Imagination – Brand Strategist | MarComms

Creativity and Colour in Motion

August 28, 2025August 28, 2025by Emma PotterLeave a Comment

In business, as in life, everything is cyclical. We move within natural rhythms and patterns of energy, time, and opportunity. Just as day turns to night and seasons shift from one to the next, our organisations, teams, and creative endeavours follow cycles of growth, reflection, and renewal.

As August draws to a close and summer begins its transition, I’m reminded of the value of pausing at these inflection points. Seasonal change offers us a chance to take stock, to reflect on what has been achieved, acknowledging progress, and preparing for what’s next.

For me, this is where creativity and business truly intersect. Both demand a balance between looking back and moving forward, celebrating achievements while welcoming new ideas, fresh collaborations, and innovative ways to build meaningful connections.

Discover Colour & Creativity with Nordic Design House

I’m delighted to share an upcoming immersive evening of colour, craft, and connection, collaborating with fellow artist and colour enthusiast Cesca Molly Thorne, set within the inspiring Nordic Design House showroom in Clerkenwell, London.

At the heart of colour and creativity is a shared passion for helping people to reconnect with themselves, and with each other, through colour and creativity. For myself and Cesca, creativity is more than making something beautiful, it’s a form of mindfulness, a moment of meditation, and a way to ground ourselves in the present moment. As artists, we believe colour and creativity can transform lives in small yet meaningful and impactful ways.

What to expect

The workshop is designed for everyone. No experience is needed, only curiosity and an open mind. You’ll leave with renewed energy, fresh perspective, and a unique creation of your own.

Together, we will explore:

Creativity as Wellbeing – Give yourself permission to slow down, express freely, and build calm, confidence, and resilience through simple creative acts.
Connection with Colour – Experience colour as a language for communication and connection, focusing on the process as well as the outcome.
Self-Expression – Use colour as a medium for storytelling and self-discovery, while learning to create a beautiful crepe paper flower and exploring the principles of colour psychology.

The evening provides a perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded people, expand your network, and share meaningful conversations in a welcoming, inspiring setting.

Delicious refreshments and drinks will be provided, courtesy of our hosts, Nordic Design House, who represent a curated selection of Swedish brands, offering furniture and lighting rooted in Scandinavian design for workplaces and public interiors across the UK.

Event details

📅 Date: Wednesday 24th September
🕕 Time: 6:00 – 9:30pm
📍 Venue: Nordic Design House, 104–110 Goswell Road, London, EC1V 7DH
🔑 RSVP: Places are limited. Please contact Magdalena Tym, Sales Director, to secure your spot.
We would love for you to join us for this special evening of colour, craft, and connection.

Let’s work together

With over 20 years of experience working with innovative and disruptive businesses across HR-tech, digital, creative agencies, and interior design, I bring a unique blend of commercial acumen and creative vision to everything I do.

I’m a strategic yet hands-on leader with a passion for collaboration, and I believe the most impactful results come when we balance the analytical precision of the left brain with the intuitive creativity of the right brain. Facts and figures matter, but so does imagination and storytelling, for true magic happens when the two meet.

Get in touch – I’d love to continue the conversation.

Images: Colour and Creativity Workshop, June 2025.

Growth, Imagination

Nature as your strategist

June 30, 2025by Emma PotterLeave a Comment

There’s a long-standing belief that nature is our greatest teacher – personally, professionally, in coaching, and in business. Why? Because in nature, everything exists in balance. It understands its interconnectedness, plus the need for resilience and adaptability. There’s no resistance to change: trees don’t cling to their leaves in autumn, they simply let go. Nature flows, following its innate, intuitive path of growth and transformation. It adapts and evolves. Vibrant colours attract pollinators or ward off predators, while underground root systems quietly nourish and support growth. Nature honours its natural rhythms, its seasons, lunar cycles, the literal tides of change. So why, then, do we find it so difficult to care for and cherish Mother Nature and the environment she provides for us?

Climate Cocktail Club – ‘Reimagined Radicals’

On Friday 27th June, I attended the Climate Cocktail Club relaunch event – ‘Reimagined Radicals’ in London, County Hall, a thought-provoking space where art, science, and community intersected to explore how we tackle the climate crisis through hope, creativity and culture.

The keynote speaker was former Irish President and climate justice champion Mary Robinson and she reminded us of a powerful truth: real change starts with hope. She spoke about hope not as a vague ideal, but as a pragmatic first step toward action. It begins with a desire to do things differently, to see a better future and take even the smallest steps to get there. In the face of global climate disruption, she shared how women-led solar initiatives in vulnerable communities are not only reducing carbon emissions but transforming lives.

Mary told the story of salt farmers in the Surendranagar desert in western India who are now using solar energy to power their work, a project that has already impacted 3.2 million women. Some of these women have trained as solar engineers, and through the savings they’ve made, they’re now sending their children to school, buying essentials, climbing out of debt, and most importantly, building a future for themselves and their communities. It’s a model of community empowerment, economic resilience, and climate action, all rooted in the belief that hope is the spark that lights the fire of progress. The determination of these ladies and leadership are inspiring.

If you have 2 minutes, do watch this short clip as it provides real insight into their lives:

Connection, conversation & community

Following Mary Robinson, the stage was set with more superb innovative and inspiring speakers including Lisa Merrick-lawless, Co-founder, Purpose Disruptors; Siobhan Clarke, fellow, Sustainable Ventures and portfolio NED, Julian Valissieres, CEO & co-founder Batchworks; Edward Van Der Wyck, CEO & co-founder Sheep Inc.; John Elkington, CEO & Chief Pollinator, Volans; Matthew Smith, SEO, Hometree; and Louis VI, zoologist, musician, presenter, who all believe in a climate conscious approach to business.

Here’s what resonated with me…

Hope is the catalyst for action

We heard about women-led solar initiatives impacting 3.2 million lives, lifting people out of debt, educating children, and building futures. When community and clean energy meet, transformation follows.

Community is how we evolve

The shift isn’t just technological, it’s cultural. We must create belonging, build trust, and foster collaborative communities. That means making space for conversation and connection.

We are nature – we are all connected

From Octopus intelligence (yes, we talked about Octopus which reminded me of a film I love called My Octopus Teacher) to frogs nicknamed “mountain chickens”, this event was a celebration of listening, learning, and letting nature lead.

“We take all our inspiration from nature to make art”

Louis VI (Rapper, Musician, Zoologist). His album Carbon uses sounds from the natural world to make music, reminding us that sound is a primal communicator. From birdsong to silence, it influences how we feel and connect.

Science matters

Scientists spend years researching and learning, we need to hear their voices more. Perhaps there’s an opportunity to communicate through weekly climate briefings, to showcase truth over trends, embracing inconvenient facts with creativity as all are essential to cultural and business change.

A BIG thank you to strategic communications consultant Nick Nuttall for facilitating an insightful and sometimes challenging conversation, and to everyone involved with organising and supporting the event Aisling McCaffrey, Louise French, Sustainable Ventures, Project Dandelion, Diageo, Be Impactful, Thinkhouse and everyone behind the scenes who I’ve not been able to mention – it was a memorable, fun and engaging night!

Let’s talk

I felt inspired by the idea that hope isn’t naïve, it’s strategic. It leads to action and action changes everything.

There are many insights and pearls of wisdom from nature to be integrated into how we do business. Let’s design business and campaigns that work in harmony with nature and the natural world, not in conflict with it. Innovation can solve big problems if we put people and planet at the heart of it.

If you’re working on purpose-driven innovation, I’d love to connect. I’m actively looking to connect with purpose-driven disruptors to build on the conversation.

Where does nature sit in your business model?

Get in touch – I’d love to talk.

Images: Captured on the night by Emma Potter.

Conscious Creator, Imagination

Connection in community

November 5, 2024November 5, 2024by Emma PotterLeave a Comment

There’s much to be said for working in community, living in community, and connecting in community. It’s being and operating in this way that drives human connection, enables people to talk more openly, and in many cases sparks our imagination, unearthing ideas that would never have materialised and seen the light of day, if that creative practice that we’d been invited to participate in, never came about.

Tap into your imagination

You’d be forgiven for wondering what I’m going on about, so let me explain… ‘Connection in community’ was the theme for day 5 of the retreat I went on in Ireland in the first week of October, hosted along the Wild Atlantic Way, in the depths of county Donegal, Ireland. The overarching theme for the retreat was ‘From Word to World’, and each day had a specific focus, with many practices to experience and experiment with having started the day in silent meditation and set our intention.

Experiencing ceremonies influenced by traditional healing tribal practices, playing with movement inspired by QOYA known as a compass for navigating an embodied life that is wise, wild and free, sounding to experience how sound resonates in our bodies and sounds when expressed, to writing practices led by meditation and responding intuitively to a series of questions, designed to encourage us to step into our creativity and feel inspired to unleash our imagination.

Here’s some of the questions that were asked during our warm-up writes, where we have 60 seconds to write down and capture what we creatively, intuitively get, before our logical, analytical brain kicks in and says “that’s rubbish, what does that even mean?”.

Right now, what do I want to say to my body?
What does my body want to say to me?
What do I want to say to my voice?
What does my voice want to say to me?
What do I want to say to my heart?
What does my heart want to say to me?

Courageous conversations

Every day on the retreat, between 5-6pm, we had a ‘Courageous Conversations’ circle. The purpose being to share what is landing for us and to share this with the group, the intention to be of service to everyone. During these vulnerable, challenging and most often extremely insightful sessions, we were invited to observe and follow some rules that enabled everyone to speak freely, with no judgement or interruption. In the Courageous Conversations session on day 5, we were invited to speak and present to the group what we had written in response to our writing practice earlier that day.

It was surprising the intrigue I felt about putting my voice to my words and sharing them openly with the group. There was also a lot of resistance as I felt vulnerable and exposed, some questions and mind games coming into play… “Would it resonate? Would it make sense? Will they think I’m odd? Perhaps it’s best not to share?”. So, in the interests authenticity, sharing and bringing the premise of the retreat ‘From Word to World” to life, here’s what I wrote…

Burn, let your spirit soar

Your voice is beautiful, it’s rich and mellow,
Deep and strong, from pitch to shallow,
Your voice will say what needs to be spoke,
Let it burn like a fire, until it needs to be poked,

Poked with a pole, rod or piece of wood,
Encouraged to talk until it’s understood,
No need to hide, no need to stay quiet,
In this place my voice… my voice,

My voice can be booming, mild and weak,
But here I’m seeking a 10-pin bowling streak,
To leave nothing unsaid, leaving nothing misunderstood,
Releasing what’s worrying me from under my hood,

Like a car has an engine, our brains and bodies need juice,
Petrol, diesel and mindfulness, to feel fully present where we stood,
We stood at the beach, at the rocks, and the shore,
With a question bubbling “Will there always be more?”

More to learn,
More to seek,
More to enjoy,
More to peak?

To peak my interests when the day gets dark,
And I begin to feel like I’m losing my spark,

Sparks come in November for fireworks galore,
Guy Fawkes, now that was a man who wanted more!
He set fire to London city, in a blaze, in a flame,
Many people and things never to be seen again,

We’re all on a big journey, and over mountains I’ll soar,
Spotting pigs, geese and chickens, and probably wild boar,
I like it smoked, dried or sliced, to celebrate the flavour is stores,
Completely unlike a digestive and marsh mellow smores,

I don’t like them, they’re too sweet, no flavour to savour,
Where will this journey take me, what will be my next endeavour,
I’ll endeavour to be strong, wise, kind and smart,
Much like a baby born at the start,

All innocence and joy, a tight bundle of fun,
For them life on earth has just begun.

The Heroine’s Journey

Whilst in Ireland, at the location of our Heroine’s Journey retreat, I was amongst the most amazing group of women. All from different cultures, having a range of backgrounds, a spectrum of ages, and a huge depth of life experiences – our week together has been challenging, joyful, reflective and transformational, so to my sisters who were called to join this journey together, I have the upmost respect, warmth and heartfelt thanks. Together, in our community, we created something very special.

If you would like to listen to me speak my poem, ‘Burn, let your spirit soar’, check out Colourful Conversations on TikTok – here.

@emmapottercolourful
Connection in Community This was the theme for day 5 on the Heroine’s Journey retreat in county Donegal, Ireland last month. It’s the first retreat I’ve ever been on, so lots of new experiences to explore – writing intuitively being one of them. Here’s the poem that flowed following a few questions to get our creative joices flowing! In the spirit of sharing, here’s what I wrote… a poem I’ve called ‘Burn, let your spirit soar’ 🔥 #intuition #creative #writing #poem #flow
♬ original sound – Colourful Conversations

Photo by Eric Sanman, Pexels.

Conscious Creator, Imagination, Wellbeing

From word to world

October 20, 2024by Emma PotterLeave a Comment

FROM WORD TO WORLD – This is the overarching theme of a fabulous, inspiring and magical retreat I’ve just been on in Ireland, our location deep in the depth of County Donegal, a stone’s through from Horn Head along the Wild Atlantic Way. Our Heroine’s Journey was led by retreat facilitator, author, psychotherapist, Qoya and mindfulness teacher Victoria Smisek, and vocal alchemist Martha Rice.

To provide some context, each day on the retreat follows a similar structure allowing time for silence, mindfulness, movement, writing, vocal expression and free time, which is essential as some of the exercises are intense and took me to and beyond my boundaries, into discomfort and the unknown – the place of awareness, insight and growth.

After silent mindfulness practice, offerings to nature, and a delicious vegan breakfast prepared lovingly by our chef for the week Ellen-Meave, Victoria and Martha opened our morning session by having candles lit in the middle of the room. There were three circles of cards, each circle getting smaller, and the invitation was to pick a card from the outer circle, to read that card then dance QOYA into that card, then the invitation for the second, then to dance QOYA again, then the third and to dance QOYA again. The process being that we had 5 minutes to write after each card was chosen and the dance was danced – each stage and each card evoking different movement and words.

The first card I picked was the ‘The Spiral Dancer – circuitous route, perception
The second card I picked was 32. Iseutt – Goddess of Perseverance
The third card I picked was the ‘Owl’

After my dance and writing with all three cards was complete, followed the invitation to write freely with what flowed when I put pen to paper. In the spirit of sharing, here’s what I wrote…

Sunrise at Horn Head, County Donegal, Ireland

The Spiritual Dancer, Perseverance and The Owl

Once upon a time I felt your heart it’s beating fast,
Faster than it ever knew,
I raced, I crawled, I’m sure I drooled,
But was I ever really ruled?

The rules are, there are no rules,
Break free with delight, let your wings take flight,
The current of the wind will carry you high,
Higher than a star in a glittering sky.

Gour gong, gour gong, gour gong, gour gong,
This is the rhythm of my song,
My voice is ready, my heart is too,
To speak and express the words that are true.

No right, no wrong, the song is mine,
To sing silently, sing softly, to sing loud and proud.
Perseverance is key, my goddess knows the way,
Feel into my movement, feel into my sway.

There’s magic in the winds, feel the whispers, feel the song,
It’s time for me to ring my gong,
My spirit is high, the dance is strong,
Swirling, circling, perception is my song.

Perceiving a new future,
Perceiving a new me,
Perceiving a new way of being,
Creating a new me.

A me that’s magical, a me that’s fully expressed,
A me that’s most likely wearing a dress,
A dress that’s flowing and moving – no static, frozen or still here,
This babe has really shifted gear.

A sports car I’m not sure, but with wheels I’ll spin,
Spin directly into a new ‘everything’,
I don’t know what it is yet but I think it will include paint,
Painting with my fingers, brushing and saint.

Saint equals spirit, a spirit a new,
It’s time to put on my new golden shoe,
A golden shoe, I spot a shrew,
My wise eagle owl eyes, spot me like glue.

I’m now in my vision, I can no longer remain unseen,
It’s time to shine, don’t be afraid to be seen,
My wings are huge, there’s scope for so much more,
Soaring over mountains higher than ever before.

My head rotates left, my head rotates right,
Is it possible for this bird to take flight?
My wings are huge, my sight is too,
Will I have time to find the accompanying golden shoe?

The Heroine’s Journey

This piece, The Spiritual Dancer, Perseverance and the Owl, is the first of a series of writings that emerged on my Heroine’s Journey retreat. I’ll share a few more in the coming weeks.

You can find out more about The Heroine’s Journey retreats here.

Photos taken at Horn Head, near Dunfanaghy, County Donegal, Ireland

Creative, Imagination

The Mighty Oak

September 10, 2024September 10, 2024by Emma PotterLeave a Comment

Yet another month has passed and last night I participated in my third magical writing circle. A group of four incredible women who come together with a curious mind, ready to be guided by Victoria who sets the topic and gives us the prompts to warm us up and lead us into our main write.

So, this week, we were asked to bring along a photograph of us as a young girl. The photo that sprung to mind is one I have of me and my sister, possibly taken before my brother was born as we look so young. The guidance was to not worry too much about the detail, just go with what you feel. On opening the zoom link, we were greeted with music, not talking, it brings us beautifully together in this sacred space we share.

Remember her?

To get us into our writing zone Victoria asked us the first question – “What do I imagine she is feeling, thinking, saying, and needing?”, we have three minutes to write in our books what comes to mind, no over thinking, so I quickly capture the words that come up on my page. Then the second question, “From the perspective of someone else in the photo, or who took the photo, what are they feeling, thinking, saying and needing?”, we have another three minutes to write and capture what immediately comes to mind. Then the third question, “What are the parts of her (me) that are still in there that I want to reclaim?”, we have five minutes to write. And then the fourth and final question, “What is the story that wants to be told about this photo?”, we have 25 minutes to write… so, in the interest of sharing, here’s what I wrote, unedited, unfiltered.

Look at me with my fat chubby cheeks, my pudding bowl hair and dimpled hands,
There’s curiosity in my eyes, the ones that look out for my spies,
My button nose can smell a cake, does it have icing, it is homemade?
I’m not going to let anyone rain on my parade.

I’m happy here, all podgy and cute, smiling as I was often mute,
Mute as I listened to others at play, oh how I loved to play,
I love my sister, she’s big and caring, her arm around me, tight, but not overbearing,
We’d sit and do puzzles, she’d always win, quick to see the picture and overall, everything.

There’s beauty in my eyes, so small and shiny, curious with delight and always smiley,
A little Red Indian I was often called, dream catchers, smoke, the beat of the fire calls,
Calls me into the wake of night, to look up into the sky, at the stars with delight,
A face full of wonder, hands wanting to play, creativity beckons, calling louder every day.

Get your paint brushes out, be brave and splatter, there’s no need to listen to negative chatter,
Go big, go bold, express and sing, use every medium and vessel to capture everything,
Shapes, patterns, brush strokes and draw, take your shoes off and use your foot as a paw,
Create with your body, from your heart not your mind, don’t get controlled by people who aren’t kind.

There’s an expression for creating to paint, no one’s going to mind if you fall down and faint,
Faint into the painting, go into a state of flow, for if you don’t you will never know,
Know what’s inside you wanting to pop out, to make you smile, to make you shout,
You’re an artist at heart, you know that much is true, so why are you stuck in a pickle, a stew?

Just go with the flow and see what comes out, it may be crap, but who gives a spout,
It’s not important for what’s really at play, is how I want to spend my seconds, my minutes, my hours, in a day,
Playing with texture, colour and more, anything I can get my hand on when I open the door,
The door is a portal to honesty and truth, a portal of light to tap into my youth.

The youth I’ve been ignoring for years, for most of my life, things need to change to embrace my spice,

My spice,
My wisdom,
My intuition,
My core,
My funside,
My playside,
For creativity, to explore.
There’s an energy inside me, I feel it more every day, it’s seeking an outlet, it’s destiny to play.

What happened to little Emma, she got a little lost, in the expectations of life, but really at what cost?
The cost of freedom to really let rip, the freedom to splat, flick and dip,
Dip into adventures that light up her heart, reminding her that she has a real spark,
A spark is a spark, but it turns into a flame, a flame that creates happiness and gain.

Gaining of momentum,
Gaining of fun,
Gaining of colour,
It’s all just begun!

A photo is a moment, a speck of time, it’s in the past now, no need to recline,
Our imaginations are strong, a narrative they will create, but is our story really our fate?
I’d like to think we’re all creators at core, and to discover there is always more,
A flash, a smile, a grimace on our face, the wind has not blown, it’s not projected into space.

It’s time for me to feel that vibe, the one that leads me to my tribe,
They’ll be dancing and singing, flow and space, to grow into our true selves with gravity and grace,
I saw that exhibition many moons ago, bit it sticks in my mind, therefore was it a good show?
Does it matter what I think, do others even care, to steal a line from a poem “We have no time to stand and stare”.

Life is precious, take every moment by the horns, it’s time to plant and sprout, like an acorn.

Photo of me and my sister, I’m the one on the left.