Tweek notes.

Hi there, Friday again. I last wrote two weeks ago making these twoeknote (twokenotes, tweeknotes?!) rather than weeknotes.

That’s because the last weeknotes I wrote really took it out of me — I found it difficult to get my thoughts down in a way that made sense without being dramatic or over the top, or accusatory or any other thing. And then, on releasing them to the world, they were the kind of weeknotes that I occasionally write that got some attention, being read and shared and commented on by a lot of people. …

It’s been a rough week. There have been a few different reasons for that which I’ve been attempting to work through. I’ve also been wondering, how can I write my weeknotes about this stuff in a sensitive and workable way? How can I write this without shame, blame or accusation? How can I be generous to others while also being generous with myself?

A short week and now heading into a long bank holiday and it’s supposed to be sunny‽ That is going to be so nice.

I had my jab yesterday — it was due to be at 9.30 this morning but I got a call yesterday about 3pm asking me to come down early — which was exciting! So I’m currently feeling a bit rough, but kinda fine, a bit hot and foggy which hopefully more paracetamol will fix. Trying to decide whether to stay here on the sofa or head back to bed for a bit.

Anyway, about this week…

A return to weeknotes last week, it was hard but good to be back. I also published a quick overview to the piece of work that Ben and I did as part of our Systems Thinking for Service Designers course. I wrote it quickly, hit publish before the school run, and tweeted it when I came home.

I did not really expect for it to be picked up by anyone but it started getting likes and being shared about, which was a surprise. …

I recently completed Module 1 of a Systems Thinking course with Design Dissolve and Franklin University.

As part of this I got to meet people working in a variety of roles in different organisations around the world which was an utter privilege.

I also met Ben, a public servant in New Zealand and we hit it off immediately with our experiences of working within government organisations. We each had similar questions about the role of service design within government and the affect it is able to have. …

So here I am. Back again and it feels like an eternity since I’ve written anything. I’m feeling anxious about writing in a way that I haven’t for a long time. I guess that comes, in part, with the fact that I haven’t written anything at all since March, and now we are in almost the middle of May.

Two months with not a word, and two months without much being on Twitter and two months feeling a bit disconnected and aside from myself and wondering how to come back again.

I should explain that it’s been pre-election period, so…

This week has been markedly quieter for me after all the activity of the workshops last week. I say for me because I know that this is not the case for much of the rest of the team who are working on what we need to move into the final phase, that’s the bit where it will all — hopefully — come together. Its been quieter but I’ve been able to interject here and there and offer what I hope has been useful value and perspective — but it’s sometimes hard to know.

What I’ve found as well is that…

I’m writing this on Friday, post-migraine so please excuse any typos or spelling mistakes on that basis — though I doubt you’ll really notice anything too different to normal.

I’ve been thinking about what a strange and difficult week it’s been for a whole range of people and for a whole number of reasons but especially for women, and black women and women of colour, people with mental health issues and much more.

And when I say women, I mean all women including queer and trans women too. …