I recently did a workshop with a group of staff members from an organisation, and art making was an invitation for the group to get a sense of how they might show up in certain moments. With their colleagues, with their expectations of themselves, their expectations of others, the support they might need. Something about who they become in the presence of the other, became visible.

Some questions that came up were:

What are some of the boundaries we let go of?
What are the roles we take on - whether we want to or not?
What are the parts of ourselves that we leave out?
How do we deal with challenges?
How do we deal with risks?
How much space do we feel safe taking up?
What are the bottom lines we have about ourselves?
How can the lovers of creativity work collaboratively with the lovers of structure?

I’ve always said my work is all about relationships. To self and to other, and to the spaces you create beyond that - with our partners, in parenthood, in community, in activism. Our relationships in the workplace are no different.

Especially when you consider that many of us will spend 13 years = 1/3 of our lifetime = 90,000 hours in the workplace, or navigating work related relationships. (Say a few articles I googled, but you get the gist!)

What do you think might show up in your artwork about who you are in your work relationships?