RISE – A Workshop with Divya Marie Kato and Sarah Furuya Recap
By Tanja Kinnen, FEW Special Events Director
Earlier this month, about 12 members of the FEW community gathered for a special workshop, RISE, with Strategic Partners Divya Marie Kato and Sarah Furuya. The workshop expanded on the RISE activity members worked on during CSS earlier this year. The key question asked, as the dynamic duo Sarah and Divya put it: “Who are you without your name, your job title, your accomplishments and qualifications? Are you happy with being that?”
With their complementary approach to the subject, the two ladies took us on a journey beyond our comfort zones, through out-of-the-box networking exercises and drawing to remind us of how easy it can be to relax and gain some distance from your current struggles.
Divya Marie Kato, an artist is dedicated to peeling off labels and sharing a way to process experiences and spark discoveries, through something we all did as kids: drawing. When stuck, stressed, seeking or in doubt, draw and see how easily you’ll find a way leading you forward. Divya is also one half of the Clever Rebel Mastermind, with coach Sarah Furuya.
Sarah Furuya coaches people at different stages of their carriers and lives to help them with their personal or organisational needs. She’s inspired by all kinds of things, but most of all people’s stories, how they tell them and how they’re crafting and living their life. Through life coaching, workshops, retreats, sponsoring and mentoring, she seeks the truth to every personal story and is dedicated to turning these truths into an enriching experiences that can be built on.
This workshop centered on a different way to present yourself to strangers and the world. How does it feel to describe yourself not with what you do and what you have achieved so far, but rather with who you love or what’s important to you when interacting with others. Does this approach give a better insight of who we are and if we can relate to that person? While it seems a bit odd at first to talk to a person you barely know about who you love and why, it certainly is a great way to really get to know that person and relate to them.
The second part of the workshop consisted on a drawing activity. How many paper and crayons did we burn up before growing up and giving up and forgetting about this relaxing, experience processing activity? Divya lead us back to our inner child and we spent about half an hour drawing a rose, discovering its shapes and forms, the different colors and the surroundings of this beautiful flower that is so much related to beauty and love.
To sum up: Our two workshop leaders taught us how to gain a different approach in situations that are normally very much orchestrated in their procedure and how to enable ourselves to take a step back, take a different look at things and situations in order to process our experiences to become a better self. Get out of your comfort zone, dare to take a different approach, learn by what you get back, process the experience and RISE!