The document discusses the evolving role of occupational therapy (OT) and the importance of creativity and courage in shaping meaningful futures for clients. It questions traditional practices and emphasizes the need for innovation in service delivery, incorporating personal passions and addressing societal challenges. The author encourages open conversations, self-exploration, and the integration of OT into various community and commercial sectors to enhance occupational engagement.

1. Shaping Meaningful
Futures: Creative,
Courageous OTs
27th November 2014
The OT Show
Jen Gash
OT, Coach, Artist
jen@otcoach.com

2. I was that pesky, enthusiastic Basic
Grade (err… Band 5)
“Don’t worry
in a few years
time Jen, you
will be just like
us…you will
have lost all
that
enthusiasm
and energy….”

3. The questions I kept asking myself as I
became a “grown up” OT….
• Is this OT? Is it OT enough? Is this what I trained
to do? Is this the best use of my skills and
talents?
• Am I enjoying my work?
• Do I have to leave this job…again? or can I re-craft
this role to be more me and more creative
and occupationally focussed?
• Can I challenge myself, my practice, this
service, this institution?
• Is what I’m doing each day, helping this person,
my clients, live meaningful, engaged lives?

4. Shaping
Meaningful
Futures
Creativity
Courage

5. What the future might be like… What
might world/society/human occupational
needs be ?
Can we create “future” ?
Or should we just respond/react?

6. Borrow a TARDIS
What might the world look like in
20/30/40 years time?
What occupational challenges might
we all be facing?
What expectations might we have
from our work, social life,
government, health providers?
How will travel/mobility be
different? (assuming we all don’t
have a TARDIS!)

7. From my TARDIS I see….
Changing work patterns predicted years ago, are now taking hold =
Less “work” … this is not due recession
An aging population with complex health needs. Significant increase in
depression (what sense do you make of that?)
Greater leisure time/ opportunities, but increasing mental ill health…
Globalisation – we are not an island anymore!
Information: people are more informed and have greater options for
managing their lives. Are people are questioning the status quo?
Cycling, walking, baking, growing, making…
A search for meaning……meaning as the new currency?

8. How do we know what is meaningful for people?
“…..when we sit together
and talk about what’s
important to us, we become
alive…. “
Margaret Wheatley (2002)
“….if we sit and listen long
enough, people hear the
answers themselves….(Gash
et millions al)
• Conversations matter:
ask questions and listen
more and more
• this is why coaching is so
important

9. My “Mini
Meaning
Self
Exploration”
(MMSE)

10. Creativity aka “Bringing something
new into being”
Combinational
Exploratory
Transformational
• What does that mean for OT?
• Creativity in new services, businesses, models of
delivery
• Differing groups of customers…
• Creativity in practice…how we provide
occupationally focussed services

11. Lets play!
• When you were a child, what did you love
doing? What activities did you enjoy – the
things that you had to be dragged away from?

12. • What things do you love doing now, that make
you happy, in flow or just re-charge your
batteries?
(If you can’t think of something, what do your
friends and family like doing!)

13. • What things really bug you…what do you
really want to see sorted in the world?
(clues…things that make you angry, upset or
excited!)
Or…a bigger question:
• How do you want the world to be different
because you were in it?

14. • Combine one of your childhood passions or
current hobbies with one of the things you
want to see differently in the world…what
new idea did it generate?.......However weird
or wacky!
Write some of your ideas down and please give
them in at the end!

15. Ideas…
• An OT in every high street ? Based with
Osteopaths/Chiropractors or community
cafes???
• Discovery Party…combines OT, coaching and
parties
• Using a passion for baking to form a social
enterprise (for all sorts of client groups!)
• A OT bus for isolated communities for
assessment/advice and also groupwork space!

16. • OT combined with Circus… e.g. Holistic Circus
Therapy Ltd (integrated into social circus, not
just circus skills)
• OT combined with Equine approaches (neigh)
• Working in sustainability education/public
health etc….”Ecopation”
• OT taken into large organisations, not just for
wellbeing…. Using our unique models (MOHO,
PEO, KAWA) and occupational approaches for
systemic change and personal/professional
development and performance…

17. • Not a choice between philanthropy and
commercialism….it needs to be both.
• Hold OT firmly in one hand and use the other
to feel, scope, understand and relate to the
broader world

18. The Courage to Create
“Shall we, as we feel our
foundations shaking,
withdraw with anxiety
and panic, shall we
become paralyzed and
cover our inaction with
apathy? If we do… we will
have surrendered our
chance to participate in
the forming of the
future…”
Rollo May

19. Passion
“If I get to 90 and haven’t done this, how will I
feel?”
Nurture
New ideas are delicate – share them wisely. Nurture
yourself too…
Small, small, small steps
Test your idea out on a small, very low cost way. If
you find you are not moving forward or are
sabotaging your plans, make your actions smaller.

20. Permission
Please vigorously question any thoughts you have
like “am I allowed to do this?”
Evidence
The medical model has made us very scared and
compliant… If we are operating outside this, the
rules are different
Emergence
Plans are not linear – they are messy, emergent and
uncertain and failing is normal and healthy!

21. Introduction to Coaching skills for OTs eCourse:
Discount code 25% off ….. “ots2014”
www.otcoach.com
And a new product…. “From OT idea to value
proposition” OR “How to sell OT ”
FREE for 2 weeks only! Just email
jen@otcoach.com and request access!
Spring 2015 look out for “Enabling Positive Change: Coaching
Conversations in Occupational Therapy”
jen@otcoach.com 07772267004 @otcoach@jenngash FB /OTCoach