The Power of Walking Meetings

https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/why-you-should-stand-meetings

I recently was pointed to this article by Virgin's CEO Richard Branson, who stands and walks for meetings as much as possible.  In Sycamore Way's history, I have always encouraged walking sessions with clients, whether it's city sidewalks from their workplace, local walking trails, or if we are fortunate, a local city park.  It is good to ask, why do I encourage this?  Is the sweat worth it in stifling humidity, and the numb fingers from freezing cold?  Yes.  This is why:

1. Breathing "fresh air" - Sometimes urban air maybe not be the freshest, but breathing air outside enlivens and wakes us up.

2. Noticing beauty - When we're outside, we notice beauty in nature, architecture, art, and people.  This is comforting, inspiring, and generative.

3. Exercise - When the majority of one's work is sedentary, it is good for the body to get out and walk.  We burn calories, and increase our energy.  We are not tempted to eat calories we do not need, unless you walking path takes you by the smells of a local bakery!

4. Creative Renewal - Sometimes when you are sitting, staring at a screen, or in meetings in uninspiring conference rooms, creativity is blocked.  The above three points have the power of un-blocking your creativity, renewing it.  

Take a walk!  Take a hike!  Your next brilliant idea or creative breakthrough is down the block and around the corner!

Welcome! Creativity and Soul Care

Creativity is a primary soul care principle, providing a foundation for Sycamore Way's philosophy.  Keep reading to learn more!

Welcome to Sycamore Way's blog!  The hope for this blog is to engage clients and friends of Sycamore Way and other readers in topics relevant to soul care.  In my own learning and practice of soul care, I will post thoughts, questions, and articles from other soul care practitioners and authors.

Creativity as a foundation for Sycamore Way's philosophy is represented in its logo. On the Mission page, insights into the name Sycamore Way are offered, providing a background for the logo.  In my search for a logo artist who would engage with me in a creative process and draw or paint the logo, I was recommended by a friend to Whitney Watts of The Wells Makery.  From the beginning interactions to the finished product, Whitney engaged me with a creative synergy and patience - a generative process for me.  Often I wondered if I was testing her patience by my ignorance in logo artistry, my crazy requests, and revisions.  For anyone not wanting a standard graphic design computerized logo, talk to Whitney!

In the beginning of the logo process I envisioned a sycamore tree rooted next to a stream, but not much more than this.  I wanted the character of water color painted by a human being, not a computerized image.  The colors of the water and tree needed to be vivacious, inviting the viewer to be drawn into the the sycamore way - planted along the riverbank.   What I ended up with exceeded my expectations, and the creative process was incredibly generative.  It felt like a drink of water in the desert, as I do not oft engage in the artistic process in my work. 

In engaging this process, I was reminded that a foundation of soul care being co-creators with a Creator God who has invited us into creativity!  Genesis 1 in the Hebrew Scripture is the basis of this statement.  Furthermore, creativity is stifled when soul care does not exist in a person or in an organizational culture.  People and teams are relegated to completing tasks, and leaders can become micromanaging taskmasters.  Meaning and passion in one's work is lost.  Sycamore Way was created to respond to this reality, offering creative renewal through soul care.  Its logo (and the process behind it) is representative of the invitation into the way of the sycamore.