There comes a time in every budding entrepreneur’s life when they need to expose that deep dark ‘brilliant’ idea to the light and glare of the public. And one of the best means for doing that in an age of global sharing and collaboration is through events developed specifically for the task – Startup Weekends.

Startup Weekends bring together ideas and people who can act on ideas in a way that quickly tests and validates your dream within 54 hours. They do it at far less cost, time and personal angst than anyone can do alone. In a room of hipsters, hackers and hustlers you will articulate, refine, test and validate your idea in super-quick time.

And you can win prizes and enormous glory while you do it.

Startup Weekend Byron Bay kicks off on Friday November 20th and finishes on Sunday 22nd. It is cohosted by SAE Creative Media Institute Byron Bay and StartInno in the Ewingsdale Road Campus and Byron Bay Arts and Industrial Estate respectively.

The weekend is part of Global Startup Battle 2015 which means local creatives and entrepreneurs will be joining of thousands of others from across the globe for one of the most innovative weekends of the year. Byron Bay will be one of the 250 cities competing to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week.

It;s not all about tech either. Technology is often a driver and enabler of change but good ideas must also satisfy business needs and provide a purpose that compels a customer to take up the product or service. Hence rounding out your idea in a broad forum is critical to developing its validity. Startup Weekends around the world have brought together designers, creatives or anyone with business ideas together with tech to produce amazing things! Dr Dan Swan, lead organiser of Startup Weekend Byron Bay and Founder of Byron Bay’s startup innovation and coworking hub, StartInno, says: “Take artists and designers, they do what they do because it comes naturally, commerce however is another challenge. The same can be said for Tech. The growth in startups mean that commerce is no longer the domain of spreadsheets and beancounters, it’s a creative process in itself. Startup Weekends help people who previously weren’t able, become startup entrepreneurs instead of leaving vital decisions to others.”

So whether you have new ideas or just want to see and hear the latest in innovation go to Startup Weekend Byron Bay and grab a ticket for what is shaping up to be a great weekend

For more information or to contact the organisers: https://www.startinno.com/events/startupweekend-byronbay

[email protected] @startupbyron #startupbyron

The post Global Entrepreneurship Mixes With Local Creativity appeared first on .

OMG – It’s a WOW – as in ‘Word of the Week’ – a brand new idea supplied to us by the wonderfully creative mob at Aum PR.  They’re coming up with an unusual word every week, for those logophiles amongst us.  This week’s word resonates with the Byron Spirit Festival: spiritfestival.com.au which is on this weekend (March 20-22).

If you think you can give us a word AUM might like to choose for their Word of the Week, then give it a go – they’re up to ‘G’.  Best monthly WOW wins a beautiful handmade, recycled, soywax candle from Samson & Bronc.  Check them out here: samsonandbronc.com.au

We are proud to be in the AUM network and if you want to find out more about what AUM can provide for you and your business go to: www.aum.net.au or go to their social media: facebook.com/aum.publicity twitter.com/aum_pr

The post One two three: let’s concatenate… appeared first on .

Local Northern Rivers artist Zom Osborne has been teaching art journaling for some years, and she’s found that it’s an ideal way for students to open up to their individual creativity.  Her next workshop is on November 9, so if you’ve been wondering how to unleash your inner artist this could be just the thing…

“There is no such thing as a person who is not creative. It is one of the innate qualities of being human. The common idea that some people are born creative and others aren’t is ridiculous,” says Osborne firmly, talking of how she came to create the idea of art journaling classes.

Osborne,  who has shown in Sydney, Brisbane and throughout the Northern Rivers has also been teaching art journaling classes for the last five years, an art form she defines as “the love child of mixed media art and journaling.” It involves paints, collage, doodling and writing, and is one of her best tools to help people open to their creativity.

“The world needs all forms of creativity, new ideas and new ways of seeing and doing,” says Zom. “We need everyone’s creativity in whatever form and field it arises.” Osborne has also observed that creativity has benefits for the individual. “Being creative builds self-trust,” she says. “It also brings joy, healing, excitement and play and contributes to a sense of purpose. It lessens cravings for material things as our natural desire to create brings fulfillment. And learning how to access your inspiration strengthens intuition.”

Artist Zom Osborne: Teaching creativity

Osborne is leading a workshop called Secrets to Creativity where she will share what she has learned over 22 years of being an artist. The workshop will show how creativity works, how to call in more inspiration, what slows creativity and what stops it completely.  “I call it Secrets of Creativity because much of what I reveal is counter to how we have been taught to do things in our daily lives,” explains Osborne. “My creativity expanded exponentially once I discovered these ‘rules’. The namecame  from students telling me that my classes have changed their life, although of course it isn’t really my classes that have done this, but them opening to their own creativity.”

Art journaling helped Osborne develop from a techncally skillful artist into a creative one. “My own perfectionism was stifling my creativity,” she says,  “but I didn’t realise it at the time. Art journaling was the tool that helped to free my inspiration and make me a better artist, and once my creativity began to really open it brought me many unexpected joys and blessings. I was able to bring a synopsis of what I had learned into six secrets of creativity. That is what I teach in the workshop. We learn and experience these ‘laws’ which are quite different from how we approach other things in our lives. They can be rather counter-intuitive.  I wanted to create the workshop that I wish I could have taken 20 years ago. It would have made a big difference to my life!”

‘Creativity will Change your Life’ is happening through the Byron Regional Community College over two consecutive Sundays, November and November 16 in Mullumbimby. Studentds can register through the College: enrol.byroncollege

The post The call of creativity appeared first on .

In Between Here and Not Here by Paul Bond

The New Moon in Virgo is perfect for bringing more ritual into the daily routine, amping up both ‘heart’ and ‘production’. It’s a time to appreciate what is working and feel compassion and reverence for all life, beginning with your own.

This New Moon chart also contains the long anticipated Mars – Saturn conjunction at 17 Scorpio. Think Luke Skywalker (Mars) and Obiwan Kenobi (Saturn). To learn more about this energy, listen to the GVA recording “Mars and Saturn Conjunction”).

NEW MOON @2 VIRGO
LA – Monday – 7:13 am
NY – Monday – 10:13 am
LON – Monday – 3:13 pm
SYD – Tuesday – 12:13 am

Virgo is about about skill development, and the rituals in life that are constantly creating and re-creating our experience of reality. It’s magic to the core that we can all access.

Think – ritual magic, new beginnings, initiation and awareness! You start creating habits that make life better. Now. Read your sun sign below, and the house where you find 2 degrees Virgo. It’s may point to specific ways you can create abundance and well being through ritual in your life.

Listen to the recorded call where Jeannette Maw and I talk about “The Power of Ritual” at GoodVibeAstrology in our Free Astro-LOA Page.

ARIES/6th house: The New Moon in your house of health is the perfect time to start supportive new habits in the realm of diet, exercise and daily ritual. Think of your body as your best friend. What do you feed her? How do you keep her fit and active? When do you let her rest? Play? Explore? Connect?

TAURUS/ 5th house: The creative and playful sphere of the heart is awakened at this New Moon. Consider what rituals you have in place around your artistic expression? Is it haphazard, random or so strict there’s no room to breathe? Set into motion some healthy ways to connect to your inner child. Play, and have fun.

GEMINI/ 4th house: The New Moon lights up your home, family and emotional security sector. What are you doing to feather your nest, metaphorically and literally? Ask how ritual can improve this area of life. Regular family dinners? Time with relatives that could use your expertise? Renewed Feng Shui in the home? De-clutter!

CANCER/ 3rd house: This is the perfect time to create new habits around self-talk, verbal communication and written or spoken expression, teaching and leaning. Notice how you connect socially, around familiar, haunts then start putting more conscious awareness on your words. Try scripting it the way you want!

LEO/ 2nd house: New Moon amps up your house of money, a representation of your inner core values and self-esteem. This is excellent for boosting feelings of self-worth and setting in place new habits of care, respect and generosity. Let go of any critical judgments and embrace the abundance of allowing. Fly free!

VIRGO/first house: This is your ‘birthday’ New Moon and ideal for starting any new project that has your ‘heart’s desire’ in it. Most likely, opportunities are rolling in. You get to pick your favorite and shower it with positive energy. The trick is to not become totally obsessed. Start a habit of balance in everything you do. Equilibrium.

LIBRA/ 12th house: The New Moon in Virgo is your ‘Dream Moon’ as it activates your unconscious mind. Up comes all the buried treasures in the form of inspiration, epiphanies, synchronicities and head over heels love interests. Treat this like a preview of coming attractions. Nurture, respect, revel and enjoy!

SCORPIO/ 11th house: The New Moon in the house of friends is a wonderful opportunity to bring healthy habits of connection into being. Your powers of discernment are heightened, helping you know intuitively which birds of a feather you want to flock with. Remember, to have a friend, be a friend. Spend some time there!

SAGITTARIUS/ 10th house: Attention to detail and a feeling of new beginnings lights up your career sector. This is where you put new habits into place. If you’ve been overworking, pull back. If it’s been hard to focus, you practice new skills. As recognition and opportunities land, create the perfect balance of work and play.

CAPRICORN/ 9th house: This is your ‘Exploration Moon’ as a thirst for the unknown activates every cell in your body. What you thought was a closed door, a limitation or block, opens wide and you walk on through. The habit of open-mindedness can be developed now with very little effort. Easy breezy enlightenment time!

AQUARIUS/ 8th house: The Virgo New Moon is a chalice of overflowing opportunity where you create new habits around shared resources. This means anything from finances, money borrowed or loaned, creative projects and even intimate, erotic expression can take on new meaning in your life. Think Renaissance!

PISCES/ 7th house: This is your ‘Relationship Moon’ where you can examine your personal one-to-ones and put into place more supportive, loving and caring habits. Old unconscious behaviors dissolve, replaced by mutual respect and reverence for life with another. Boundaries improve creating more room for unconditional love.

It takes 21 days to start a new habit. Let’s set fabulous intentions now!

Have a wonderful New Moon everyone! xKim

About Kim Falconer

Books by Kim Falconer

GoodVibeAstrology

The post Virgo Magic Moon appeared first on .