Roisin Markham

As July changed into August, the traditional first harvest festival of Lughnasadh was greeted by starry skies and warm weather.

My harvest of first tomatoes was delicious. This was a week of refreshed working space also delicious), writing, visits from friends I also work with, on going dejunking and clearing in the house and thistle removal from parts of the garden.

Hi welcome to my studio notes, I write these notes purposely. As I’ve been saying for 31 weeks I don’t use AI for these notes their purpose is based on reflection, insights, a question for you, resources and a look to the week ahead.

Reflection

Business development continues partnering with associates to BDT Consultancy, people that I want to work with. It’s been exciting to explore and discuss how we would approach potential work and lean into each other’s strengthens. When writing RFQ and tenders I really project into authentically doing the work. Figuring out the how, what and why with a plan on a page and a budget projection. I have to watch how much depth I go to as there are often a lot of unknowns and assumptions are not to be made lightly. I’ve recalled all sorts of BPM, business process management experience and work I’d almost forgotten about. I’ve even dug out my Lean Six Sigma book. It would be exciting work to win one of the tenders I’m going after.

Last week I broke whatever block I was having with my writing and drafted two RFQ responses. To be finalised in the next two days. One I’m leading on another an associate is leading on.

It’s partly to do with clearing everything out of my workspace, repainting it, and being very selective about what goes back in. It was a joy to work in it last week and to share the space with others in friendship and work.

I worked a lot with building in good ruins and acts of decolonising the future this week. Dealing with the hidden emotion of clearing my whole room out was momentous. I remembered I was an artist, 2000 – 2015, I made paintings and still have some. They need new homes, what should I do with them?

I could hold a virtual art exhibition and offer the work for sale.

Among several other processes I composted what I originally thought was an excellent idea for a strategic communication canvas on accelerating our emission targets – I’d done a deep dive on – social anthropology, behavioural psychology, cultural theory, communication theory, enhanced well being and social cohesions. I’d thought about harnessing AI to land the communication aligned to policy, driving behavioural economics and actually moving the dial on bias, cognitive dissonance, knowledge and action gap plus getting us nearer our 2030 emission targets. As opposed to further away, according to May 2025 scoring predictions from the EPA.

It was one of several no code ideas I’ve been exploring this week.

Insights

Lughnasadh is part of the celtic wheel, where the years growth moves towards harvest. The first of August celebrates this seasonal turning with rituals of acknowledging the harvest. Celebrating the abundance, blessing and thanks are given to the land. It marks the half way point between the summer solistice and the autumn equinox.

I’m not sure how many follow this ritual, this right of passage in Ireland these days. But it is an interesting one for me this year its meaning for me is towards my abundance in all my work. As I take my investment and expertise, skills, experience, zest for learning and build them forward into our business offering. The harvest, the yield is tending to what exists and wants to bear fruit.

I am a guide to making the unknown known, to making visible what others can’t yet see.

It will be a plentiful year for apples.

A question for you

What are you grateful for that is in abundance where you are today?

It is a privilege, I acknowledge that to be able to consider abundance or talk about joy. The backdrop of Gaza and the genocide of Palestine is so strong. Most other things fall away or seem futile.

Resources

EPA Projections Show Ireland off Track for 2030 Climate Targets | Environmental Protection Agency May 2025

A view to the week ahead

Monday of this week is a bank holiday, which typically means people do not work. it. But I will be working some of it.

I have finalise those two tenders and send them off. I look forward to completing them and winning the work.

I am thinking about running some ‘6 impossible things’ a pre-breakfast workshops series on rewilding your brain. I ran a series of them which were a lot of fun to do during Covid. More on this soon.

Have a great week!.