Monthly Clickables #2
Useful? Weird? Wonderful?? Here are links I clicked this month, that you may also find of interest!
Monthly Clickables is a feature included with paid subscriptions to Making This up as I Go - a newsletter from me Aden Nepom, and the Art of Change, with posts about interpersonal communication, team dynamics at work, improv theatre, personal growth and more.
On the last day of each month I send out an update on what’s been filling my personal and intellectual time so that the things enriching my life might bring extra value to yours!
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Marching into April
This month has seen intensity, tragedy and has had ample twists and turns… and I will be addressing none of them.
Instead, I offer you a mental break from the hard stuff with a few suggestions for ways you might bring a little joy into your experience.
I’m compiling these links to share with you in the midst of prepping for a rapidly approaching week-long leadership conference where I, along with some of my favorite colleagues, will be facilitating breakouts for attendees to explore trust building habits and motivating change through storytelling.
Taking a break from prepping for this work to look back on the fun things I did this month offers a welcome mental reprieve for me! Perhaps exploring what this end of month share will do the same for you too!
This month links are broken down into these categories:
Readables (stuff I read)
Audibles (stuff I listened to)
Makeables (stuff I made!)
On a personal note…
At the beginning of March I had the great honor of performing with USS Improvise the Next Generation the Musical at Emerald City Comic Con for a robust audience of super fans! It was an absolute delight!
In terms of writing (and in case you missed out), I took a deep dive this month in a 3 part series on the lessons improv has to offer when your communication goes sideways. Part one was all about adopting an improv ethos.
Speaking of things going sideways, (okay one twist and turn!) I broke a bone in my foot (oh! sweet baby sesamoid..), and was fitted for this extremely stylish boot which is to go with every outfit for a minimum of four weeks (two weeks to go!). After that I’ll find out if my two bones fragments have reunited as one powerful bone… or if it’s more boot for me.
And now… The Clickables!
My intent in sharing things with you that have captured my free-time attention, is to help us connect as humans. Your opinions matter to me! So if you have strong reactions (positive or negative) to any of the links below, please share those thoughts so we can talk about them!
Now on to the highlights…
Readables AKA Stuff I read:
This article by Suzanne Lucas in Inc. Magazine, which was sent to me by one of my friends and readers (shoutout to Margery!). This piece of writing makes a great case for just doing improv to serve your team connection needs. It’s a superior choice to doing ‘icebreakers’. https://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/stop-using-traditional-icebreakers-do-improv-instead.html
The Americorps Pledge. Years ago I did two years of national service as an Americorps volunteer. The experience changed my life, and remains hugely influential in who I am today. Recently a friend reminded me of this pledge and reading it has reinvigorated and inspired me.
AmeriCorps Pledge to Get Things Done I will get things done for America – to make our people safer, smarter, and healthier. I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities. Faced with apathy, I will take action. Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground. Faced with adversity, I will persevere. I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond. I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.
Audibles AKA Stuff I Listened to!
The Witch Trials of JK Rowling from the Free Press. From the website, The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling is an audio documentary that examines some of the most contentious conflicts of our time through the life and career of the world’s most successful author. The series also examines the forces propelling this moment in history, through interviews with Rowling’s supporters and critics, journalists, historians, clinicians, and more.” If you have also been listening to this podcast, please tell me so we can discuss it. I have so many thoughts and questions, it’s too much to summarize in this paragraph!
High Strange from Tenderfoot TV. “Host Payne Lindsey attempts to break the stigma surrounding the topic of UFOs. In this new investigative series, Lindsey shines light on real-life coverups, and infamous cases, all while leaving the tinfoil hat at the door.” I’m only one episode in to this show, and already I am hooked. I’ve thought about UFO’s more often than I might care to admit throughout my life… including many sleepless nights as a kid. This show is promising out of the gate, and I am excited to keep listening!
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Makeables AKA Stuff i made!
I like treats! I love these Almond flour Chocolate Chunk cookies from Arman Liew which are my absolute favorite. I love them because they are fast, easy and delicious. I use Hu chips in all my baking which makes for a lovely bittersweet dark chocolate experience. BUT BUT, I also highly recommend this grain free maple shortbread recipe from Adamant Kitchen.
I’m re-hooked on crochet (pun intended!). Not only did I mention my renewed hobby in one of my essays this month, but I made this super cool bag pattern. Here’s my version half way through the project:
Baby vegetables!! My sweet little seedlings are big enough to be planted in our garden… now if the weather would just cooperate! We’ve had surprising amounts of spring snow!
What cool, interesting and weird stuff did you discover this month?
Let me know which if any of these links were interesting to you! I always look forward to hearing your thoughts.
But more importantly…
Are there things you think I would enjoy reading or watching? Recipes you think I should try?
Send your recommendations my way! If I love your suggestion, I’ll be sure to include it in next months Clickables with a special shoutout to you!
What’s ahead for April?
Next month, I will be spinning a lot of plates. In addition to delivering work, I’m performing in two improv shows (rehearsals in a walking boot have been… an adventure), and hope to be putting my seedlings into the garden along with seeds for the rest of our summer crops.
My family is also in planning stages for a very exciting international adventure this summer.
What does this mean for you?
It might mean that you see fewer essays from this me month.
It also means that I am booking out my calendar for Autumn client work right now. —> Book a free discovery call
How would your organization benefit from learning and practicing skills that bring out the best in the people you work with?
Learning how to be a great communicator shouldn’t feel like a chore.
Book a free discovery call with me to explore how I might help you and your organization thrive through interpersonal communication skills training and interactive keynote speaking from Art of Change.
That’s it for this Monthly Clickables!
Thank you for reading. Happy Easter! Good Pesach! And hello spring planting!
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