Else Kramer - Visual Revolutionaries

27/03/2024

Feeling stressed?

Here's an easy technique to drop back into your body after spending a lot of time in your head.

Close your eyes, allow yourself a big sigh or two, and then move your attention to the back of your body.

Become aware of your back, all the muscles in there, and how they feel.

Then slowly travel outwards, becoming aware of everything that's in the space behind you, like the back of your chair, maybe a friendly plant, bookcases, etc. until you've reached the wall.

Notice how good it feels when you become more embodied - and hang out here for as long as you like.

We fast-brained humans tend to live mostly in our heads, with our focus on a tiny space in front of us (hello screens!). Doing this quick exercise is like colouring in the rest of your body - and world - again.

Give yourself two minutes today to give it a try, and let me know what it's like.

Image: Ôkawa Hashizô I as Tenjiku Kanja, Utagawa, Osaka, 1848 from the Rijksmuseum Colection

22/03/2024

I deleted 15.000 unread emails today.

They lived in a news folder that I was cleverly ignoring.

I had managed to kid myself into thinking "I'll get to that someday".

But Spring is obviously in the air and getting to me - not only did I clear out my newsletter folder today, I also removed a years' worth of paint build-up from my brayers.

Which was almost as satisfying as deleting 15.000 unread emails.

The most interesting thing about those mails?

They were addressed to my past self.

Past me - who thought that she needed to sign up for everything, had massive FOMO, looked outside rather than inside for guidance.

As I looked through these mails I realised that they had become completely irrelevant.

I pretty much know what to do - and when I don't, I have some very smart and kind-hearted people I go to for guidance and solicited advice.

I'm incredibly selective with my time and attention - I want my inbox to reflect that.

Quality.
Value.
Connection, delight, inspiration.

If it doesn't meet any of those criteria - it's a hard (and easy) 'NO'.

What are you still saying yes to that doesn’t work with who you have become?

Figure it out, and hit ‘DELETE’.

And if you’d like some help with that I currently have a Spring Cleaning offer to help you get clear on your next steps. Send a DM or reply 'dust bunny' in the comments below and I'll get you all the details.

21/03/2024

***How I hacked time to get things done with my smart ADHD brain***

See that dude with the scythe at the top of this mid-18th century clock? It's Father Time, ready to cut your life thread when time runs out.

No pressure.

If, like me, you have a brain that is time-blind and wildly ambitious, you likely plan a thousand times more than is actually humanly possible.

Which means that

=> either you never start work on a project because something inside you realises that you're planning the impossible and are bound to fail

=> or you start, push yourself, go on for WAY too long without breaks and then feel exhausted and completely dissatisfied with your progress afterwards

The problem is not you - it's the completely unrealistic expectations of your untypical brain, which we're not even going to try and fix because they're also a superpower.

Instead, we're going to redirect and refocus.

Here's how:

=> Restrict the amount of time you’re ALLOWED to work on a project

20/03/2024

Let's talk about masking in smart humans.

If you're fast-brained, odds are that you have to constantly accommodate at work in order to:
=> communicate well with others
=> not be completely disliked
=> get things done

Luxury problem to have? Maybe.

Necessary byproduct of having a smart mind? Probably.

Unsustainable if you have to do it continuously? Definitely.

It's a massive energy drain and wreaks havoc with your well-being.

So even if you're strategically masking at work, make sure that you build in time with people with similar minds, where you can take of the mask and be your own fast-brained self.

Don't know any other members of tribe yet? They're probably hiding, like you.

Here's an idea to draw them out: show up more as your shamelessly smart self. Make it feel safer for others by going first.

And if you're reading this and are in a leadership/HR position, know this: your gifted employees need to feel safe and seen just as much as the others. Make sure they’re supported and encouraged, rather than leaving them to their own devices ‘because if they’re so smart’ they can figure everything out.’

Also: if you're on LinkedIn, here's a poll on how safe you feel to be smart at work
https://lnkd.in/eM_7f_Ww?



Image: Japanese mask, possibly 19th cent, Smithsonian Design Museum

19/03/2024

I love finding treasures in thrift stores - especially art books that nobody else on the planet is interested in.

My latest find is a beautifully produced series of volumes devoted to Gothic and Baroque Choir Stalls in the Netherlands.

Now you, dear reader, probably understand why other thrift store shoppers weren’t all over these books from the late 1940s. Granted, not a lot of humans have ‘learn more about Gothic and Baroque Choir Stalls’ high on their wish list.

But they are totally missing out.

These books are astonishing. The wood carvings depicted are exquisite.

And that's not all - it’s the photography that makes these volumes a true treasure.

The photographer, Martien Coppens has truly SEEN these works and manages to evoke all the emotions that the carvers painstakingly put into them.

His pictures incredible.

The lighting is perfect.

The framing is just right.

He shows all the detail of the material and still draws us into the emotion of the stories.

His work is truly moving - it shows incredible devotion.

And I don’t mean in the religious sense - though that, of course, is there too.

I’m more interested in his devotion to his craft.

In doing a thing well, devoting yourself to it, mastering it.

It’s such an underrated idea these days.

But so valuable.

If you find something you want to devote yourself to you won’t have to motivate yourself, find your why, be anxious about recognition or accolades.

There won't be any second guessing, dillydallying or distraction.

When you're devoted to something you are inherently driven to do it, and to do it well. Because the reward is in the doing. Which is such a joy.

To me, devotion is a form of love in action. It’s applied joy.

Whether it’s the love of the carver for the wood, the love of the photographer for the light, or the love of the baker for the perfect bread doesn’t matter: it’s one of the most beautiful things in the world.

So if you haven’t already, find something you want to devote yourself to. And if you have, great - share in the comments what it is so that we can share in your joy.

And watch this space for more …

18/03/2024

It's beginning to look a lot like Spring over here in the Netherlands and though I can't say I enjoy the pollen I DO love the blooms.

This is a picture of the stunning Magnolias outside my office building:

Now the inside of my office is a different story - there's a bit of Spring Cleaning that needs to be done.

It's time to let go of things I no longer need, to make room for new ideas, projects, and other delights (which is Instagram speak for "it's a complete mess - the floor and all of my desks are covered in stuff that I'm trying to figure out what to do with").

It kind of sucks to be in the middle of this - but I know it will be so much better on the other side.

And I suggest you do some Spring Cleaning too - not just in your space, but also looking at your job or business.

Put it all out there and take a good look.

What do you want to keep - and what do you want to let go of?

Should you stay - or should you pack your bags and change roles, careers, focus?

If you'd like some help with that I have a special Spring Cleaning package for you, consisting of a 90-minute deep-dive and two follow-up sessions.

You'll get clarity on what it is you truly want, and on the next steps to get there.

Comment 'dust bunny' below or send me a DM and I'll get you all the details.

And in the meantime - don't forget to watch those flowers bloom. It's magic.

03/08/2022

In this week's episode of the Managing the Smart Mind Podcast I talk about the Dark Side of Self-Improvement.

Is the idea that you should improve yourself serving you? Or is it actually getting you stuck on a hamster-wheel of negative self-talk and self-depreciation?

To find out, listen to this week's podcast on your favourite podcast app, or via this link, (and yes, those people are holding broccoli! - friggin' broccoli!!!!)

https://managingthesmartmind.buzzsprout.com/1960175/11067816-episode-24-the-dark-side-of-self-improvement

Photo by BrocnBells.com Team on Unsplash

22/07/2022

***Friday Thoughts July 22nd***

Hey smart human!

Last week, I got to spend six wonderful days in the North of Holland, in a villa on a lake.

We had no plans, just a whole bunch of books, great food and lots of water around to play in.

I honestly don’t often go on trip like this - I tend to travel to look at art. Lots of it.

And I must admit I was a bit apprehensive at first - despite bringing a massive pile of books to read (I really love having an old Volvo station wagon).

In the past, when I went on ‘nature’ trips that weren’t very physically demanding, my brain would start a revolt.

It would rebel against the perceived monotony (see one tree, seen them all) and start catastrophising just to have something to do.

The result: a whole lot of unnecessary anxiety. Let’s face it, there probably aren’t axe murderers behind every relatively large tree in the average Dutch forest.

But this time round, I knew what to do.

I was going to magnanimously indulge my brain.

Instead of magically making it ‘calm down’, I decided to meet it with kindness. To treat it like a rather hyper dog that I needed to keep throwing a tennis ball for until it had finally happily exhausted itself.

The tennis ball for my brain?

I gave it permission to do a deep dive into regional history and folklore.

To read Wikipedia articles on any tiny town, forest or historic building that I came across.

It was delightful.

It kept my brain busy - but in a nice low stakes stressless way.

It kept my family mildly entertained as I kept sharing gems like ‘did you know that the builder of the worlds’ oldest still working planetarium was banned from his hometown.’ (Although eventually they did tell me to shut up).

And it was delightful to learn so many new, probably pretty useless but overall fun facts which I will have no problem forgetting again. Except of course for the fact the the Old Crane in the German town of Luneburg was used to hoist up a British-made locomotive and lots of railway track, and thus, in a way, was an agent of its own demise.

So this weekend, and all Summer, if you’re trying to relax and your brain starts to sulk, instead of fighting it simply indulge it.

Throw something at it it can amuse itself with, instead of running around you in circles trying to get attention.

Don’t force that super powerful clump of cells in your head to be still if it doesn’t want to - it won’t work.

And when it’s gorged itself on the history of Andalusian cuisine, Steam Locomotives in Germany in the 1840s, crazy cryptograms or whatever you choose to feed it, that’s when you get to relax together.

Happy brain - happy human.

Have a gorgeous weekend,

Else a.k.a. Coach Kramer

P.S. Want to receive these Friday Thoughts in your inbox every - you guessed it - Friday? Sign up at coachkramer.org or follow me on LinkedIn (yeah, I’m the same person over there)

11/05/2022

Loved this work by at the Biennale

06/05/2022

29/04/2022

In this third episode of the Managing the Smart Mind podcast I look at something that undermines your self-confidence on a daily-basis: people pleasing.

We all do it - saying ‘yes’ we we want to say ‘no’, not rocking the boat, not speaking up, smiling when we want to scream.

I give examples of how and where it can show up, and how you stop doing it.

Letting go of people pleasing is not easy - but trust me: living your life out of integrity is much, much harder in the long run.

So check out my tips in the podcast give them a try.

You can find it on your favourite podcast app, or on my website:
https://www.coachkramer.org/podcast

25/03/2022

The podcast is now live on Spotify and Apple podcasts!

I’m doing a happy dance 💃💃💃

You can enjoy three episodes already - I suggest taking them in order, but feel free to dip into any that tickles your fancy.

No Spotify/Apple? No worries - go to coachkramer.org/podcast and you’ll find them all, including transcripts.