During the middle of 2023 I completed the brilliant UPFRONT BOND 7 with Lauren Currie and met many inspirational women. I learned about the importance of making myself, my work, my accomplishments and my value visible. I also gained an understanding of anti-racism, intersectionality, whiteness and privilege.

Thanks to this UPFRONT experience 2023 was also the year I unlearned. From the moment I started working as a design professional over 20 years ago, my focus was always on learning something new – new typefaces, new finishes, new techniques, new technology, new platforms, new mediums – the list is endless for a creative person and it is exciting. And indeed, upskilling and continuous professional development is an integral part of Red Dog, it makes us who we are as a team and helps to keep us ahead of the curve in a fast-moving world. Unlearning, on the other hand, is not about studying something new that we didn’t know previously, but rather focussing on letting go of old habits, unconscious biases, beliefs, and ideas that no longer serve us.

I believe that unlearning broadens the mind and enhances your EQ and IQ. This in turn helps to distil inspiration and insights into exceptional concepts that deliver on brief for our clients.

I’m back to work this week after over a year away from the studio, with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. This week also marks 20 years since I started at Red Dog – where have two decades gone? A fellow BOND 7er Hema Bakhshi wrote a Linkedin post challenging the narrative of “Going back” to work after parental leave and suggested that it should be referred to as “Moving forward” in work, and this resonates with me. Becoming a parent is transformative and a lot has changed. You can never go back. I’m open, curious and confident for the here, the now and the future.