IS IT TIME FOR THE SHAVASNA...?

I am officially having withdrawal symptoms...

It has been just over a week since being back in London from my much anticipated trip to Ibiza for my yearly ritual of a yoga retreat at the Lotus Pad with the amazing Wendy Buttery, followed by a couple of days roaming around the island hitting up incredible beaches, small towns and mayybee just a few clubs, which ultimately leads to going out every day.

 It’s funny and getting pretty irritating when anyone questions me going to Ibiza for a yoga retreat. Their response is almost questioning my choice of place, which granted does go against the norm. Well the norm in their eyes, but I see Ibiza as the perfect place to go on a yoga retreat. I mean, do you know the other side of the island?? Obviously not.

The low-down in short is…the southern and western side of the island are known for mad cubbing with highs off drugs and alcohol, but to everyone’s surprise the rest of the island is actually very tranquil, inviting romantic breaks for couples, relaxing family vakays and yoga and spa retreats for the singltons. For me it has got to be the pared down hippie style paired with a healthy green (sometimes all veg) organic, superfoody diet that makes Ibiza the spot to hit every summer.

So anyway, back to my actual trip, another year of the most amazing hatha/vinyasa yoga and meditation in the outdoors, faced with scorching heat in the morning and evening helping to warm up and stretch out my very tight muscles. After all the training I did to look and feel my best for this holiday, it was much needed. I mean if going to the gym twice a day following a very strict high protein, low carb, vegetarian diet 3 to 5 times a day with very little or no sleep can’t do it, then what will? I am not going to complain because I actually loved it and surprisingly waking up at 5:30am naturally and sleeping at 12:30am gave me more energy than ever!! I was (and I say cockily) in my ideal shape! But 1 week later and 4 extra days on the other side of the island and I am now back to normal and at the gym twice a day. I will not complain.

I now sit everyday at my desk obviously appreciating the incredible life and adventures I have living in London, but secretly looking at flights to one day make that one way trip with no return mwah ha ha.

Spending my days doing yoga, reading, talking, listening to music, swimming, eating, eating and eating sounds prettty perfect while you are soaking up the sun (which I have to admit I do run away from a lot of the time), especially when I had no worries and care for what was going on back at home. I go on and on about how I love a routine. But really for at like 4 weeks a year I think breaking the mould and going against that routine can do wonders for our digitally hectic, socially over active and professionally strained minds and body.

THE ART OF ENGAGEMENT | FIGARO DIGITAL

I can’t believe it has been around two years since I graduated from Nottingham Trent University. I still feel just as small, just as excitable and ever more eager to learn about the new happenings in the industry.

I have since made trips up to Nottingham and to the university to do small talks to current and prospective students, which I absolutely love doing.  Somehow there’s something not quite the same as listening and taking in all the information being thrown at me by lectures and all the gossip of the night before by my fellow x students, now very successful graduates I must add. I also don’t know why I keep referring back to myself as a graduate, now two years and two jobs later..? When does that term grow old or expire? Either way I am pretty sure it is due to my final major project I refer to as ‘my baby’ in casual terms and ‘The Blank Canvas’ on a prof level.

I was actually asked to bring the baby in to show my manager and some of my directors, who were keen to see what I spent a year doing. Not only was I very protective of the hard copy (erm costing like £300) but also the dreaded critism #nohating I am not so good at taking. My trick: smile and nod!

It seems my  idea is of much relevance now more than ever as ‘The Art of Engagement’ article in my monthly read Figaro Digital proves just how the digitalisation of our society is of significant importance to art galleries and museums, which are heavily visual and active in the present moment.

The article focused on how the Tate Modern has made way for digital communications to grow their audience in a very much authentic, authoritative and creative content driving way.  (It is the perfect piece that I could add as an extension of my project in that awful appendix)

Key Points from the article by Jon Fortgang
Museums and art galleries have a head start when it comes to content marketing as a curation and community are any brand key focus when it comes to marketing in 2015.

The Tate has picked up over 2 million social media subscribers in three years

The virtual version of the gallery is just as important as the physical presence

“An online visit is just as valuable to us as a physical visit to the gallery

If they can engage with us physically, we want them to be able to do that online – just as any other experience of shopping, dining etc…

Final word…

Content is grounded in stories, community, interactivity and giving audiences  reason to explore further. Gallery and strategy are inseparably entwined, which means every digital element plays a [art in the bigger picture.