Susan Austin lights up
Susan Austin is an artist.
She has been on the Sync Intensives programme.
Last month we told you about what she did and this month she talks about how she works.
She has limited energy - she can't work for a long time all in one go. This means she has to think carefully about how she works.
She can be a 'spark' though, and can pass her flame onto others.
This article has been written in the same way - she 'sparked' and Jo Verrent then edited the article based on Susan's words and ideas.
Sparks
I want to talk about acting like a spark of light.
This is how I have come to think about my way of leading through being on the Sync Intensives programme.
I have limited mental/ physical energy to act in the world. Sync has helped me understand that this doesn't mean I can't lead.
My experience can actually be very positive. I am good at thinking about things differently and come up with new solutions.
These ideas can spark change.
Lighting torches
So how does my ‘spark’ pass on to others?
When I have an idea, I immediately think about any challenges that might come up and how I might get around these.
Next I talk to people - I like to get lots of different people involved. Some of these people get excited about the idea too - my idea has become our idea. My spark has become their flame.
When there are more of us interested in the idea, even more people start to catch on too. A big flame draws more attention than a tiny spark!
When an idea really catches on, it can spread like wild fire. It's not just my idea now... it's owned by everyone. We all share the idea. We are all on fire with the possibilities.
Together
I need other people. I can't lead without them.
I need physical assistance because of my disability but I don't see this as a barrier. I can make this part of how I work. I can be creative about how I work with other people.
If you are a disabled person and on benefits, it can be hard to work as an artist and to gain extra money. I think there are different ways we can look at this. We can make this positive too. I am setting up a group to look at this problem at the moment.
One way of looking at both these things is through something I call the 'strengths assessment' model. I look at someone's strengths, and what they need, and then match them with someone else who has different strengths and different needs - ones that 'fit' the other person. This way, both people get their needs met and both people can play to their strengths.
This can stop us being, or feeling, dependent.
Sync – a fire starter
Sync has really helped me think these ideas through.
Thinking about myself as a spark passing on fire to others, has really helped me think about how I lead and what I can do.
I have been able to value myself, value my spark.
This is important for me, but it is also important for other people too.
I want other disabled people to think differently about themselves.
People should not see themselves as different or lesser simply because there are some things they cannot do.
Changing how we think about disability
Do you remember Daniel James? He was a rugby player who became disabled as a result of an accident. He went to a clinic in Switzerland where you can choose to die because he couldn’t face the idea of being a wheelchair user for the rest of his life. He was 23.
Disability is still seen by some people as a bad thing.
Even disabled people can see disability as bad - because everything around us seems to tell us so.
I want to change how people think about disability. To do this, I have to use myself as an example. My art work tries to get people to think about disability differently.
My photo of my wheelchair underwater is an example of this. It shows me and my chair in a different place. It makes people think about what is possible. It makes people have a different view on disability and on difference.
Burning for a long time
When ideas are held by lots of people, they can 'burn' for longer - they are bigger, stronger and more long lasting.
I work on lots of different levels with my work - I am very interested in studying how people react and building this into my work too.
We all need to work with others, especially at the moment. We can all benefit from 'burning for a long time'. Working with others doesn't mean we are dependent on them. It means working with them as equals. Can we find equals to work with?
We can ask ourselves questions when we meet people - Can we spark with this person, this company, this organisation? Can we set them alight with our ideas? Can we share our ideas with them and let them own them too?
A bigger flame means we all get to be warm, we can all see better.
Or go directly to Susan’s own site…
