Reflecting on the Inaugural Curiosity in Action conference

This is the Saugatuck Center for the Arts in Saugatuck Michigan. It used to be a frozen pie factory. Can you see where the former loading docks have become an outdoor stage? Iteration is everywhere!

Friends, I spent the weekend of April 25-27 in Saugatuck, Michigan. What took me there? The inaugural Curiosity in Action conference at Saugatuck Center for the Arts on Saturday, April 26.

This was the first time in a while that I've been an attendee at a conference. It's also the first time I've been invited to pick out a pouch and fill it with art supplies (photo above, left) at check-in at a conference. Delight! Squiggles were everywhere, in all sorts of media, including a giant wooden sign right at the entrance (photo above, right). Delight!

Little Free Library with a green roof, and the SCA's mobile art studio truck parked in the background -- Double Delight!

I'm a fan of the work of Brad and Kristi Montague of Montague Workshop. You might have first learned of Brad when he developed Kid President with his brother-in-law, Robby. I vaguely recall Kid President, but it didn't become a thing in our house. I can't remember when or how I became aware of Brad and Kristi's work, other than it's been sometime in the last five years, as I was finishing the mindfulness studies degree and dreaming up Thought Kitchen. I cite extensively to Becoming Better Grownups in Mindfulness-Based Well-Being because that's where Brad told the story of Tiny Nudges. The Circles All Around Us is all about interconnection, and The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination is about authenticity and Strengths and Values alignment. Fail-A-Bration has elements of Beginner's Mind, kintsugi, and Self-Compassion in it. Brad and Kristi's work may seem like it's for kids, but it's for former kids as well. The lessons they teach and world they envision is a place I'd like to live, and I believe strongly that the practices we teach and coach in the Mindfulness-Based Well-Being Pathway can support us all in getting there.

When I learned last autumn that they were going to have their first exhibition, We hope you fail better., at SCA, I immediately looked to see where Saugatuck, Michigan is. Turns out, it's about a four-hour drive from our home. I originally tried to get there for the opening, but it didn't work out. Then when Brad wrote about the Curiosity in Action conference in his newsletter, The Enthusiast, I got all geeked up. A conference about curiosity?! MIND BLOWN.

Does anyone else see plenty of space for either one labyrinth or a bigger and smaller labyrinth in these adjoining, covered open spaces outside the SCA?

I asked Loretta if she'd like to go with me, and she said no, citing our upcoming travel. Then I started thinking, "Should I spend this money, especially since Thought Kitchen isn't currently rolling in dough? Is Lisa available to take care of the cats? Do I feel ok missing a Mom Friday? Can I afford to spend my weekend 'catch up time' on this?".

Then, I took a pause, got grounded, let all those thoughts be, and asked myself, "What would you say to a client if they were in your shoes?". And I thought, "I'd get curious about what's on their mind and start down the list of MBS's Seven Essential Questions. So that's what I did.

Obviously, you know I went, but I want to tell you why I went because maybe it will help you, too, friend. I needed professional renewal, and this conference fit the bill exactly. The last year has been difficult, both personally and professionally. My tank was close to empty. This trip offered me professional renewal, a weekend road trip with Mark (one of our favorite activities), the chance to visit a new place, and a view of water.

We stayed at Twin Oaks Inn, Molly's place that's a three-minute walk from SCA. It's gorgeous, exquisitely appointed, and breakfast is delicious. We only stayed two nights, and Mark and I still looked at each other last Monday morning and said, "I miss Molly's breakfast."

I went, even with the niggling thoughts of "Maybe I'm indulging myself... Ugh! I've gotta do all the things to get out of the office and house and then all the things when I get back to catch up." I kept practicing -- noting what was coming up and the feeling tone of it, which was mostly unpleasant. This practice helped me work through it and get there. And I am SO GRATEFUL I got there!

A not great photo of some of the FIFTY ribbons Kristi made by hand

One of the reasons I'm grateful is I got there to see, in person, this display of ribbons that Kristi made BY HAND. That's yards and yards of ribbon, thousands of stitches of embroidery, hours of work, and only Kristi knows what else. They are individual works of art, and together, they are absolutely breathtaking. Each is meant to celebrate all the stuff we don't usually celebrate, like remembering a password without resetting it or kept going even though I didn't really want to.

This piece was also absolutely exquisite. Each of the items were clever, like Anxiety & Cheese, which Does Not Contain Cheese, I Can't Believe It's Not Better, and Doom Loops. All that stuff we carry around is SO HEAVY... no wonder the grocery bag can't hold it anymore.

I couldn't turn away from this piece, which Brad mentioned in his talk. Apparently, somebody at Kirkus Review thought The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination was "fun to look at but overdone." What does that even mean? If I understood correctly, creating this piece helped Brad move through the deep hurt he felt by the reviewer of a book he'd dreamed about creating since he was a kid. An important note I took home: Even a New York Times bestselling author has a tender spot about releasing work out into the world.

Heather's nails were so cool!

The day was thoughtfully planned and beautifully executed. There were presentations, then individual reflection time, followed by facilitated group discussion. The energy was just right, too. I've been trying to come up with one word to describe the day, and I keep coming back to Magical.

This is where I got brave and asked if I could have my lunch with Gwen, and soon Valerie joined us. Now I've started listening to Gwen's podcast and have ordered Valerie's book. DELIGHTS!

I've been processing the day for over a week now, and I'm still mostly pre-verbal. For anyone who's been around here for a while, it'll come as NO SURPRISE that I took to a labyrinth practice in the processing. This is what emerged:

As I thought about curiosity and failing better, I kept coming back to the kintsugi labyrinth practice. The labyrinth encourages me to bring whatever is on my heart and mind to it and see what emerges as I walk, either with my legs or my fingers, the path of the labyrinth, while noticing what's arising. Since there's only one path in, which is also the same path out, my only decision is whether to keep going. The practice of kintsugi reminds me that there's beauty in what first appears to be mistakes or accidents or failures.

This particular kintsugi labyrinth is my response to spending a day engaging with curiosity, art, and the idea of failing better. Brad and Kristi invite us to KEEP GOING! What's emerged for me is one of the most important lessons I've learned (so far) from Buddhist psychology: I can always choose to BEGIN AGAIN, wherever I am and in whatever way feels accessible in the moment. Maybe, for me, that's what failing better is.

At the very end of the day, every presenter and facilitator gathered on stage as we celebrated a day spent pondering Curiosity in Action. It's my sincerest wish that all of us Wanderers and Wonderers gather again in 2027 to continue pondering Curiosity in Action together.