Cool that you did dry January! I stopped drinking a while ago because I was going to the gym in the morning and I noticed when I didn't drink it was easier to go to the gym (duh) and because I loved the gym so much it was an easy trade off. Now I don't go to the gym but I write and the same is still true: it's easier to wake up early if I don't drink. All of this to say, I think it's only easy to give up something if there's a real reason for it or if we've noticed that keeping the habit isn't really working for us anymore
Ha ha - yes it takes a while for realisations like that to hit, especially as it gets harder to bounce back from a couple of glasses of wine as we age. I have however firmly reintegrated it into my weekend life!
The grassroots thing - it takes one or more truly dedicated people who have the time and the energy and the patience to deal with everyone else. Here in sunny Bournemouth there one amazing chap called Dominic who has set up and run a writing festival - this will be its third year and he’s already won a gold tourism award. He does have the support of his wife and now a handful of local authors too - but mainly he’s the driving point and he’s very personable and likeable. There’s also a couple in East London who started trying to get everyone in their street involved in putting solar panels on all the roofs to create their own power station. He’s a film maker and she’s an artist and they came up with some truly original ways to get the project going - like sleeping on their roof last winter! The project is still going. But you are very right - grassroots stuff can be tricky. It really needs a group of like-minded folk who aren’t going to fall out over silly things and constantly vie for power.
If this project is for a phd there’s definitely room for feedback along these lines :)
That’s it, it takes real dedication to set these things up and keep the momentum going, especially keeping positivity. I worked on a few community things when I was in York and just felt exhausted & frustrated in the end! With one project there was a huge clash, shouting & leaving a meeting etc. not much fun! I’m quite conflicted averse so when things get fighty I tend to run away!!
Both those projects sound brilliant - a writing festival sounds amazing.
Yes I’m really looking forward to it. Didn’t get to the first one, but volunteered last year, and this year I will go to a few lectures then on the Sunday will be promoting my new business helping authors with their social media. Who knows what will happen by next year ;)
I think I’d need the right kind of people with me if I were to get involved with a grassroots project. No point making hard work for myself from the start by having to work with people I didn’t get on with. You are right to be cautious.
Sounds great and a perfect place to meet authors - how are things going with the new business? Where can I find you on socials?
Absolutely agree, you need a good bunch of people around you. We already have some distrust here around one of the larger initiatives on the island so that's informed what I think could/would work here. If there is voluntary buy in from people then it's ok, but if decisions are made that affect everyone on the island then it becomes trickier.
I have two clients now. It’s still early days and I’m working it out as I go along, but it feels right. We are linked on LinkedIn, or at least I follow you (under my real world name - Elanor McBay!). I’ve also just set up an Instagram account for Write Buzz Media. Nothing on there yet. Met one client yesterday, meeting the other this morning. It’s all very positive and exciting :)
I had a dream of what it would be like to set up a tiny home community where l resources were shared, and I know there are places like this but exist, but the reality of setting it up, running it, dealing with egos and people who want to change things etc etc etc etc...... madame firmly keep it at dream 🤣
Cool that you did dry January! I stopped drinking a while ago because I was going to the gym in the morning and I noticed when I didn't drink it was easier to go to the gym (duh) and because I loved the gym so much it was an easy trade off. Now I don't go to the gym but I write and the same is still true: it's easier to wake up early if I don't drink. All of this to say, I think it's only easy to give up something if there's a real reason for it or if we've noticed that keeping the habit isn't really working for us anymore
Ha ha - yes it takes a while for realisations like that to hit, especially as it gets harder to bounce back from a couple of glasses of wine as we age. I have however firmly reintegrated it into my weekend life!
The grassroots thing - it takes one or more truly dedicated people who have the time and the energy and the patience to deal with everyone else. Here in sunny Bournemouth there one amazing chap called Dominic who has set up and run a writing festival - this will be its third year and he’s already won a gold tourism award. He does have the support of his wife and now a handful of local authors too - but mainly he’s the driving point and he’s very personable and likeable. There’s also a couple in East London who started trying to get everyone in their street involved in putting solar panels on all the roofs to create their own power station. He’s a film maker and she’s an artist and they came up with some truly original ways to get the project going - like sleeping on their roof last winter! The project is still going. But you are very right - grassroots stuff can be tricky. It really needs a group of like-minded folk who aren’t going to fall out over silly things and constantly vie for power.
If this project is for a phd there’s definitely room for feedback along these lines :)
That’s it, it takes real dedication to set these things up and keep the momentum going, especially keeping positivity. I worked on a few community things when I was in York and just felt exhausted & frustrated in the end! With one project there was a huge clash, shouting & leaving a meeting etc. not much fun! I’m quite conflicted averse so when things get fighty I tend to run away!!
Both those projects sound brilliant - a writing festival sounds amazing.
Yes I’m really looking forward to it. Didn’t get to the first one, but volunteered last year, and this year I will go to a few lectures then on the Sunday will be promoting my new business helping authors with their social media. Who knows what will happen by next year ;)
I think I’d need the right kind of people with me if I were to get involved with a grassroots project. No point making hard work for myself from the start by having to work with people I didn’t get on with. You are right to be cautious.
Sounds great and a perfect place to meet authors - how are things going with the new business? Where can I find you on socials?
Absolutely agree, you need a good bunch of people around you. We already have some distrust here around one of the larger initiatives on the island so that's informed what I think could/would work here. If there is voluntary buy in from people then it's ok, but if decisions are made that affect everyone on the island then it becomes trickier.
I have two clients now. It’s still early days and I’m working it out as I go along, but it feels right. We are linked on LinkedIn, or at least I follow you (under my real world name - Elanor McBay!). I’ve also just set up an Instagram account for Write Buzz Media. Nothing on there yet. Met one client yesterday, meeting the other this morning. It’s all very positive and exciting :)
I did wonder if you used a pen name, but in my naivety I thought Bronwen was your real name! This is very exciting - well done!
Thank you :)
I was originally named Elanor Bronwen Leigh Minchin. So it kind of still is my name :)
I had a dream of what it would be like to set up a tiny home community where l resources were shared, and I know there are places like this but exist, but the reality of setting it up, running it, dealing with egos and people who want to change things etc etc etc etc...... madame firmly keep it at dream 🤣
Interesting post ☺️