I’ve been a speaker:

• Social Media Q&A session for Professional Organizers of Canada, Halton-Peel Chapter
• Presentation on Online Networking for Welcome Inn Community Centre’s bizPLAN program
• Presentation on Using Pinterest to Market Your VA Business for the Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group
• Presentation on Social Media, Youth & Employment for the Youth Employment Network

I’ve been a guest blogger:

• for Metropolitan Organizing: What Is a Virtual Assistant? – Part 1
• for FizzNiche: Guest Bloggers Know Something You Don’t
• For Promotion Career Services: Online Tools for Organizing Your Job Search, Desktop-Based Tools for Organizing Your Job Search, and Mobile Apps for Organizing Your Job Search

I was interviewed about blogging by whohub.

I was in the April Carnival of Pen, Pencil & Paper.

But enough about me! How have you been sharing your passions?

Photo: © Gary / PhotoXpress

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Sharing My Passions.

In support of this cause, I am dedicating this blog post to the subject of stigma against people with mental disorders.

Stigma against mental illness is probably far more prevalent than you realize. Even though society has come a long way since the days when it was viewed as a sign of demonic possession, most people are still not comfortable talking about it or even acknowledging its existence. People with mental illness are just not treated with the same respect that is given to those with a physical illness.

According to the CHMA Fact Sheet, Stigma and Discrimination Around Mental Health Problems, most people living with a mental disorder say that stigma is worse than the symptoms they feel.

This was expressed by Alicia Raimund,  one of the speakers at TEDx Waterloo (did you really think I was done talking about that?). Alicia, who is committed to opening minds to the struggle and stigma of mental illness,  compared her experience with depression and anxiety to being locked in a basement behind a thick door. Whenever she attempted to open up to a friend about her illness, they generally responded with disbelief (“but you don’t seem that bad…”) or avoided talking about it altogether.

Alicia is involved with a number of causes, including mindyourmind.ca, a website where youth and young adults can access information, resources and tools that they need to cope with the challenges in their lives. I visited the site while writing this post and was pleased to come upon an interview with author Cheryl Rainfield about her book SCARS, which I’d read earlier this year. I found it to be a great book to help readers understand and respect others who are different than themselves, whether it’s due to sexual orientation, family situation, mental illness, or other circumstances, as it tackles these difficult subjects head-on without being preachy in any way.

A few weeks ago, I attended a presentation about the effects of mental health issues on youth. Sara McAuley from the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario stated that

Mental illness is a valid medical condition that deserves the same care, support and compassion as any other illness.

She went on to point out that while people with cancer or other physical illnesses are referred to as “survivors,” those with a mental illness are given such labels as “nuts,” “crazy” or “psycho,” and explain that this type of stigma prevents people from getting help.

This thought was reinforced by journalist Jan Wong in an interview on CBC Radio this past Sunday. When she first began to experience symptoms of depression, she didn’t realize that’s what it was, because she associated depression with weakness, and just didn’t see herself as a “weak” person. Her new book, Out of the Blue: A Memoir of Workplace Depression, Recovery, Redemption and Yes, Happiness describes the stressful events that triggered her depression as well as the impact it had on her life when she was ultimately fired by the Globe and Mail and denied sick leave benefits by her insurance carrier. This is an important story and I’m glad it’s being told by such a high profile person, because it happens to people all the time, but they generally don’t talk about it because of the stigma, and they don’t fight back because to do so would just bring about more stress, leading to more depression and anxiety.

For visual depictions of the effects of mental illness and the stigma associated, check out Niagara’s Mental Health Anti-Stigma Campaign’s postcard project.

Stigma is not just about stereotyping or discrimination. It is also about a lack of understanding and respect. When you make jokes about mental illness, you are downplaying the seriousness of the challenges faced by millions of people each and every day. Think carefully before you say you would never treat mental illness as a laughing matter. Do any of these lines sound familiar?

I’m fine. The rest of you need therapy.

You’re just jealous because the voices only talk to me.

People like you are the reason people like me need medication.

It’s okay if you don’t like my personality; I’ve got several others.

Oh.

For examples of inaccurate and hurtful depictions of mental illness in TV, film, print and other media, check out the Stigma Alerts put out by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Although no new content has been added in quite some time, I think there is enough there to open your eyes and your mind to this deplorable situation.

What You Can Do

Taking time to explore the resources mentioned above will go a long way towards helping you realize that mental illness is no less real than cancer, arthritis or diabetes. With this understanding, it will be easier for you to be compassionate towards people with mental illness and, as Sara McAuley put it, “create a culture of acceptance.”

Photo © Marina Putyata / Depositphotos

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Stop the Stigma.

Mathew Ho and his friend Asad Muhammad caught the attention of media worldwide when they sent a Lego Man into space and videotaped it. Sound crazy? I don’t know about you, but I sure wasn’t doing anything that creative when I was a teenager! Check it out:

The Star published a really good article explaining the science and engineering behind Lego Man’s balloon voyage, if you’re interested in learning more about it.

This will be my last post covering TEDx Waterloo, but it certainly doesn’t cover all of the “ideas worth spreading!”

If you have a chance to attend a TEDx event, I strongly encourage you to go. If you can’t, at least plan to spend some time on TED.com and watch a few videos. Don’t limit yourself to topics you’re already interested in! I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy the conference because it didn’t directly relate to my work or my personal interests, but it made me realize how much more is going on in the world than what we see in our day-to-day lives.

What have you done lately to expand your horizons?

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on When Entertainment Meets Science.

1. CONNECTED DIS CIPLINES explored interdependence and entanglement between various branches of learning
2. CONNECTED DIS COVERY encouraged us to see the world differently
3. CONNECTED DIS COURSE focused on the many ways we communicate – and fail to communicate – with one another

The speakers I’ve blogged about so far were all part of Session #2, but today I’d like to look back at Session #1.  The first two speakers represented different segments of the arts community: Scott Chantler is a graphic novelist and commercial illustrator, and Shannon Blake is a playwright and the founder of The Bench Theatre Initiative, which provides street-involved adults with an opportunity to participate in the arts. Both were interesting, but didn’t fascinate me as much as those from the sciences.

In a TED video, Angela Belcher, head of the Biomolecular Materials Group at MIT, talked about using nature to grow batteries. Most of the concepts she described would go over the heads of most of us, but her enthusiasm and passion was very exciting. She actually made me think of the characters on The Big Bang Theory, who also talk about scientific theories in regular conversation, expecting everyone to know exactly what they’re talking about. (I was too embarrassed to say this publicly until I saw  The Record make the same comparison!)

Krister Shalm, on the other hand, clearly realizes that your average Joe doesn’t know squat about quantum physics. Instead of giving a traditional talk, he explained the power of a quantum computer with the help of magic and swing dance. Don’t believe me? Check it out!

Come back next week to read my next post in this series!

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on When Science Meets Entertainment.

Although also from la belle province, this Jean Béliveau has a very different story. In the year 2000, he had a mid-life crisis, but instead of buying a sports car or having an affair or any of those stereotypical responses, he decided to shut down his successful factory and leave his family to walk around the world.

Here are some interesting numbers about his walk:

• It lasted 134 months
• He walked a total 75,543 kilometres
• He visited 5 continents and 64 countries
• He went through 54 pairs of shoes

His original goal was to embark on an “adventure of learning” but he decided to dedicate his walk to peace and non-violence for the children of the world.

It is quite a fascinating story, but after hearing him speak, I found myself with more questions than answers.

• How exactly did his walk benefit the children of the world?
• What did he learn during his travels?
• What about the employees of the factory he shut down? Could he not have found someone else to run it?

All I can really say is what an amazing wife he has, to support him in such an endeavour and to welcome him home after such a long time away!

Here’s a video taken during his odyssey, in 2009:

You can learn more about Jean Béliveau at http://wwwalk.org/en/.

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on The Man Who Walked Around the World.

My sister forwarded the email to me and suggested that I blog about it, but I didn’t think it was important enough. I figure if I have to see ads on the Internet, they may as well be targeted to my interests. It turns out that our online activity affects a lot more than just the ads that are displayed on our screens.

One of the most eye-opening talks I heard at TEDx Waterloo wasn’t a live speaker, but a video by Eli Pariser, author of The Filter Bubble. He explained that Google, Facebook, and other sites keep track of what we view online, even when we’re not logged into their site, and use this information to filter the information we see.

In other words, although personalization may be convenient at times, there are much more serious implications. In short, it means that we’re most likely to find content that supports our existing views than to open our minds by uncovering new information. I strongly suggest that you take 9 minutes to watch the video for yourself.

Just before the video was shown, Sarah Williams demonstrated how urban planners can use mobile check-ins on Facebook and Foursquare to understand how people feel about the cities they’re in.

It was fascinating, but it also made me wonder just WHO has access to my information and WHAT are they doing with it? We have become so accustomed to sharing the details of our lives online that it will be difficult to change our habits, but you can be sure I’ll be thinking twice before I post my next status update.

How about you?

Photo by James Bastow

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Who’s doing what with your information?.

At 22 years of age, Taylor Jones was one of the youngest speakers there. He introduced himself as a recent college graduate with no noteworthy accomplishments or ambitions, sharing the fact that he’d applied to attend last year’s event, but was turned down.

His life changed dramatically last spring when he was sitting in the kitchen looking at some old photos with his family. Upon noticing that he was holding a picture of his brother that had been taken in that same kitchen, from the exact same angle he was facing, he held it up, took a snapshot of it, and posted it on Tumblr with a note that began “Dear Photograph…” People immediately took notice, and he posted another, then another. Before long, other people were doing the same thing and sending him their own “Dear Photograph” stories. Believe me when I tell you that some of those stories brought tears to my eyes!

Less than a year later, Dear Photograph has over 23,000 followers on Twitter and more than 74,000 fans on Facebook, and it’s been featured on major news media throughout the world. CBS named it the #1 website in 2011, and TIME Magazine included it as their #7 pick of the top 50 websites. Who wouldn’t like to get this kind of exposure to their website?

As someone in the business of helping others get noticed online, I am amazed, excited, and inspired by Taylor’s story.

His experience teaches us that success often comes when you’re not even looking for it, and that the key isn’t necessarily about having a presence on the top three social networks (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) or using the latest SEO strategies. Taylor is successful because he had a unique idea that touched people’s hearts and souls and allowed them to express their innermost feelings through images.

But the story doesn’t end there. A hardcover Dear Photograph book will be available shortly, and I have no doubt it’s going to be a huge success as well.

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Overnight Success Story: Taylor Jones.

Earlier this year, I became aware that a TEDx event was being held in Waterloo, Ontario, which isn’t too far from where I live. Although I was initially taken aback by the fact that you had to apply to attend, I decided to put my name in, and was pleasantly surprised to be chosen. That event took place yesterday.

What distinguishes TEDx from other conferences I’ve attended is the diversity of the audience, the speakers, and the topics they spoke about. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, and each of the 15 or so talks focused on one of those areas, with some addressing the surprising overlaps between them.

In addition, each talk is only about 10-15 minutes long, which keeps the day moving along quickly, especially when musical performances are mixed in.

Overall, I found TEDx Waterloo (which was actually held in Kitchener) quite impressive in terms of the venue, the use of technology, and the organization, and in the spirit of TED’s tagline “Ideas Worth Spreading,” I’ve decided to dedicate my next few blog posts to some of the remarkable people I learned about and from over the course of the day.

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Do You Know TED?.

Although it’s been around since 2010, this virtual pinboarding site completely escaped my notice until late last year. Even then, I paid it little attention until earlier this year when it suddenly moved to the forefront. All at once it seemed that my Facebook news feed was filled with my friend’s recent pins, my Twitter feed with links to articles about the latest social media craze, and my email inbox with requests from clients to integrate Pinterest into their blogs, websites, and Facebook pages.

I learn best by doing, so I began creating boards and adding pins related to my personal and professional interests, using alliterative names as I’ve done for the categories on this blog. Check out my boards here:

Here are a few articles that are worth checking out, whether you’re already using Pinterest or just wanting to know what the fuss is all about:

From GigaOM – Study: Pinterest drives more referral traffic than Google+, nearly on par with Twitter

From ReadWriteWeb – What Pinterest is Doing That Facebook Isn’t

From Ignite Social Media – Brands on Pinterest: Who, When and How Brands Are Using the Hottest Social Bookmarking Site

From Jay Baer – 5 Reasons Pinterest is Addicting and 4 Weaknesses That May Kill it

From Michelle Shaeffer – What You Absolutely Must Know to Use Pinterest Safely

Have you jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon?

Do you think it’s a useful marketing tool, or merely a diversion?

Is it destined to join Twitter and Facebook as a top social media site, or is it just a fad?

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on February 2012 in Review.

For me, the year started off quietly, then picked up very quickly about midway through the month.

As planned, I’ve been devoting more time to finding great content and sharing it on Twitter. I’ve discovered the Buffer app which allows me to spread my posts throughout the day rather than flooding my followers with a bunch of updates in a row or tweeting in scattered pockets of time. I’m also posting at least five times a week on the Organized Assistant Facebook page, with a variety of discussion questions and links (others’ as well as my own).

I took two sites I’d already created in WordPress and gave them each a polished new design – check them out!

Before

After

Before

After

And to see some of my latest website projects for professional organizers, take a look at Three Kinds of WordPress Websites.

As a guest blogger for Promotion Career Solutions, I tapped into my former roles as an employment counsellor and a professional organizer, writing about Paper-based Tools for Organizing Your Job Search. I was also quoted in Cool Gadgets Every Business Should Have, thanks to an idea I got from GHVA member Jacquie Manore last year.

How are you making out in terms of the goals or resolutions you set for yourself at the beginning of the year?

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on January 2012 in Review.