Encourage Healthy Risk taking!

I really do wonder how we can encourage adventure, aspiration and possibility, particularly with our children - and then scare them out of doing anything! The logical conclusion of this stifling risk averse mentality is that everything gets reduced, and in the long term I worry that this will kill imagination. The starting point for adventurous creativity is most often met with a "no but" response, rarely with a "yes and". Most things that have ever been attempted, invented or realised in this world have been labeled crazy or impossible, how would we respond to the Wright Brothers now?  Don't get me wrong - I'm not opposed to sensible assessment of the risks of any situation, but as an artist and theatre maker I feel the energy drain that follows the sharing of a great new idea. Yes, no time for the dreamer, straight into the realist and critic ( Disney Strategy). This is what this culture promotes, choking wonderful creative ideas before they are born with all the reasons why it can't be done. I have recently proposed an idea for an exciting new project, I wanted to share the images, the stories and the journey, the first response I got was to fill out a risk assessment. This conversation is a killer to creativity.  To all Health and Safety professionals I make a plea, allow the idea to be born and breath a little before shooting it down in flames. Encourage kids to think big, rich and wonderful things, to invent and create, make space for this before you ban them from doing cartwheels in the playground!

First Blog

So here I am - Sunday evening, having decided to start a blog. I am just starting this but very much looking forward to it! Watch this space!