living in bubble-wrapped rooms and working for the man? I heartily disagree.

I think there are more kinds of “smart” than you can shake your fist at. Math Smart, Academic Smart, Street Smart, Social Smart, the list goes on… frankly, I think our society tends to devalue some while overvaluing others. For example, I personally feel an equal need for people who can solve incredibly complex math problems, and people who know how to make really good lattes. Or who can carry on a pleasant conversation at a party.

Successful risk-taking requires its own unique combination of Smarts. A knack for choosing the right partners and employees. A talent for recognizing when you’re in the right place at the right time. And, most importantly in my eyes, the type of Smart that figures out what gets you up in the morning, and recognizes that the risk of pursuing (passionately) what you’re passionate about is far less risky than NOT doing the aforementioned things.

Risk is situational. Hiding out in the Home Cave is a safe place to be – unless a saber toothed tiger has followed you into the cave. Then the least risky thing for you to do is to fight (or run) for your life.

Thought of the day: If the tiger hasn’t eaten you yet, then you are all counted among the Risk Taking set.

FEBRUARY 1ST: MOMENTUM.

Thought of the day: Even when you’re moving backwards you need to move forward.

This is what my dance instructor was trying to drill into my brain at ballroom practice yesterday. Apparently my butt has a natural proclivity to stick out. I believe the technical term is “downward tipped pelvis”, usually the result of things like tight hip flexor muscles (yup, sounds like designer-at-her-desk-all-day me).

So apparently this is bad. And more importantly for ballroom dancing, noticeable.

I try stepping to the side: “Engage your glutes, pull your pelvis in and up!”

I step to the front: “ENGAGE!! Keep your body in line! And straighten your legs!”

Finally I have a move where I get to step backwards, and I promptly relax my Superwoman-esque flexing on those pelvic and butt muscles. Ahhh.

“Non non non!” (my instructor is Quebecois). “NON, don’t you see? Even when you are moving backwards you must be going forwards.” Silence, interrupted only by the baffled look on my face.

At which point he gracefully and quickly demonstrates the aforementioned fact. He steps backwards with one foot (keeping his glutes firmly engaged and pelvis in line with his body), and his head doesn’t move in space at all. AT ALL. Even more amazing, that backwards step doesn’t send him back: totally contrary to what you might at first think, that backwards step only serves to engage his glutes, causing the necessary physics to actually propel him forwards.

I feel like there’s a life lesson in here. Even when we have to go back to the drawing board (daily) and start things over again (constantly), and deal with setbacks or unexpected problems (which are so common that I don’t know we call them “unexpected” problems) – even through all these things, it’s more than worth remembering that these very “setbacks” are going to be what propels us forwards.

Just give it time, and engage those glutes.

JANUARY 18TH: IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO START WITH A PLAN.

Thought of the day: It’s always good to start with a plan, even if the plan changes later on. After all, getting started (I’ve found) is generally the most important thing. And then there’s finishing, of course, but we’ll leave that thought for another day…

On Friday the 13th of last week 5 lovely ladies left me with some of their New Year’s Resolutions, and they weren’t messing around. In summary, they plan to:

- cook one monastic soup a week (when one cannot be a monk, one can at least eat monk soup, I say),

- have the most exciting year of their life, including 4 months in New York,

- achieve solvency while learning how to decorate beautiful cupcakes (are solvency and cupcakes somehow related in some mysterious way that I don’t know about??),

- move to New York and follow their passion (definite New-York-and-passion theme. What IS it about NYC that makes passionate people flock to its centre?),

- get married.

Wow. Already off to a good start re: creating some interesting goals (especially that cupcake one…). Will eagerly be awaiting my soup and cupcakes, err, update reports.

I hope that writing down your goals on the Toast of Change will help you along your journey in 2012! And if you 5 ladies are reading this, don’t forget to email me your addresses so that the Toast can find you!

JANUARY 17TH: PRIVILEGES.

Thought of the day: When at the dentist, remind yourself continually that you are participating in a Developed Country Privilege.

JANUARY 13TH GIVEAWAY!

Now, I must let you know that Friday the 13th has a special place in my heart. My birthday is actually on the 13th (of April), and as the laws of physics predict, every 7 years or so my birthday falls on Friday the 13th.

I tend to think of the number 13 as a superbly lucky number.

So, a Friday the 13th giveaway! Because 13 is an exhaustive number of envelopes to stamp and mail, and since 1+3=4, I will be giving away 4 Toast of Change desktop companions!

Simply be one of the first three people to comment below OR be the person with the best comment. Your comment must include one goal that you plan on accomplishing in 2012. Easy.

Happy Friday the 13th!