Have you ever wondered how the brain works? At high school I did and went onto to study it at University and it continues to fascinate me. Sebastian Seung in this TED talk has a story to tell of future possibilities in brain research and discovery. 3 aspects of this presentation I really liked were … 1. He speaks so clearly and effortlessly 2. It is the best explanation of the structure and function of the brain I have seen. Why? The use of visuals is brilliant. His verbal descriptions are supported by pictures that make the complex relationships between …

The Girl Effect video released a couple of years ago was a stunning example of story telling and blended statistics with music, visual images and text. Watching it is an emotional experience … just the kind of emotion needed to connect with the story and facts. The latest Girl Effect video again sets the scene … Paints a picture of the Dilemma … and then points to a Resolution. http://www.girleffect.org

Here’s a video of John Cleese in a more serious moment. He reflects on his own creative process and illuminates some lessons in this 10 minute video. These are not new, but worth reminding ourselves nonetheless. Some points that I picked up … 1. Sleeping on a problem (eg. writer’s block on a report/story) not only helps the solution become clear … the problem seems to vanish altogether – and so the subconscious mind does the work for you In conferences we facilitate or attend, the ‘overnight rule’ means that even if at the end of Day 1 everyone is …

On a sunny winter’s day at the end of August, around 50 people gathered for conversations at the Fairhaven Surf Life Saving Club. People from community groups and government agencies who are passionate about our coastal environment spent the day sharing stories and their ideas for the future. I was privileged to help the Coast Action – Coast Care team at DSE design and facilitate the event. Matt, the state manager of the program, does a great job at nailing the purpose of the forum. The Harvest My friend and colleague Chris Corrigan has re shaped my approach to the …

More brilliance from the ‘not so perfect mind’ of Tim Minchin!