Member Spotlight: Midori Evans
The founder of Midori Creativity, Midori Evans is always thinking outside the box and she’s on a mission to help you do the same. Some of you may recognize her from attending a Groundwork Open House, during which she delighted us all with live piano through the winter. She has even continued to play for us virtually during the pandemic, so you may have seen her streaming live as well.
What’s your profession?
I run creativity workshops, offer individualized creativity coaching, and do creativity consultations.
Describe a typical work day for you.
A typical work day is an oxymoron for me! I am always juggling a wonderful mixture of designing creativity programs, being there on the phone and email for my creativity clients, and having the time and quiet space to do my own creative work as a writer, photographer, and musician.
What’s the biggest challenge you face at your job?
The biggest challenge I face is working with a brain that is a bit wonky from some past neurological issues. I have to work really hard to manage details and my memory is pretty iffy so everything gets written down — sometimes three times!
Do you have a morning routine?
I do have a morning routine, though it shifts by the seasons. First: coffee. I don’t walk out the door without first having had a cup. Then I swim laps in the ocean which is such a wonderful treat! When it’s colder, I go walking instead. These days with Covid, my Quaker meeting has been holding a meeting via Zoom every day. So at 8:30am that’s where you’ll find me!
What are your favorite productivity tips or hacks?
I frequently use the Pomodoro technique but I also really like Magnetic Minds’ Accelerated Learning youtube video — it’s got a mixture of 40 hz and 6 hz music with binaural beats and it really is fantastic!
What do you listen to during the day?
Lately, I’ve been listening to some choral music that I used to sing when I was in a choir. I miss singing so I’ve been listening to Morton Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna, Faure’s Requiem, and Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass.
How do you benefit from using a coworking space?
I love the camaraderie of a coworking space, the shared ideas over coffee and afternoon snacks, not to mention appreciating not being in my house! It allows me to focus in a very different way than when I have to create my own sense of work vs. home boundaries.
What’s in your digital toolbox?
Hmm…. well, I think I’m a bit of a Luddite, though I have plenty of apps and things that I use on a regular basis. I’ve just become a convert to Trello for project management, have a great brain-building app/game called N-back which is one of the few games that have been shown to be truly effective for cognitive training, and have been enjoying using Spark to make photo collages.
What is the most surprising or unusual aspect of your life?
It’s a long story! But very creative!
What inspires you?
Finding life paths that are meaningful. Creating, no matter its beauty. The ocean. Enrichment learning. Maps. Studying the brain. Writing that pours out of us when we least expect it to. Should I go on? Because I could, for days!
Be sure to check out our upcoming events calendar. Virtual events are a great way to stay connected to the Groundwork community. We’d love to see you!
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