Exploring the role of visualisation

(from beneath an MRI scanner) 

A butterfly mind never sleeps. I knew this from lying still. Without external cues or in-house entertainment, for a good 30 minutes, I was physically frozen yet mentally alive. 

Alone with my thoughts beneath the MRI scanner, my mind was on playback. And the loop gave me hope.  

I was transported to a place that felt more real than the metallic structure that encapsulated me. Moonset walks with Trevor tiggered memories of shutter-clicks that masked the sound of magnetic fields as they scanned my brain.  

The healing, calming voice of Bonnie Walsh brought stillness to my shaking hands. I’d listened to her the night before and didn’t need airwaves to hear her again. Her voice was unforgettable. As were the words I’d written six months prior to meeting Trevor. 

Collectively, my inner creative world anchored me to safety.  

As I rested, I wrote this blog and edited a video using the sticky notes of my mind. 

You can watch my active mind on playback below: 

Is it time to reimagine ‘work’?

For three decades I challenged productivity-related work culture. I no longer wish to fight it.  

My most productive time is the space between ‘working’ and dreaming. That’s my truth and my strength. 

While taking unpaid breaks I would organise my thoughts; writing them in my phone notes; attaching imagery, colours, keywords and outcomes. Structuring my workload. Quietly multi-tasking. Innovating.  

I’d return to my desk and hand over my best work to the employer who would replace me when I questioned the values, pay structure and rigid systems that ultimately caused me to crash. 

This is my ‘why’.   

Why I got sick from the job I loved, and fired from the job I excelled in. Why I retracted the application for the job I would have got next.  Why social media feels like mind theft. Why creating space for dreaming may provide the alignment your workplace needs.   

I don’t know what the scan will say, but I hope it takes a great picture.

Written by Sarah Lou, this is a personal reflection, while navigating life with stress-induced vestibular migraines.

This blog is intended to begin a conversation with like-minded people who want to create an inclusive workplace that makes space for the different ways we process information, execute tasks, solve problems and communicate ideas.

If you have questions or comments, or want a sneak peek at the dynamic vision board we use for communications and events, send your enquiry below. We won’t spam you, we’ll just listen and make a plan that fits your needs.