Resilience — Bronwyn Davies Studio

I have just had the privilege of being involved in the presentation of the Resilient Women event with Making Good Alliance, Scenic Rim Regional Council with support from WOW (Women of the World Australia).

What does it take to be a Resilient Woman was the theme for our October Arts Dinner backed up the next day with talks -What Does Resilient Leadership Look Like, Be Someone Who Does Something Bystander Workshop addressing discrimination, domestic violence and coercive control, and panel on Economic Security for Women and Girls followed by a discussion about the Future for Women and Girls! Alongside that there were markets and workshops and buskers and food vans. Though I would have liked to see more people attending those that came loved it…one woman who had been a victim of domestic violence said ‘it was the best day of her life and just what she needed right then!’

“‘it was the best day of her life and just what she needed right then!’ ”

— attendee at Resilient Women

As a cultural worker it’s frustrating to have measures that are always about economic impact and that wellbeing and the changes that can be brought about through cultural and community development just do not carry the weight or the tools to measure the impact. I am heartened to learn the OECD have been doing work in this area but it has yet to trickle down to organisations and governments here . Still its hard to stay positive but when your hard work results in someone saying it was the best day of their life that is pretty rewarding.

So I ask myself after all the talks, after all the projects and events, all the meetings, reports, analysis, strategies, all the relationships, progress, setbacks, failures and successes, the burnouts, the personal ups and downs…. after almost 30 years in the sector, with 16 in Local Government…. am I resilient? If I am, how did I become so and what is my tip for resilience?

The top take-aways from the different discussions were ;

don’t be afraid just give it a crack
when you stumble get back up
not - ‘you can take a horse to water but you cant make it drink’ - rather ‘there is the water if you are thirsty’
have a good support network
teach children financial literacy
build things one step at a time
stay curious, ask questions
don’t be afraid to fail- failure is only a lesson not the end of the road
teach boys not to hit women, teach new fathers how to be good fathers to their children
stay creative, recycle, look at your expectations.
remember work is work and your life is much more than that.
don’t react out of emotion
creativity in all its forms is an incredible outlet

Of that list, I guess I have always ‘given it a crack’ and learnt lessons along the way. Failure still floors me but I do keep going. I can’t help being creative and this as important to me as breathing, In moments of high stress it is best to keep emotion in another room, hysteria never helps. I am always asking questions much to the chagrin of many!

I never had much time with my father so don’t really know what having a good father looks like. My children’s father was my first love and I was full of expectations. He didn’t know how to father either and so the wound continues.

Working too hard for too long with little support leads to burn out and that means emotional reactivity and all that comes with that. I am definitely vulnerable to burn out and it helps to help others and put things in perspective. You can say no, you can take time to look after yourself and it helps if you can laugh at life. ( we don’t get out alive anyway)

For me ; nature is my go to. It is the meditation, the space between words, the reminder we are part of something much greater than ourselves.

I am heading towards my exhibition with great excitement. It feels like a turning corner. I have some leave owing and I am going to use it very wisely. doing nothing and doing lots.

You never know what is round the corner and now the batteries need refilling. Nature I hear you calling, easel- are you ready for this resilient woman?