Janie Smit
Interested in a sustainable earth, via people that are able to live their best lives. Less me, more us.
Location Scotland
Activity
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Janie Smit replied to Janie Smit
Emily, I am still trying to decide what and who I should study with, there are so many courses/teachers. Where did you complete your course, assuming you did not teach yourself or by working on a farm.
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Janie Smit made a comment
I tried the game and I find it confusing that certain items can both be in red and green circles, how does the brain associate one item with both good and bad?
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Janie Smit made a comment
South Africa used to be all about home cooking and most meals would have included some type of meat alongside a starch and vegetables. Nowadays everyone is striving to be like the Americans which means low nutritional value pre-prepared meals, takeaways, and food high in sugar and salt is viewed as inspirational.
Sad but true, marketing, cost and time are...
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Janie Smit made a comment
The loss of food culture makes me really sad, much like a language, once gone it can never be retrieved.
The rubbish we consider as nutritional and must have today is killing us and we willingly pay for it.
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Janie Smit made a comment
Hi, I am JanieB and live in beautiful Scotland. I have been working for a cycling charity for the last five years while completing my community development studies.
Done with that now I would like to apply myself by learning and implementing permaculture. I believe communities growing their own healthy, nutritious food and reclaiming all the soil we are...
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Janie Smit made a comment
Hi, I am JanieB, I am originally from South Africa but are now living in the beautiful Scotland. I have been working for a cycling charity for the last five years while studying for my degree in Community Development which I have completed. I have a great interest in food sovereignty and it goes hand in hand with climate, I would therefore like to start...
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Janie Smit made a comment
I found the downloadable planning and progression documents very useful. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of just doing. With more planning and maybe smaller slower steps plus added evaluation, we will be able to stay more true to our change and especially our own capabilities.
Make more changes more often. We need to remember the landscape...
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Janie Smit made a comment
Fear is a big part of what we struggle with. It takes a lot for someone who has never been on a bicycle to take on the traffic specifically when the infrastructure does not support cyclists who are the vulnerable party.
Even more so are parents with children. If the parent is not comfortable and secure, there is little to no chance that they will include...
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Janie Smit made a comment
I am working on two strands of approach here:
1. I already work in the environment and we have implemented some of the change ideas and are working on others. Measurement is constantly taking place, however, I have come to realise that numbers can be confusing and for me case studies speak a lot more truth regarding personal experiences and relevant...
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Janie Smit made a comment
Since I work for a Bicycling charity at the moment, some of the ideas I have mentioned here have been tried and others we are working on. For instance, flying in the face of Black Friday, we just had a week long campaign called: Make Something Week. This included plenty of activities, from making useful articles/Christmas gifts from old bicycle part or tyres,...
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Janie Smit replied to Janie Smit
@JanMole Yes, unfortunately dockless bikes are taking the brunt of the vandalism and are causing headaches. However, progress are being made and lessons learned, so here's to getting more bikes on the roads.
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Janie Smit made a comment
Creating awareness online is a great start but the actual work takes place on the ground, in the real face-to-face work.
I find that understanding the target group and how to reach them is a large part of what needs to receive a lot of attention before a campaign is launched. We are all exposed to viral campaigns that just seem to take off and flourish, but... -
Janie Smit replied to Meta S
Meta S, I really value online for making new or initial connections. Often, finding people via other people who are able to come on board or contribute. Without online channels I would never have met them or even if I did, being introduced by another trusted party just seem to open doors.
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@KristyM Cycling helmets are hugely controversial so there are manyreasons why people kick against the habit.
* I only started wearing a helmet as a grownup, they were not around when I was a child, so yes, forming the habit as a child would help.
* There are several studies for and against so people would often say that wearing a helmet does not save lives... -
Janie Smit made a comment
That is why monitoring and evaluation is an ongoing step that should be weaved into everything we do. So often it is shown as the last step in a process but in fact, the more we do it and the better we evaluate our successes and failures, the easier it is to make changes and the quicker we can effect small changes rather than try and deal with landslide...
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Janie Smit made a comment
Over time this campaign has grown into a really useful platform, what I appreciate most about the approach, is that men are not made out to be evil but rather, are given the opportunity to learn and understand. After all, they were raised to believe that they are the superior race and that beating a woman under certain circumstances was the right thing to do....
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Janie Smit made a comment
My story about cycling
The environment is taking strain caused by our lack of due diligence. We can help by decreasing our use of motorised transport and cycling more. Further to that, obesity is the modern plague of our time and children under 5 are already placing strain on health budgets before they even go to school.
Here is a cause that touches us all... -
Janie Smit made a comment
Stories that speak to me are those of people who against all adversity just keeps going and not only survives but keeps making changes regardless. I know there are plenty of them out there and every time I have the privilege to share in someone's life story, it motivates me.
For instance Ishbel who I met for the first time two years ago. Hers is a story of...
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Janie Smit made a comment
I know that in the UK despite big campaigns, wide social media reach, campaigns like walks etc. there are still sections of modern day slavery going unnoticed and very many underground incidents that we are not aware of.
For me appealing to the heart here holds promise since we all have loved ones and can imagine the horrors for both grown ups and children.... -
Janie Smit made a comment
I think with instantaneous reach in today's world we have such great opportunities but as the saying goes, this comes with great responsibility as well.
Ensuring information is correct and reputable is so important in the face of all the fake news. Once out there we no longer really have control over how the information is treated and not everyone has good... -
Janie Smit replied to Janie Smit
@LizHodgson I don't always get it right but I do reflect when I got it wrong on what triggered me that I could not wait my turn because if maybe I had just waited a little longer, my question would have been answered without interrupting the speaker. At the same time, when things get heated/full of emotion, it is a much harder skill for me to master.
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Janie Smit made a comment
I think for me the Spheres are quite a useful tool and will allow me to actually think about how far and who I can genuinely reach or not reach.
Further to that where these lines intersect might be interesting places to make new contacts, too often we think we know but by asking we realise how much more there is to learn and just how many people connect...
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Janie Smit made a comment
What is in your sphere of control?
Communication, digital both web and social media. Research and solution farming.What is in your sphere of influence?
Immediate colleagues, large groups on Facebook where I am the admin as well as social forums.What is in your sphere of interest or concern?
Culture, socioeconomic changes, government. -
Janie Smit made a comment
Would you be able to grow your Sphere of control and/or influence? My natural instinct would be yes but it won't shrink the Sphere of concern.
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Janie Smit made a comment
I wanted to bring about change among my work colleagues regarding wearing a cycling helmet.
I started having individual conversations with people to understand their reason for not wearing a helmet and then sharing my story of why I wear a helmet and how it could save your life.
There are many statistics for and against wearing a helmet and although it... -
Janie Smit made a comment
I think an effective changemaker is someone with great communication skills, whether that is with community members or with a minister that has the power to change laws. Being able to blend in and be about the process at hand. For me, those who can really listen and hear the needs of others without pushing their own agenda has always had and attraction.
For...
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Janie Smit made a comment
There are so much strength in connections and the only way to access these people are working with the community who has built up these threads and the associated trust among themselves over years. An outsider will either take a very long time to become part of a community or might never be accepted.
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Janie Smit made a comment
Grassroots up change achieved by utilising the knowledge, skills and solutions within the community are usually the processes that last. The change initiater is actually just a facilitator to help the community identify, plan and execute their change plan.
Facilitating external communication or finding experts to assist the community with their task but...
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Janie Smit made a comment
Sometimes we forget just how drawn out a process can be and how each small step in the right direction is actually a huge win.
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Janie Smit made a comment
Every fire needs three things, a spark, fuel and oxygen. For me the individual is the spark, others joining in working towards the same goal is the fuel and the oxygen that keeps the process going is the collective action.
Change is complex and fluid, it's never a straight path and in a globally connected world momentum can be gained instantaneously but...
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Indeed Jovelyn and the closer we are able to understand the system from within, the easier it is to plan an approach to change. I still come up against the question of should this method fail completely, what would Plan B look like.
However, having said that, I have never been in that position, sometimes it just takes a bit longer to figure out where and how.
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Janie Smit made a comment
For me personally it is not just about identifying who the may power wielder in any situation is, but also identifying who the participants are that is keeping this person in his/her position and why they are doing that.
Once I understand how the information streams work, I then try to find out where I would most likely fit in and be able to create synergy....
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Janie Smit made a comment
A great example. Made me think of what happened with the #Metoo campaign, the unpredictability, the suddenness and the various spin offs that happened on the back of that one campaign.
The more pressure groups are able to make use of technology, the bigger their chance of quick traction. Of course, there is as always the negative side to this and the process... -
Janie Smit replied to Tom W
I always find that context adds so much more to a situation than just having the facts. How we plan on paper is almost never how it plays out in reality because we have human input to contend with, we have snap decisions to make in certain situations and invariably the playing field has changed along with the brains trust.
Not for a moment do I suggest... -
Janie Smit made a comment
I loved Lindsay's secret tip about creative power but what stood out to me most was the "understand what motivates people". More to the point, find out what people are passionate about, what drives them to make the decisions they make. So often we see people get involved in groups because something happened in their life or that of a loved one and it drove...
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Janie Smit made a comment
I would seriously need to take into consideration of Power over. Because cycling lanes and traffic is such a contentious issue there are many big industries that stand to lose out if there is a mass uptake of cycling. These include as an example car manufacturers, government infrastructure, public transport and even pharmaceuticals.
Media plays such a huge... -
Janie Smit made a comment
I personally find that I always concentrate more on the hidden power since those are the ones that really makes or breaks situations and usually the hardest ones to expose or confront and in many cases will be denied at all costs.
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Janie Smit replied to Meta S
Hi Meta, nice description there, I like what you stand for. Your stepping back ties in with listening as I understand it and I think a good listener picks up so many nuances that words could never possibly communicate.
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Janie Smit made a comment
Now think about your role as a changemaker; are there expressions of power that you would like to strengthen to be effective?
I feel powerful when I am able to help find the solution to a problem. Problem solving to me comes naturally and I love reading up, understanding and then brainstorming on how to make the chosen solution work for us. The second half...
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Janie Smit made a comment
Agree that power is never to be ignored but when harnessed to be done with great care. Manipulation/consideration and power goes hand-in-hand and power could easily become that staff you wield when you want results at any cost without considering the implications of all the parties that might be touched and that is manipulation not consideration.
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Janie Smit replied to Monica March
I agree with you Monica but I also believe that power can be wielded through the masses and that needs no money. Great change has been brought about by the masses and money could not stop them.
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Janie Smit made a comment
What do you think of when you see the word ‘power’?
I think that those who make the loudest noise gets heard and also, I think inequality.Who has power?
Often times it goes hand in hand with who has the most money. Money buys influence and that age old adage of it is not who you are but who you know has proven itself correct since the start of... -
Janie Smit replied to D A
Hi DA, respect your vision and will fully support such an incentive. I think that the world at the moment is so unbalanced with regards to genders pitched against each other, leaders in powerful positions that make negative statements and cause untold damage, that is a task we could apply ourselves to.
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Hi Milene, yes completely agree. As mentioned above, there is a large part of society where this is accepted and never questioned by women. In some cases even attempting to change this could cause the loss of life. We have so much work to do but I wish you well and I will definitely support this venture.
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Janie Smit replied to Margaret Coe
Margaret, I think there are millions of people worldwide that would support a cause like this and there are many already engaged in working towards this goal. I think there are so many women still born into lifestyles where it is accepted that men rule the world and therefore the status quo is never questioned. Wishing you best of luck, this is definitely a...
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Janie Smit made a comment
CYCLING IS CHANGE
Bicycles are one of the oldest machines and even in our modern day society has the ability to bring about change on several levels. Not only will it improve mental and physical health, it will also help save our planet.
Everyone can benefit from cycling.
We will experience less pollution, safer travelling, more relaxed and healthier...
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Janie Smit replied to Puro N
So true Puro and also, these are always people that do not accept the status quo and often times ignore the messages that says - this cannot be done, or you will fail.
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Yes Mark, agree with your interpretation.
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Janie Smit made a comment
In what way did the framework help your understanding of the context for change?
Because we each have our own way of interpretation and our own biases, a tool like this helps me to consider those questions that I might have skipped over. It helps me to look at the case from various angles.How does understanding context help inform how you make change...
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Good point Teresa.
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Janie Smit replied to R B
Fair point RB, I have never been a revolutionary but I do have the utmost respect for people who bring about change regardless of the nay sayers, the danger, sometimes to their own lives and the continued struggle. I saw this first hand growing up in South Africa and at that stage I was just too young (my own perception) to get involved. I do hope that by...
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Janie Smit made a comment
Was the change brought about by strong leadership or collective action?
I would say that in the cases of #Metoo and Legal Marriage it was strong leadership and in the case of ABAAD it turned into collective action after the campaign was started by strong leadership.Was the change deliberate or did it happen by luck or accident?
It could be said that in... -
Janie Smit replied to Jenny Enarsson
Hi Jenny, would my understanding of change as growth be a correct assumption? So we create the positives and we don't wait for a negative before we react?
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Janie Smit replied to R B
RB, so specifically in the political field, do you think we necessarily react to the negatives that we do see? There are quite a few governments and leaders out there that are blatantly being disrespectful to genders, countries, minority groups etc, and yet, collectively they are kept in power by the people. How would one go about bringing change in such an...
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Janie Smit made a comment
I honestly believe change is good and change is needed but I am also acutely aware of the fact that change is very disruptive and therefore people are resistant to change. There is never any guarantees and depending on historic experiences it may evoke different emotions for different people.
In our global world change happens so quickly that keeping up...
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Janie Smit made a comment
I am currently working at a cycling charity in Scotland as the Volunteer Coordinator. Our aim is give everyone the opportunity to use a bicycle as their preferred mode of transport. On a yearly basis our statistics are part and parcel of how we measure the impact we have on the community as well as the environment and it is the best part of the job when we...
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Janie Smit made a comment
I am from South Africa and to me that means our past has a legacy of apartheid that influenced the lives of the majority of South Africans born before 1994 in a very negative way.
Today, we have a different government and strides have been taken to right the wrongs of the past, however, there are different issues cropping up and the promises that were made to... -
Janie Smit made a comment
I have never done academic writing and feel that it is a skill that will serve me not only in my career, but just having a better grasp of the English language is always a plus. I find that I mix up my tenses and sometimes my writing is not descriptive enough.
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Janie Smit replied to Doris Ecker
Definitely not easy to read. I found myself drifting and then had to read back a bit to pick up again. Yes I want to read further but I also have a bunch of questions and I am not sure they will be answered.
Complex writing and I feel like maybe there is a bit much for the reader to cope with so early in the story. -
I had a huge Ken Follett craze going for a while Ann. I love his style and I think the man must be genius at research. I also went on to watch the stories recreated on screen.
Been struggling to get a grip on The Fall of Giants but I am sure when the time is right, it will happen. -
Janie Smit made a comment
Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim was one of the books which I picked out at random from the description on Amazon and just could not put down. The characters in the book was so vivid, the description of the era, the incidents and just how cruel human beings can be. Often times I found myself feeling repulsed, like I was part of the atrocity by just reading the...
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Janie Smit replied to Jenna Hookey
Oh Jenna I am so sitting at the stop sign with you. Tapping my foot...waiting.
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Janie Smit made a comment
My character is just in a deep dark thinking hole at the moment so I have to wait until she feels like sharing. That's what gets me most, I never know how long a thinking period might last.
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Or did he plan the trip specifically so that the plane would land there and he would have a chance to pursue someone from his past?
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I agree with you Jo, it's nearly as if there is so much information about the two characters already that a physical description might have detracted. I found the scene quite intense.
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Janie Smit made a comment
This is the part I need to pay more attention to at the start. I get lazy and then just build it up as I go along, which tends to sometimes confuse even me never mind the reader.
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Janie Smit made a comment
I don't think I have written more than four characters at most to a story. It will be a huge challenge for me to develop a string of characters that can all carry their weight.
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Janie Smit made a comment
1/2
“Miss! Miss! Charlie won’t share the red crayon.”
I moved the bill I was looking at away and smiled as I stood up.
“Charlie, can Simon have a turn to use the red crayon, please? I am sure he will hand it back to you as soon as he is finished.” I held out my hand with a composure I was not feeling.
As I stood up Simon had a frown on his face but the... -
Janie Smit made a comment
2/2
Then I looked up at the children. Each one of them a little star, shaped by each one of us that they interact with during their forming phase. It makes me feel blessed and special but the warm fuzzy feeling disappears as soon as my eye catches the bill again.Before I can pay attention to the flashing red light there’s some kind of pandemonium on the...
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Janie Smit made a comment
The first grade teacher and single mom who dabbles in home porn that she uploads to the dark web in order to help her pay the bills.
The butcher who is a vegan and has never actually killed anything himself, continuing the family business because it will kill his mother if he ever admits that he does not eat meat.
The hoarder who rents a different flat...
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Janie Smit replied to james middleton
James I find that even if I don't ever write the character's back story in as part of my story, knowing exactly who she or he is, do's and don't s, values, sense of humour, likes and dislikes etc. it just helps me to keep reactions or phrases or then actions real.
But, and I honestly know this, I have gotten so stuck on building a character that I end up... -
Janie Smit replied to Peter Easley
Yes Peter, well said. I have previously found myself writing a character that was just the worst kind of unemotional being and when I tracked back I could tell you exactly who it was in real life.
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Janie Smit replied to Rachel Campling
Rachel I agree with you and I think your comment also made me think about reality television. I watch very little as it is and then on top of that I am quite selective, would rather read a great book. Having said that, the real characters is what pulls me if I do decide to watch.
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Janie Smit replied to Lee R.
Like your thinking Lee, might become quite a complex but intriguing character.
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Janie Smit replied to Geraldine Curtis
I find predictability quite off putting. Not sure it can always be avoided and I suppose it also boils down to the reader's knowledge and experience. The writer will never be able to cater for everyone.
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Janie Smit replied to Idorenyin Williams
Hmm, maybe he is under age and just came across as much older. Lots of sumptuous possibilities.
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Janie Smit made a comment
My character is a gay female that has always had to fight for herself. Growing up in a family where anything other than the straight and narrow way of life with religion governing all was pretty much frowned upon.
Besides having to figure herself out as she was growing up, she now has commitment issues as a grown up and her all-or-nothing approach to life... -
Janie Smit replied to Adam Essack
Or if she now uses a part (large or small) of this money to do something for the voters. I.e. school, or employment etc. I suppose I have watching too much on the life of Pablo Escobar.
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Janie Smit replied to Hussain Khalil
So many possibilities Hussain, have fun.
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Janie Smit replied to Michel Faure
Good luck Michel, sounds like you are going to have to do quite a bit of research and that could only lead to a packed interesting read.
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Janie Smit replied to Stephen Savage
I am not sure that I have a formula. Stories come to me in different shapes and forms but then I also know that I need to work a lot harder at planning. Possibly because I have only ever written for my own relaxation if and when I felt like it.
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Janie Smit made a comment
I think growing up is part of changing ourselves. Although not all of us might change that it is outwardly noticeable, glancing inward it is quite another story. So, because we are no longer teenagers it means we no longer think like teenagers and hence a change in character has taken place.
Events in our lives change us, jobs, lovers, losses even just a...
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Janie Smit made a comment
I think I suffer the stereotype characterization illness big time.
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True Ashleigh. Also, try as I might, every single one of my stories includes something true about me, be it an emotion, a believe or a dream, it's there.
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I absolutely adore having conversations with older people. They are all wise in what they have learned living their lives, it all depends on how one listens. Every single person has a story to tell...wish it was possible to hear or read them all.
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Janie Smit made a comment
I understand the value of writing down a personal list. That set me off thinking about artists painting a self portrait... Would there be value in writing a similar sketch for lack of a better word.
Hmm, the thick plottens. -
Janie Smit replied to Anthony Edge
Music is a massive one for me. I often find that I wake up with a certain song on my mind and that sets the tone for my day going forward.
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Janie Smit replied to Patricia Walsh
And songs.
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Janie Smit replied to Emma Gladwell
Emma on a certain level I can totally relate to you. I am not sure if it is necessarily a bad thing since I know for a fact there are certain stories I would never be able to write, i.e. sci-fi.
But I do try and force myself to come up with more than one plot to a story once I get going. It has happened that I end up going a totally different direction to... -
Janie Smit made a comment
I should definitely take heed and also slow down my writing while at the same time ask the "What if?" question a lot more.
However, having said that, I do like it when my writing is not too prescriptive and leaves some interpretation to the reader so he or she can ask their own "What if?" questions. I have been told that sometimes this could come across as... -
Janie Smit made a comment
(1/2)The woman kept checking on the dog in the basket and I was so fascinated that I thought I could be staring. Every time she sat up I jerked my face towards the window, scared she might catch me.
There was a faint musty whiff and I kept wiping my nose like I could wipe it away. Although I wanted to figure out what the smell was, I was too queasy to lean... -
Janie Smit made a comment
(2/2)My voice sounded shaky, “I really did not mean to, sorry. I wanted to know why your dog was sitting so quietly and also where you were taking him?” Dropping my head, I stared at my feet and could only just see the tips of her shoes in my view.
I felt her hand on my shoulder and jerked without meaning to.
“He’s dead. I am going to bury him in his... -
Janie Smit made a comment
And then when it is put like that, all of a sudden it becomes so clear. Oi vey, I have a lot to learn.
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Janie Smit made a comment
I am not sure there is anything that intrigues me in that sentence. No expectation. I think it needed a bit more to bring across the atmosphere of the scene.
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Janie Smit made a comment
The pregnant winter sky, heavy with rain clouds were about to give birth to a storm soaking all those in their office attire without them realizing it. Except Hillary that is. Snub-nosed gun hidden inside her voluminous coat she was the only one staring up at the sky noticing the imminent storm birth.
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Janie Smit replied to Naomi Zhong
I wish I could draw. Sometimes that is exactly what I feel is missing.
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Janie Smit made a comment
I have been up against editors before where we just cannot see eye-to-eye. I think what I wrote is absolute necessity, they in turn just let the red pen dance all over the words. In the end, the line between getting the message across and just having words for words sake, is very thin and I in particular, so easy transgress. Sometimes less really is just more.
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Janie Smit made a comment
I like to start with a name. Somehow in my had I have characteristics associated with names. Not sure where this comes from or if it sets me up for preconceived ideas.
Then, when I have that, all of a sudden I can also feel how the character wants to dress and speak etc. -
Janie Smit made a comment
Sitting on the train I let my thoughts build like a summer rainstorm. Fluffy and white popping up on the horizon, grabbing onto each other becoming a big ball of pulled cotton pushing forward, blocking out my concious thoughts till eventually the results of my once random ideas rained down in a storm.
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Janie Smit made a comment
1. The light is perfect, the temperature is pleasing to my skin, I have had a good night’s sleep and an even better cup of coffee. But more important than any of this, my mind is busy, running from one thought to another, I barely have time to write down one sentence before another better sentence takes over. It’s like a pipe that burst, the consequences...
