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Hey Reader,

Emperor Nero might have had a point.

Look, yes, he might have been the very first inspiration for the antichrist. And, yes, he was probably one of the worst people to ever be in charge of anything at all given his penchant for cruelty, suffering, murdering the women in his life and according to primary sources and a pretty famous statue, he did in fact have a neckbeard.

Stick with me though because the thing most people know about Nero is that after a fire broke out in the city, he dressed up in a theatrical costume, climbed onto the city walls, and merrily fiddled away while Rome burned.

He might have been a paranoid, muderous, tyrannical horror show but he chose to make music and dream of a glorious new city arising from the ashes while the world collapsed around him.

And that is the one teeny tiny area where the Venn diagram of my life and Nero’s life intersect.

When all seems lost?

Plant a garden. Make music. Paint a picture. Make people laugh.

Create something beautiful because it’s not frivolous, it’s hopeful and it’s action and it’s inspirational.

(Yes, okay, if you’re a world leader you should be also trying to help people but let’s put that aside so I can make my slightly silly point.)

This is one of the things I talked about with Janine Coombes on her brilliant podcast The Show (Off). Not Nero; that analogy just popped into my head this morning when I was thinking about what to write. But the idea of creating something as an act of revolution (which is the opposite of what Nero did).

Here’s some of the other stuff we talked about:

• Why creativity is a revolutionary act, not a frivolous one
• What to do when you feel like you don’t have anything important to say
• How Vicky got into standup comedy, what she’s learned, and why she goes deaf on stage
• Her journey to understanding her autism diagnosis
• Why labels can be liberating, not limiting (but her dream is still to not have anyone “diagnosed” with anything in future)
• The gradual, messy, non-linear process of learning to be yourself

​Listen to our episode here.

​Check it out on YouTube here if you want to see me gesticulating wildly and gurning at the camera.

And most of all, channel your inner desire for creativity, true leadership, and revolution. Even, and especially, while everything feels so chaotic.

TTFN,

Vicky 🫡

p.s. I’m working with some brilliant clients in MicroBook Magic at the moment. They’re writing fables about organisational design (NOT people problems), a choose-your-own adventure about human-led AI, saying NO without the world ending, finding a way to be your truest self, and why dogs are people too. How cool is that? If you’re ready to put your story into a book, the best place to start might be with my Book Breakthrough: Unlocked session.

p.p.s. Know someone who might enjoy this email? Please forward it to them and get them to sign up here.