writing – Brand Strategist | MarComms

Ban Beige! Reflections & Creative Inspirations

October 21, 2025October 21, 2025by Emma PotterLeave a Comment

I love this time of year. There’s a crispness in the air, the trees turn a magical array of mellow yellow, fiery orange, golden brown and rustic red, and I find myself craving a hot chocolate and a good book. (I’m still reading Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, it’s a wonderfully insightful read.)

Like many of you, I can’t quite believe how fast the year is moving; we’re hurtling towards Halloween and cruising into Christmas. But before stepping into those magical moments, I wanted to pause, look in the rear-view mirror, and celebrate a few personal highlights, it’s truly been a time of conscious creativity. Here’s my top three:

Colour as Your Brand’s Emotional Driver

In September, for BIMA, I hosted an interactive masterclass which provided brands and marketers with an immersive journey into the world of colour and behavioural colour psychology. Together, we explored how brands can use colour to stand out, connect, and communicate meaningfully with their ideal customers.

I welcomed a wonderfully diverse mix of attendees to the masterclass, from agency founders and heads of marketing to creative directors, designers, and content leads, representing brands as varied as Pernod Ricard and NHS Trusts.

We reflected on how technology and AI are powerful enablers of efficiency and scale, but they don’t feel, they’re not intuitive. AI can make colour theory digestible, but it can’t imagine. We also talked about how do we use the time gifted back to us by technology to dial up our authentic intelligence (AI) and emotional intelligence (EI)? How do we nurture our creative instincts, build empathy, and strengthen human-to-human connections?

The Q&A sparked fascinating conversations, especially around the colour grey, a tone I like to call “the one that hides in plain sight”. Think of grey battleships blending into the sea or field-grey army uniforms designed not to be visible at a distance.

When showcasing the influence of colour, I shone a spotlight on the ‘Fiat – Operation no more Grey campaign’, and the surprising creative and influential use of pink on-set for the ‘Barbie’ movie.

I’ll be hosting future sessions that dig deeper into the language of colour and how it can powerfully connect brands with their audiences. If you’d like to learn more, I’d love to hear from you.

Colour & Creativity Workshops; hosting Designers and Architects

What a joy it was to collaborate with such brilliant minds in the interior design and architectural community to deliver my Colour and Creativity workshop. Thanks to Nordic Design House and Magda for inviting me and Cesca.

At its heart is a shared belief that creativity is more than just making something beautiful, it goes beyond the aesthetic, it could be considered mindfulness in motion. It’s a moment to pause, to ground ourselves, and to reconnect with colour, with others, and with our own imagination.

We explored creativity as wellbeing, and giving yourself permission to slow down, explore, and express, whilst building calm, confidence, and resilience through simple creative acts. Then we talked about our personal connection with colour, and how we can use the language of colour to communicate, connect and tell human stories.

This workshop is for everyone, not just “creatives.” I always invite attendees to come as you are, and leave with a renewed sense of joy and possibility.

Behind the Canvas: Exhibition & Private Commissions

In September, I was honoured to exhibit alongside fellow artists from across the UK at Brighton Art Space, organised by The Paint Club. I created two pieces, one titled ‘Sunny Surrey Hills’ and the second ‘Nefyn Beach, Wales’. If you missed it, don’t worry, more exhibitions are on the way!

I’ve also been commissioned to create a very special piece for a client in Surrey, designed to capture the feeling and emotion of her late father. It’s a process built on trust, beginning with a 90-minute creative conversation to uncover the story behind the intuitive art.

As Pierre-Auguste Renoir said:

“Art is about emotion; if art needs to be explained, it is no longer art.”

Please do get in touch if you’d like me to create a bespoke, unique piece of art for you.

You can follow me on Instagram here.

Podcasts to Ponder

I love reading, but I also adore the feeling of being part of a conversation, which is why I’m a podcast devotee. If you’re feeling curious and are looking to immerse yourself in the language of colour, here are two I highly recommend:

Stories in Colour – The National Gallery

A vibrant series uncovering the hidden stories behind colour, from history to modern day, this podcast features curators, scientists, historians, and artists. You’ll never look at colour the same way again.

Let’s talk colour

Hosted by the wonderfully colourful founder of The Colour Authority, Judith van Vliet, this podcast features global colour specialists exploring design, psychology, trends, and the transformative power of colour across numerous brands and industries. Every episode inspires me to bring more colour into life and work. Discover more here.

Closing thoughts

Colour is more than what we see, it’s how we feel, connect, and create. The hues we choose can shift our mood, spark imagination, and shape the stories we share.

In a world that’s grown a little too beige, maybe it’s time to bring back the bold. Reintroduce colour, intentionally, thoughtfully, and with heart, into your life, your brand, and your work.

“Colour is one of the most important and powerful universal languages we have.”

Source: Alina Schartner, Design, Colour + Trend | Consultant + Strategist

Break free from beige. Let’s bring the colour back.

Header image: Colour and Creativity Workshop, September 2025.

Inspiration

The language of colour

June 1, 2025June 1, 2025by Emma PotterLeave a Comment

It’s been two weeks since Clerkenwell Design Week and what a corker of an event! So many interesting panel discussions, networking events, wellness sessions and brilliant people to meet. With my passion for colour and the influence it has on brands, businesses, our lives, homes and our wellbeing, it was a delight to be surrounded by people who share my desire to understand and talk more on this topic. But before we dive in, from the sessions I joined and participated in, here’s some key stats that landed for me, I hope they resonate and spark curiosity with you too.

Did you know…

77% of CEO’s use creativity to drive productivity
Colour increases brand recognition by 80%
Colour is an integral part of brand recognition
62% to 90% of decision making is based on colour alone
Trends in colour are influenced my multiple factors from science, intuition, inspiration, social trends and customer preferences, to societal, technological, economic, cultural and political narratives
In 2020 there was an acceleration in the trends towards green, nature and biophilia
Indoor plant sales have doubled in the last 4 years
Milan Week 2025 revealed that the colour trend is moving towards copper (particularly in directional pieces) and butter yellow
Colour for workspace aesthetics trends (2026-2030) include dynamic brights, luminous blue, acidic tones, lava red, metallised colours, all-clusivity, heritage hues, refuge wellness rooms, meadowland green, and nourishing greens, transformative teal, sensorial darks, and a priority towards mental wellness

The journey of colour

In the design world, there are many stages for the journey of colour and its timeline to reaching customers in the market. From ideation where multiple factors influence and are considered in identifying a colour trend, to the innovators and early adopters who buy into the colour before it’s reached peak popularity, to the late adopters who typically buy into the colour 1.5 years post peak popularity, then the laggards who consider purchasing this colour three years post peak popularity. It’s not until it reaches this last stage, when the colour or colours have really connected to public consciousness, that a decision is made by the company about whether the colour will be maintained, go into retirement, or potentially become an all-time classic.

It’s a colours journey through all these stages, spanning 5+ years from innovator to laggard, that enables a business to discover real world outcomes, through research, workshops, seminars, commercial development, marketing and delivery – insights from all these areas along the colour’s timeline inform its life and potential end of life treatment.

Moreover, whilst a colour or trend will suit (or not suit), a brand, product, customer demographic or region, and all sectors including fashion, automotive, interiors and more have their own look books, it was fascinating to hear that so many aspects inspire the innovators and ideation of a colour, sparking imagination of the next colour trend years before it hits the market.

What is the future of colour

This is a pretty loaded question when you think about it. With the advancements of colour and AI, the demand for sustainability in colour, and the desire for design and colour beyond aesthetics – three key topics for discussion – the panel session hosted by Mix Interiors really got me thinking.

Colour & AI

AI is an interesting tool for the design industry and it was a hot topic to kick off the discussion between Harry McKinley from Mix Interiors and his panel of guest speakers Karen Haller Laura Perryman and Justine Fox. At this current time, it was felt that AI can create colour palettes, but a human will always need to give a human touch to complete the palette; but will it remain this way – the jury was out. At present, the panel felt we are only just starting to use AI with colour; however, it can make colour theory more digestible. They also went on to suggest that AI doesn’t feel, it’s not intuitive but it’s great for automation. AI can’t create a new aesthetic in or for design; it doesn’t have lived experiences or sensory perception. It doesn’t intuit or lead.

Karen Haller commented, “AI can’t imagine, it can only react”, “Colour influences how we think, feel and behave” and “Constantly changing colour trends pushes people towards short term choices.” We need to align colour with nature, nature doesn’t follow trends. She went on to say, when we “Apply colour with psychological insight to support how people think, feel and behave” we get the results we seek.

Colour & sustainability

The second topic hotly debated by the panel of experts focused on colour and sustainability. We were reminded that the colours we choose in the built environment have a huge impact on heat retention and using energy, therefore the functional aspect of colour is really important. We need natural, non-toxic colour pigments, nature positive dyes. There’s also lots of ways we can integrate waste products, weeds and other materials into dye, building colour palettes from and for local communities.

Laura talked readily about the “Right to repair”, which reminds me of the ‘make do and mend’ mentality. But it’s more than that, there’s a growing need for sustainability, for products to have a longer life span, to be able to fix and repair things, rather than have a throw away and replace mentality. We need to be able to increase longevity of products, to improve long-term investment. Colour can be adaptive and emotive, helping us connect with the climate and our environment.

Colour beyond aesthetics

The more we can understand colour, the more we can use it too support us, our wellbeing, and our lives. In addition, as we move towards colour beyond aesthetics, the panel reminded the audience that colours are circular – they come round in cycles, materials are circular – they come round in cycles, and that trends are circular – they come round in cycles.

It seems to me that everything comes in cycles, every day, week, month and year. Like nature and the seasons, our world operates and lives in natural cycles.

As mentioned earlier, the influences on colour trends are many, spanning social, societal, political, technological, cultural, economic and ancestral. Yet with all these insights and drivers, we need to be able to create nuance and personalisation – to find peoples own needs in colour, be that warmth, comfort, excitement or feeling grounded.

There is a growing trend towards personalisation – however, there’s also a need to stop looking externally for what’s right for us. Perhaps this is an invitation to go within and ask the question ‘What’s right for me?’.

It was referenced more than once that at present, due to political and economic influences, as humans we have double fatigue, so it’s more important than ever to look into how colour can support our wellbeing.

To close the panel, Harry McKinley, managing editor, MIX Interiors, asked the panel in three to five words to say ‘What’s next in colour, what’s the trend?’

For behavioural and emotional benefit – Karen Haller
Design and quality – Laura Perryman
Beyond aesthetics – Justine Fox

Conversations at Clerkenwell

It was fascinating being at the session hosted by Alexi Cowan, head of interiors, WSGN, where they focused on colour for workspace aesthetics trends 2026-2030. They also highlighted three key trending topics, ‘Joy in colour’, ‘Power of Nostalgia’ and ‘Holistic wellbeing’.

Joy in colour

This is all about purposeful play, the importance for all ages to integrate play into their day, celebrating micro moments of play to spark joy and creativity, and to make sure that play aligns with your company values. In interiors this means making designs fun and functional, adding layers for depth, thinking about textures to enliven our senses, the agile use of furniture and design, for interiors and design to be a channel for self-expression, and to focus on personalisation. It’s a must to link colour to your collections and to also bring colour to functional pieces.

Power of nostalgia

Here the focus was on nostalgia; for example, to consider using faux products and finishes, to create cocoon like spaces, to use wood as a finish and colours that have an amber haze or cocoa powder feel. The was an invitation to think of brown as the new black, to consider metallic finishes and copper tones, to create luxe high-end finishes, and to embrace shape, silhouettes, colour and style, to combine modern with old, as a means to bring a nostalgic element to design – think cherry lacquer, dark berry tones with high gloss finishes to create a seductive, luxurious experience.

Holistic wellbeing

For me, the continued focus on wellbeing is a must – harmonious palettes, neutrals, tonality and external contrast, with a lean towards pink pigmented hues, less orange terracotta, colours that are warm, earthy, and resilient. Biophilic design will continue to be popular with interior living plants, spaces that have lots of amazing natural light and are relaxing airy spaces that have a high-end, quality finish.

On the wellbeing front, it was wonderful to participate in a ‘self-massage workshop’ hosted by Nordic Design House, plus to have lunch and catch up with Mags.

Until CDW 2026 – Thank you!

I appreciate this has been a bit of a whistle stop tour, but I hope I’ve sparked your curiosity about what’s possible with colour and what’s coming in the world of colour.

A huge thank you to everyone who made my #CDW2025 experience so colourful and expansive – Karen Haller, Justine Fox, Laura Perryman, Harry McKinley, Magdalena Tym, Michaela Reysenn, Catriona Hammett, Mary Sholl, Charlotte Raffo, Emma Freeman, Alexei Cowan, Jason Graham, Seetal Ladva, Domus Group, MIX Interiors, KAI Interiors, Nordic Design House, Hansgrohe, Colourhive, WGSN, Soundbox Store and many more.

Let’s work together

With over 20 years of experience working with innovative and disruptive-tech businesses across a variety of sectors – from HR-tech and digital to creative agencies and interior design, I bring a blend of commercial acumen and creative thinking to everything I do. I’m a strategic yet hands-on leader with a passion for collaboration and an action-oriented mindset that delivers real results.

My approach is human to human, balancing the analytical left brain (facts, figures, and data) with the intuitive creativity of the right brain (emotion, imagination, and storytelling) – because I believe the magic happens when you combine these two key ingredients.

Get in touch – I’d love to talk.

Header image: Snapped at Clerkenwell Design Week

Inspiration

What is colour to you?

April 29, 2025by Emma PotterLeave a Comment

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting a woman who has inspired me for quite some time, the brilliant Judith Van Vliet. With a global career filled with creativity and colour, Judith is the founder of The Color Authority, and host of the podcast Let’s Talk Color, where she speaks with colour specialists from around the world about their work, passion, and the emotional and psychological power of colour.

The event I attended featured Judith in conversation with Hamish Kilburn, discussing findings from the newly released trend report Shaping Tomorrow – Future Design & Architecture 2025–2026. Since that evening, I’ve been completely immersed in the book, soaking in the five key themes: Origin, Solace, Nature, Urban, and Wonder. Each one resonated deeply, and affirmed the powerful role colour plays in design, emotion, and identity.

Colourful conversations

One question Judith often asks her podcast guests really stayed with me: “What is colour to you?” While we chatted after the panel, we didn’t get to explore that question — so I’ve taken time to reflect:

Colour is life
Colour is energy
Colour influences how I feel and behave
Colour impacts how I connect — with myself and others
Colour is community, creativity, healing
Colour is the language my soul speaks

To me, colour is everything.

A huge thank you to Judith Van Vliet, Enric Pastor, Cosentino, and all who contributed to this collaborative and insightful vision for the future of design. It was a joy to meet so many inspiring individuals, including Pilar Rubio, Susie Hobbs, Sydney Davidson and others.

Colour, connection & creativity

My passion for colour runs deep, leading me to study applied behavioural colour psychology through two distinct lenses. From a branding perspective, I use my marketing expertise to harness the psychological impact of colour in shaping identity and perception. As an artist, I encourage others to explore their creativity through colour, connecting with their emotions and intuition in deeply personal ways.

Alongside my artistic and branding work, I’m also a certified NLP Practitioner, Creative Orientation Coach, and Intuitive Coach. I weave together these disciplines, along with my colour psychology training, to design unique and transformative coaching programmes and workshops. My superpower is helping others unlock their creative potential and embrace self-expression with confidence and clarity.

If you’ve ever felt the pull to be more creative but weren’t sure where to start, I warmly invite you to join me for one of my Colour & Creativity workshops. These sessions are a gentle, joyful space to reconnect with yourself, explore colour in a meaningful way, and express your creativity.

Now I’d love to hear from you:
What is colour to you and how do you embrace it in your life or business?

Let’s work together

Get in touch – I’d love to talk.

Header image: Authors headshot.

Colour, Creative

The season of inspired play

April 11, 2025by Emma PotterLeave a Comment

As we step into a new season and quarter, April feels like the perfect time to embrace a fresh, creative mindset. Over the past few weeks and months, conversations with a couple of inspiring women have sparked the idea to develop two unique creative workshops. I’ve been intentionally seeking out collaborations with coaches, artists, practitioners, and specialists to co-create something new – blending my love for colour, creativity, and intuitive, conscious decision-making with our shared skills. The goal? To craft magical, memorable experiences that truly resonate on a human level.

Here’s a brief overview of the workshops to whet your appetite…

Conscious Creativity

Are you feeling stuck or creatively blocked?
Do you want to feel more connected to your body and your emotions?
Have you felt a craving for a playful, supportive, soulful experience?

Remembering the art of play and curiosity through creative embodiment, Conscious Creativity is a soul-nourishing workshop that invites you to explore creativity as a healing practice. Through colour, intuitive art, guided meditation, and somatic movement, you’ll reconnect to the wisdom within and find joy in self-expression – without judgment or pressure.

This isn’t your standard workshop and you can expect something a little different as you will experience a blend of grounding breathwork with gentle transformative somatic movement and intention setting, to creative expression through writing, colour and intuitive painting. A space to share, express, be seen and heard.

Hosted in Blossoms Wellness Centre, tucked away in the countryside village of Kilmington, Devon, the event will be hosted by me and Gemma Norris.

Gemma is a healing practitioner and is the founder member of The Infinity Health Hub. She has 16 years’ experience in Reiki, Myofascial Release, body work therapies and brings a grounded yet intuitive presence to her practice. Discover more about Gemma Norris here.

When does the workshop take place?

Sunday 4th May, 10:00 to 13:30, Blossoms Wellness Centre, Devon
Book now – Limited to 20 spaces

Colour & Creativity

Have you always wanted to do something creative but didn’t know where to begin?
Are you curious about playing with colour but afraid of “getting it wrong”?
Maybe you’ve looked into traditional art classes or workshops, but none of them truly struck a chord?

If you’ve nodded along to any of these, then our Colour & Creativity Workshop is made for you.

At the heart of Colour & Creativity is a shared passion for helping people reconnect with themselves. For me and Cesca, creativity is more than making something beautiful – it’s a form of mindfulness, a moment of meditation, and a way to ground yourself in the present moment. We believe colour and creativity can transform lives in small but meaningful ways.

Join us for an afternoon of colour and craft where you’ll be guided through the process of creating a beautiful crepe paper flower and gain an understanding of how to use colour.

Based in Surrey, South London, Cesca is a multidisciplinary artist with a background working as a display artist for Anthropologie, as well as working in TV and Film, her portfolio of work is extremely diverse. Discover more about Cesca Molly Flowers here.

When does the workshop take place?

• Saturday 31st May, 13:00-16:00, St. Mary’s Church, East Molesey, Surrey
• Book now – Limited spaces available

Whether you’re looking to dip your toes into creativity, meet like-minded people, or simply spend a few hours being creative and more mindful, we invite you to join us. To find out more please drop me an email – emma@emmapotter.com

Curious to collaborate?

My passion for colour runs deep and it led me to study applied behavioural colour psychology through two distinct lenses. From a branding perspective, I apply my expertise in marketing to harness the psychological impact of colour in shaping brand identity and perception. As an artist, I inspire others to explore their creative expression through colour, encouraging them to connect with their emotions and intuition in a deeply personal way.

As a certified NLP Practitioner, Creative Orientation Coach, and Intuitive Coach, I blend my diverse skill set with applied behavioural colour psychology to create truly unique coaching experiences. My superpower lies in weaving these disciplines together into transformative coaching programmes and workshops, helping individuals unlock their creative potential and embrace self-expression with confidence.

Let’s work together

With over 20 years of experience working with innovative and disruptive-tech businesses across a variety of sectors—from HR-tech and digital to creative agencies and interior design—I bring a blend of commercial acumen and creative thinking to everything I do. I’m a strategic yet hands-on leader with a passion for collaboration and an action-oriented mindset that delivers real results.

My approach is human to human, balancing the analytical left brain (facts, figures, and data) with the intuitive creativity of the right brain (emotion, imagination, and storytelling)—because I believe the magic happens when you combine these two key ingredients.

Get in touch – I’d love to talk.

Header image – Author and artists own work.

Marketing

Cyber Exchange 360 – Insights and takeaways

November 11, 2024November 11, 2024by Emma PotterLeave a Comment

Last week I had the opportunity to join an afternoon packed with interesting conversations at the Cyber CMO 360 Meet-Up and Cyber Exchange 360 – ‘Talk to the board’ session, hosted at the Science Museum, London. The event provided a new invaluable chance to connect with peers, share strategies for maximising event success, and engage in meaningful discussions.

CyberCMO 360

Gathering heads of marketing, the CMO roundtable, hosted over a delicious lunch, presented the perfect opportunity to talk with other seasoned marketers and engage in a lively debate about the challenges facing sales and marketing teams, and aligning KPIs – specifically around events. The hotly contested topic of attribution continues, as does the desire for marketing not to be consider as a cost centre, but for sales and marketing to potentially report into a CRO. This approach would ensure teams are aligned, and trusted communications and good relations are at play – after all, marketing is a revenue generating part of a business.

Talk to the board

Following the roundtable, I was able to attend and hear Board Directors from Enterprise and Technology companies at ‘Talk to the Board’ session, part two, in which many questions were asked by moderator, Steve Hill, former global CISO, Credit Suisse, to the panel of experts. Forming a formidable line-up, the panel included Lorraine Heggessey, former controller of BBC1, Roger Flynn, Chairman, Cooke Optics, former CEO and Leader in Transformation Change, Virgin, British Airways, Prudential, Haydn Brooks, CEO and co-founder, Risk Ledger and Rupert Lee-Browne, Chairman and group Chief Executive Officer, Caxton.

There were so many insights to capture but here’s some sound bites from the ‘Talk to the board’ session, where they touched on the subject of mental fitness and the rise in the importance to talk more openly.

Key takeaways

Learn how to deal with stress in your own way, and in a positive way – there’s no such thing as a stress-free job
Be there for your team, they also need to be there for you – foster a culture that’s transparent, compassionate, empathetic and supportive
If you enjoy what you’re doing, stress can be viewed in a different way, we can thrive on it
Make sure you enjoy your job – we all have a choice where and how we work, empower yourself – take license over your own destiny
Leaders have a responsibility to empower their people and teams – install a culture that’s supportive. As a leader, you have to be able to lean on your team for insights, guidance and advice
The importance of executive coaching – from being a leader in your field to executive level, it’s imperative to work on your weaknesses. Learn how to lead and be a great leader, understand the bigger picture. If your organisation offers it, say yes to executive coaching
Transparency – where do we draw the line, to keep staff motivated and on board. How far do you go with it?
Company culture – If I was forced to choose one key takeaway, it is this. When growing or running a successful business, focus on your company culture, everything flows from here – it’s a foundational and core piece to your brand strategy – a subject I’m passionate about

Build your network

Thank you to Pulse Events for organising, and to Amanda Coles and Sarah Moss, founders of the Sphere network – a platform designed to bring together a community of great people to build meaningful connections in cybersecurity and data security marketing, for the invite to join and for hosting an insightful CMO round table discussion. Also, it was great to spend the afternoon with one of my clients, MD and founder, Paula Elliott from disruptive-tech PR agency C8 Consulting.

For those who don’t know me, I help forward-thinking, innovative MDs and founders build brand value by unlocking potential and creating change. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and say “Hello”.

Photo by Anna Tarazevich, Pexels.

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.

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.