It’s been a while since I last added words to this space. Life and work have a way of expanding to fill every available margin and when your days are full of conversations, sketches, and community projects, the quiet act of writing can slip to the bottom of the list.
But lately I’ve been feeling the pull to return. Not to report or promote, but to reflect. To notice. To share some of what sits behind the pens.
My work takes me into rooms… and sometimes horseboxes! Where people are trying to shape places, strengthen communities, or simply make sense of change. Pens move across paper, walls fill with colour and ideas, and something happens in the act of drawing together.
The blog began years ago as Third Sector Talk – a place to share practical insights from community projects. But what I’ve realised is that most of the learning isn’t just about process or policy; it’s about people. About listening differently. Seeing differently. Connecting dots that aren’t always visible until they’re drawn.
So, I’m giving this space a new lease of life.
A quieter corner of the internet where I can pause between sessions, wipe the ink from my hands, and think out loud about:
- the creative side of facilitation
- the rhythms of community life
- and the small human moments that make big ideas possible
Some posts will be reflective essays, others might begin with a sketch or a song lyric or something Mystic (the horse) taught me about patience.
If you’ve followed my Art by Jax work, you’ll know I believe that visuals help people see and hear each other. This blog is where I explore the why behind that and how creativity, community and courage intertwine.
So here’s to new ink on old pages.
If you’ve found your way here, thank you for reading, for thinking, for being part of the conversation.
Welcome back to Third Sector Talk… Behind the Pens.
Let’s see where the lines take us.