What Claire Does

Do re-kindle.

doblog:

Hello all you Doers, you fire starters.

How are you?

I just wanted to ask a quick favour.

I am just trying to put something really, really great together - so in order to keep the Do bonfire burning - (thanks Duke Stump for the bonfire analogy).

I just wondered if everyone who came to the Do Lectures this year could send me -

- Most recent contact information.

-A little bit about how you think people will remember you from the week.

-What your little Do is.

-What your big Do is.

I know you are all super busy with work and life, but I want to make sure all you Doers don’t lose the Do fiery-ness in your bellies… it’s just too flaming great for that to happen :-)

Love Claire, deep in the world of Do admin.

Good Bye Do I’ll Miss you …

doblog:

This week, will be my last week at the Do lectures.

I am both very excited and really sad to be leaving Do.

The exciting bit is that I am leaving Do to undertake a new job and to acquire once in a lifetime skills. I will be helping the Catlin Arctic Survey Team bring next years expedition into full swing http://www.catlinarcticsurvey.com/ and I cannot wait to be part of the team.

The sad bit is that I am leaving a job I truly love inside and out. However when I got sad about the idea of leaving Do, I reminded myself about the true intention of the Do Lectures and what it is all about to so many people.

Do is pure/unadulterated inspiration, it has a light bulb effect so strong it should automatically catapult you onto your next Do without question.

I have seen Do touch so many people throughout my 7 months as producer and It has had the same effect on me, I can’t help but want to grab the next big challenge/Do and help build something amazing that can also provoke change.

I have been able to learn an infinite amount of things about what I can do and what can be done if you truly put your mind and elbow grease into something. I have learnt my strengths, my weaknesses, my goals and my failures all in a very small amount of time, I have grown up and grown with Do.

Before I took on the job many months ago, David had at the time said some very truthful, very scary and exciting things, which should in theory have had me running for the Preseli hills …  instead in turn they actually turned into fantastically exciting challenges.

‘Claire you will have to jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down.’

‘these are your investment years.’

‘it will be tough but there will be fun along the way.’

These, kind of all became my subconscious mottos and since then I have never looked back.

I am extremely proud of having helped build on what Do can do and how it is done.

I will always be infinitely thankful to have been a part of it, to have been here from its beginnings and to have found my real potential as a Doer here.

I will miss Do, miss surfing my local break in my free time, miss Wales and my family including the goat. But it is time to come out of the comfort zone again and scare myself a little by jumping off that cliff.

Now - lots and lots of thank you’s and good byes …

All the best in Doing.

Claire

Do re-kindle.

doblog:

Hello all you Doers, you fire starters.

How are you?

I just wanted to ask a quick favour.

I am just trying to put something really, really great together - so in order to keep the Do bonfire burning - (thanks Duke Stump for the bonfire analogy).

I just wondered if everyone who came to the Do Lectures this year could send me -

- Most recent contact information.

-A little bit about how you think people will remember you from the week.

-What your little Do is.

-What your big Do is.

I know you are all super busy with work and life, but I want to make sure all you Doers don’t lose the Do fiery-ness in your bellies… it’s just too flaming great for that to happen :-)

Love Claire, deep in the world of Do admin.

What are you all Doing now?

doblog:

The Do Lectures have been finished now for a 12 days … sigh.

It feels like we all left each other yesterday.

My most important job (among many) next week is to make sure to reconnect you all.

It is so funny that when David, Clare, Andy and I spoke about ‘amazing speakers and attendees’, I do not think we could fully comprehend at the time just how engaging and wonderful you all would be.

Duke tipped me off on just two of many incredible Do’s since our beloved week finished.

Helen Harrop  - has been accepted into Leadership unleashed, congratulations.

Neil - is currently feeling the burn at the Berlin marathon, how cool is that?!

Please contact me with all your Do’s I would love to build a page on the website with our super soupers, I think it could be really fantastic?!

Also how does a Do member forum sound too?

Please send me an email to claire@thedolectures.co.uk any time.

Please all get in touch, there were many of you that I didn’t have a chance for a proper chat with due to ‘producer style’ running around-ness.

Yours in Doing Claire x

Choo Choo.

doblog:

This is Claire reporting from a Great western train - Arrival destination: London.

It was so sunny this morning when I left Wales, feed the chickens and said good bye to Ben. Ben (DO Intern extraordinaire) has been fantastic! - he joined just four weeks before the Do Lectures were going to happen, he helped me put so much of my hard work into fruition, he was a great support to me and his energetic attitude was fantastic to be around - Ben heres to 18 hour days, the local fish and chip run and colour coded spread sheets - seriously good times and a great team.

You rock man - come stay any time!

Choo choo, I am traveling by train to have a bit of a long weekend to recoup and reflect on our über monumental and inspiring Do Lectures. Although I am not sure it will be super quiet?!- Birthday tomorrow, Interesting Saturday, Jimmys Harvest Festival Sunday, Riverford Monday and Tuesday, plus the search begins again for the eclectic and amazing 22- a Doers work is never Done :-)

Also I am looking into Ning and others in order to set up all you Doers a place to go and chat and plan your next rendevouz - I know a lot of friendships were made over the Do Lectures.

I am also hoping to reply to all your wonderful emails on my journey too- only problem is trains make me sleepy. When I went traveling last year I trained myself to sleep on demand, 30 hour journeys through South American swamp land can get a bit hairy (sorry for the snoring Matt - opps… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

How should I be Interesting?

doblog:

Hey Doers, I could really do with your advice … The lovely Russell Davies who runs the Interesting talks, has very kindly asked me to speak On Saturday 12th (honoured, if not slightly terrified) where I will have the opportunity to tell lots of Interesting people why I am Interesting too hmmm and eeekk. Now that would have been jaw dropping ‘really’ scary stuff if I hadn’t just come straight from the Do Lectures. They turned out to be in all honesty the most Interesting thing I have ever been a part of EVER (biased I think not). However I need all your advice - I was thinking about talking about how I got to the amazing week we just had, the strife and struggles, the rewards of the week and why the Do Lectures matter, what do you think? One of the most interesting parts, I think was you the people (the speakers,the crowd, the staff and the volunteers) the dynamic was explosively interesting (the talks, the conversations, the random quotes) - Wow. So in essence I want to talk about all you guys too, so If any of you have some amazingly funny, apt or silly Do Lectures photos, quotes or random conversations you think would be fab in my talk, please send them over - I would love to pop them in my slides at the Interesting Talks Saturday. Its a 3 minute talk, so its gotta be punchy, funny and well Interesting :-) I also want to spread the good Do word. Can’t wait to see you all again soon. Claire x P.S Russell you were very missed at the Do Lectures, can’t wait to see you at Interesting to talk about getting you there next year.

Do it now - not later.

doblog:

Today Ben (newly appointed Do Intern) and I, have been hard at work trying to get ahead of ourselves- in the getting things done stakes.

Working on The Do Lectures is always new, exciting, hard work and extremely satisfying.

As there are now only 26 days left in which I can organise in, I have a very knowing feeling that there may be lots of surprises coming up. There will of course be lots of Doing in store for next week (making the final decisions on the filming, technical, the best way of getting the speakers here, the delicious local food that will be served, etc.)

However a Doer always smiles in the face of Doing and us Doers always love a challenge.

What’s even more refreshing is that In an hour we will be off to swim in the Cardigan sea - brrrr.

Please email me if you would like any Do info or to reserve one of the few tickets still available.

claire@thedolectures.co.uk

Do Founding Members.

doblog:

Hi Doers,

I hope everyone is Ok and looking forward to the weekend?

Gosh I am an extra busy Doer right now, 34 days to go- do,do,do,do.

I thought I would update you on the response to The Founder members of The Do Lectures - it has been quite incredible, much more than we had hoped for. The crowd have put their hands up and said ‘I’m in, ‘I think The Do Lectures matter, Here’s my £50.’

You may have been one of the Doers who wanted to be counted and asked to help us change things by being a Do founding member.

So what’s included in your Do membership?

Memberships costs £50. You will receive 4 newsletters a year. Have the inside track on choosing speakers and be able to make suggestions too. Have first refusal on future tickets. Receive a Do Lectures 2009 T-shirt that could possibly come with a golden ticket to this year’s Do lectures. But the biggest thing of all is just to feel part of it. To feel like you are doing something to make this happen. To be a Doer too.

Because there are more founding members than we could have ever hoped for,

It now means we can give away some free tickets.

There is a 1 in 20 chance that a Do Lectures ticket could land on your doormat. We believe as a Founding member of The Do Lectures it is important that you are there.

What to do next -

Email me your full contacts- name, address, email, telephone no and t-shirt size.

I can then send you how to pay for your membership.

You become a Do founding member and help us change things.

We send you your Ltd Edition Tee.

Keep Doing and I will be in touch really soon.

Lots of thanks

Claire - where its now a bit rainy in West Wales :(

claire@thedolectures.co.uk

Become a Do Founding Member.

doblog:

This morning I awoke to an even crazier than usual inbox.

I have been inundated with all you Doers - well Doing. Itching to be a founding member of Do, and why wouldn’t you it is the only and best club for Doers in the world.

Its too exciting for words to have all these new friends to talk to Do about.

Those of you who are our top 100 founding members will be able to say what course Do will take, help us grow, help us become a world class resource for Doers, help us Do more than we can ever imagine, no silent partners- just Doers being part of something truly incredible.

I will be emailing you, sending you exclusives, offering you first refusal on wee Do Lectures and annual Do Lectures tickets(the big one). you will have all the inside information, the key to an incredible resource to help you Do amazing things too. you will get your ltd edition Do Tee, a periodical newsletter jammed packed with Doing and a lot of surprises (but of course I can’t tell you about those). All on its way soon.

Ever want to talk to me about Do, or about something you are Doing please just send me an email - claire@thedolectures.co.uk

P.s Keep Doing, no matter if it seems unconventional - break the mould - free your Do and then tell me about it.

Do back to school …

Claire M still reporting for Do in Paris.

This morning I went back to school and got a huge dose of brain food.

Travel writer Rolf Potts and soon to be Do speaker, very kindly invited me to his creative nonfiction workshop here in Paris. This morning there were 22 great students to meet from all walks of life, all with like minds - they clearly love to write, want to find the best way of Doing it, were inspired by Rolfs writing and after seeing them in action today - are all for sure, great Doers in the making.

Rolf Potts is an exceptional travel writer and has written both Vagabonding and Marco Polo didn’t go there. In September he will be 1 of 20 extraordinary story tellers at The Do Lectures, inspiring you to go Do.

However in the mean time, this July Rolf is running a workshop that delves into the essence of nonfiction storytelling and he very kindly invited me along.

Today’s stories had been written by the students over the course of previous work shops with Rolf. I was extra lucky as today was the day for writer to become narrator -

It was incredible to see these stories being told by their maker and I have to say all were of immense standard and have made me even more excited about the real life stories that will be told at The Do Lectures this September.

Rolf then got all the students to engage after every reading to analyse what they thought. The whole class were so constructive and engaging - I couldn’t help but want to get involved, I really think the best things in the world are made this way.

The Paris setting, has made the work shops even more inspirational, especially for place-based narrative. Similarly I feel like this with our setting for The Do Lectures (fforest), it makes the stories being told even more special and memorable.

Rolf’s travel writing expertise is the central aspect of this workshop, although there is also clear work in the disciplines of memoir and literary journalism.

So much to Do and an exceptional amount of brain food in one day. Thank you very much Rolf Potts for letting me be a part of your class.

It doesn’t stop there though, this evening there are readings by all the students at a jazz bar in town… well now actually, so better get on my bike - The bikes are all over the centre of Paris and if you cycle hard enough and put them back before 30 minutes are up - then they are free, how great is that … better time myself.

Lots of interesting people to help me spread the good Do word - wish I had gotten the Do leaflet translated into French too. Watch this space Do is going international.

Photos still to follow.

A Rendevous in Paris …

doblog:

This is Claire M reporting for Do from Paris.

Received instructions to - ‘meet me by the Mammoth in Paris’…

What if I get lost I say?  - ‘Claire there is only one Mammoth in Paris’ …

So I took a train from Carmarthen to London and then got on the Eurostar and 2 hours 20 I was in Paris, 8 stops on the Metro, then a little stroll, to find our rendevous spot at the illusive ‘Mammoth’.

As promised, waiting by the mammoth was a very tall gentleman -

Rolf Potts - aka Vagabonding travel writer and a this years Do Lecture speaker.

Rolf kindly took me along to view the Tango dancers at an amphi theatre along a beautiful part of the Seine river. Aparently Locals dance there every evening in the summer months - everyone looked extremely content, it was quite facinating and inspiring to watch.

Rolf spoke of some of his travel stories, while we watched - for one, how he learnt the bag pipes in Cuba, all stories were extraordinarily random and extremely inspiring, all the characters, mix of cultures and situations.

Rolf has very kindly let me stay in his spare room. He has stayed in the same apartment for the full 5 years while doing this yearly writing course.

It is a little home from home, it is owned by a 75 old English gentleman named Blackburn - the apartment is filled with all kinds of amazing dusty books and interesting artefacts he had obviously picked up from his own travels - I think you can tell a lot from someones libraryl and worldy bits and bobs.

This morning I will head to one of Rolf’s writing workshops, I will get to see first hand how he inspires others with his travels, his stories and his writing - very exciting indeed.

Will update soon - Claire M.