The power of mentoring
As a mentor, it’s great to be mentored.
I cannot advocate enough for how great mentoring is. If you’ve thought about it but wonder if it’s for you - give it a try - what’s to lose?
This piece should take you around 5 minutes to read and covers my personal mentoring story.
Since January this year, I’ve been having some mentoring sessions with a brilliant sector leader - City Arts Nottingham Director, Suzannah Bedford. I was the mentee this time around (as it’s something I also offer out) and wow, the power of mentoring is magic! That might sound abit w*nky but honestly, until you’ve tried it, you can’t knock it.
I’d never thought about having a mentor until I went freelance - and looking back - I’d had mentors in my working life before, just in different capacities; past teachers, role models and line managers. So why now?
Well, this mentoring formed part of my Arts Council England funded DYCP, research project which I wrote a blog about here. I wanted to learn from another leader in the sector - one who doesn’t work in performing arts and one who is highly respected.
The gallery of images below sum up my experience of having Suzannah as a mentor as there have been some emerging themes, topics and provocations; and by working through them together, it has led to:
new thinking
enlightenment
clarity of thought, ideas, challenges
confirmation of purpose
personal and professional growth
revelations!
Take a look at the images below. What do they mean to you?
We’ve covered all sorts of things as I journey though this freelance world (reminder: I’m still ONLY 2 YEARS IN - omg), a world full of unknown territory, a precarious jobs market, lots of learning has happened and bags more change-making (being done and yet to be done).
Being a freelancer in the arts & culture sector has many challenges not least a massive sector power imbalance - where many people still think freelancers are third class citizens and add little value to their organisation. Freelancers are the back bone of the arts sector - with over 70% of the workforce self-employed. Hmm. We’re often tossed aside (insert many a reason why here) and there’s a common misconception that we’re temporary, unreliable, hired to ‘just get the job done’. To explain that: I’m now quick to walk away if the work (or the people) don’t align with my values, ethics, and if I don’t feel heard. Which happens alot. As an aside, I’ve recently mentored Rodrigo Carter - a newly freelance Producer in my work with LYNNEBEC. They’ve been scarred by the terrible experiences they’ve had in the sector. Wtf?
Let’s turn that on its head shall we?
Here’s an old pic of me on my head (well, hands)
From my past aerial days….
Suzannah has had an interesting leadership journey herself and our work together resonated with me deeply because we’re both spiritual. I have learned a great deal from her wisdom, patience & understanding. She is an inspiration and someone who has selflessly listened to my challenges, guided me and asked me insightful questions - in order to help me unlock a better version of myself. Drawing on lots of techniques, including tarot; we talked about self-care alot - which in turn, I talk about, alot. To myself and my clients. Of course, it is easier to say than to action, but none of us are perfect right? I am working on balancing self-care with going above and beyond for & with my clients.
ANYWAY. What’s next for me? Well, I am pledging to to maintain the following:
Rise to the challenge
Go above & beyond
Channel more mindfulness
Max out my capabilities
Stay humble
Keep harmony in my life
Be curious
Harness the fear
Continue rising (Suzannah even called me a “rising star….”)
I think that one of the best ways to stay relevant is to be mentored. No matter how ‘high’ you rise or what level you work at. Hey, I’ve basically just been Chief Executive for LYNNEBEC on their Birmingham 2022 project - I am nowhere near done learning yet and you shouldn’t be either. A learning key point I’ll be taking forward and reflecting on is Suzanne’s term; ‘The Anatomy of a Project’. There will be a new blog post of that coming soon. This is an interesting concept and one that should probably be better scrutinised in the arts sector so that we can collectively become more dynamic, more resilient, better equipped - leading to better results for all - including the product as well as the process. If you want to bring freelancers into your organisation or are wondering where this is coming from, read this article about 10 ways you can help creative freelancers on Arts Professional by Freelancers Make Theatre Work.
Who’s with me on all of this? If you want to chat about mentoring, about my experience or what I can offer, hit me up by email: hello@amydaltonhardy.co.uk