Author: Maren Deepwell

Read, Run, Write. Repeat.

After a week away I have returned to my desk to write (freshly inspired thanks to the museums of Amsterdam). Progress on the book this month has been better, and I have found a new rhythm: read, run, write. Repeat.

It helps me to read more to feed my creativity and find inspiration, and I am lucky that my recent haul of books from the library has been plentiful in both. The running gives me space and time to think about things, and although I rarely manage to actually record anything whilst I jog along river paths (I need the breath for running), by the time I return home I am usually ready to get writing.

In my writing journal I keep a record of the days I write, and how long I have worked for. At the moment, I have started with 90 minutes, then step away. My concentration doesn’t last much long yet, as I am finding my way into the book. Flow is patchy, but there is a vague shape of things now. I am getting words down on the page.

This month was the first in my new writing regime, and it feels good.

28/05/2025
The Lost Podcast: Talking career (meaning) making with Kin Lane

Inspired by Kin Lane’s post Having a Career I recently posted my own career story, and this blog post exchange inspired me so much that I reached out to Kin to record a conversation for the podcast. And so, two humans and two dogs assembled online to do just that.

We chatted for an hour, and the conversation was so thought provoking! In addition, meeting the one and only Poppy R Lane (follow her on Instagram) was especially fun (my own dog eyed the bike side car with envy… ;)). Unfortunately the tech gods weren’t smiling and I didn’t manage to capture the conversation audio, resulting in no podcast. Sigh.

Instead, I want to use this post to capture some of the things that came up (for me) during our conversation and also express how much it inspired my thinking. In an ideal world, the conversation would have happened in a NYC park, where I was supposed to be later this month, and instead we made do with the best virtual equivalent. Maybe this ‘lost podcast’ is a good metaphor for why some conversations have to happen in the here and now. Maybe there will be another version of the conversation we eventually record as a podcast.

Creating measure for what matters

One of the things we talked about was finding new meanings for what matters when traditional metrics of career progress, financial or reputational reward, become less meaningful. In the context of reinventing yourself and your career path. We shared examples of manual jobs we had early on, and how there is no straight line, no template to predict the path from those origins via all the things that have been accomplished since, to where we are now. Each on our own journey to reinvent and I suppose reinvigorate our thinking at the intersection of technology and society. I shared the example of beach/life balance (my measure for how often I can afford time off to go to the beach with the dogs), which I have come to use to check in with work/life balance and focusing on things outside of my computer screen.

Holding your own space on the web

Kin is a prolific blogger, both on his own domains Kin Lane and the API Evangelist. As a writer and a storyteller he holds his own space on the web, and we reflected on how we would advise new or emerging bloggers. This was prompted by me being asked recently how and why I started to blog and how to get started now. I couldn’t really recall exactly how I got started initially, but it was during my time at art school, when I was experimenting with writing and sketching and sharing my work in any way I could. Given how much the web has evolved since then and what being present online necessarily brings with it, we came up with quite a few hesitations about starting now. From staying safe and dealing with inevitable unpleasantness to navigating the dynamics of social networks and the struggle to actually find someone to connect with.

And yet, Kin mentioned how important it is to hold your own space on the web, to have your own domain and to use it to articulate, to have a voice.

If you haven’t come across it, watch Kin and Jim Groom chat about Blogging over on Reclaim TV.

It takes work.

One of the things that really resonates with me is Kin’s commitment to doing the work. The work of reading and writing, to try and see the world from different angles, and to educate yourself about different points of view. It’s a human activity, a necessity (to my mind at least), that you can’t outsource. It takes time and effort and energy. It’s a lot of work. And only you can do it.

I may have had a very different path, but that notion of doing the work, and seeing value in that, it means a lot to me, and it reflects how much I treasure being part of the world, and how much there is to enjoy in the everyday, in being a human being (with a dog;) .

Thank you, Kin and Poppy.

14/05/2025
Book Mission Statement
On a recent podcast episode I shared an update on my next book, which I have been working on for the past year or so, mainly conducting interviews and research. Now that writing has begun in earnest however, I am thinking more about why I am writing the book. Especially since it’s never been easier to simply provide a lot of data and have your book generated for you by AI.

Cue this “mission statement” for the project:
- Why another book? This book is about what happens at the intersection between human beings, technology and work, which is the space I am interested in. Whether fully remote, hybrid, or blended on campus and in offices, the way we work continues to evolve, and we negotiate the full spectrum of technology as we do so, from analogue to AI. This book brings together leadership perspectives in order to explore how we, as human beings, can shape the future of work.
- Why now? Work is politicised and contested, from companies forcing employees to return to the office full-time claiming that collaboration “can’t be done online” to the threat of automation and AI taking over jobs. Add to that a cross-generational workforce with very different needs and expectations, and things get even more interesting. This book is designed for leaders and managers seeking to navigating these uncertain times.
- Why a book? Because I love books, I love reading them and writing them and it feels like best format for getting to think about the things I am interested in, i.e. the right format (length, familiarity) to explore these ideas in appropriate depth. Also, you can print a book and I found it extremely helpful to have a printed format of my first book instead of only digital resources.
- What about AI? I am intentionally not using AI in the creation process, but if you find it helpful to get you thinking and reflecting, then by all means go ahead and create an AI summary or an AI podcast. My choices reflect what process works for me and my reasons for writing the book in the first place. It also reflect the values I hold about the importance of human creativity and human labour. This book is my endeavour by choice, not because there weren’t easier or quicker ways out there.
- Why open? This second book, like the first, will be openly licenced under Creative Commons. Most of the work the book is based on is already in the open domain, and I want my work to be as widely available as possible. You’ll be able to purchase a printed edition. I believe in open knowledge creation, and I hope this book will be a useful resource for emerging and established leaders across sectors.
Listen to the podcast episode

Subscribe to my monthly newsletter and never miss an episode again:
[newsletter_form type=”minimal”]
12/05/2025
Small Things. Changed.

At the start of this year, alongside planning for work and life, I set out some small changes for myself, intentions to do things a little differently in 2025. I wanted to try to make more ethical choices and also to support local businesses more, as well as finding more joy in small things. It was a bit of an experiment of how much I could change things for myself, and also how to build new habits to replace behaviours I wanted to stop.

If social media is anything to go by, these kinds of changes take 30 seconds and look idyllic and idealised. So, using various coaching approaches, I wanted to find out how easy or hard these kind of changes are. Here is how I got on:

Amazon abstinence

Giving up ordering things on Amazon seemed the least achievable of my goals, and yet it has been very straight forward to make happen. I stopped ordering things in January, and although in the first month I found myself in situations in which I did revert back to ordering something (for example when the dog was will and I needed probiotic paste at the weekend) I haven’t found it difficult to give up since.

One hairy issue has been audiobooks, and I am still in the process of moving from Audible to something else, currently I am trying out both our local library app, BorrowBox, which is amazing, and also Libro.fm, which I am just getting started with.

The most difficult situation was a work trip for which I needed a specific adaptor and I wanted to get this in an electronic shop, which it turned out doesn’t stock them anymore (because everyone orders them on Amazon). Although I did eventually find the item I needed in a shop, it taught me to check ahead and compare pricing, instead of just assuming that the shop will have it in stock.

The upside has been that I have reverted back to buying things from more specialised stores, which often have a much better selection, infinitely more customer service and more related products to discover. Which brings me to my second aim… .

Shop local

I love living in Cardiff, a small capital city which has a wonderful selection of independent local shops, cafes and businesses. I do most of my shopping locally already, and this year I have tried out a few new things to increase the ratio even more. I have joined a local book club which meets once a month in an arts centre which is near to a whole high street of small shops, so I can pick up things when I go to one of our meetings.

I’ve also tried out a “wine passport”, a local initiative to discover new bars and restaurants, which enables you to try a glass of wine at participating local spots and comes with a handy guide to them. This turned out to be more successful than I had expected, and at least a few of the places we tried are now firmly on the radar for the next outing into town.

Trying out things in person has really helped me shop local more often, and become a lot of fun along the way.

Veg Box

One thing I have found however is that I don’t have time regularly enough to rely on fresh produce from shops or markets, particularly not during the week when things are busy. After some trial and error I found a veg box delivery service that fits well into my routine, and allows me to get fresh produce delivered regularly.

The added benefit is that it makes me try new things, and eat more variety than I otherwise would, and there’s the option to order the occasional treat alongside the veggies as there is a whole selection to choose from. Packaging, all plastic free, goes back each week to be re-used and recycled, which is another bonus.

Declutter

In addition to buying less and more local, I have started to focus on decluttering, trying to bring some order to the remnants of pandemic years spent largely cooped up at home. This is the least well defined intention, because I don’t have a particular end in mind here. It’s more of an overall sense of trying to get individual spaces, like a bathroom or my desk, to be aligned with their purpose, rather than stacking and storing everything everywhere.

Running my own business has made me more appreciative of local businesses supporting each other, and I am looking forward to continuing with these small changes in the coming months.

07/05/2025
Listen to OEG Voices 082: Amanda Coolidge, Marcela Morales, and Maren Deepwell on “The Small Things”
I was super excited to be part of this podcast conversation during Open Education Week and this post is an invitation for you to tune in and explore this rich dialogue. Thanks to Alan Levine and the wonderful team at OE Global, the page where the podcast is available features a thoughtful mix of commentary and context alongside resources and ways to get involved. So make sure to check out the complete podcast post with full links to resources (from which I have quoted below).

In the OEGlobal Voices Podcast Studio with clockwise from top left, Amanda Coolidge (BCcampus), Marcela Morales (OE Global), Maren Deepwell (Maren Deepwell Coaching), and Alan Levine (OE Global). Not pictured, but listening in live were Shira Segal (MIT), Manisha Khetarpal (Maskwacis Cultural College), and Beck Pitt (The Open University).

Listen

In This Episode

FYI: For the sake of experimentation and the spirit of transparency, this set of show notes alone was generated by the AI “Underlord” in the Descript editor we use to produce OEGlobal Voices.

In this episode of OE Global Voices, Alan Levine hosts a dynamic conversation during Open Education Week 2025 with Amanda Coolidge, Maren Deepwell, and Marcela Morales. They discuss leading open organizations, the importance of self-care, and finding joy in the small things amid the challenges of managing teams and building relationships. The conversation is filled with heartfelt insights, practical examples, and touching personal stories.
- Introduction to OEWeek Podcast
- Amanda’s Perspective on Leadership
- Marcela’s Views on Team Dynamics
- Maren’s Insights on Virtual Team Leading
- Story Behind the Conversation
- Connection Amid Critiques
- Exploration of Relationship Building
- AI and Thoughtful Leadership
- Concluding Thoughts and Personal Joys
Hat tip by @visualthinkery is licensed under CC-BY-SA. Remix by Maren Deepwell.
06/05/2025
Fan #4life, friend #4life
This blog post is a professional fan letter, a heartfelt hat tip to Bryan Mathers of Visual Thinkery fame. Over the past ten years his creative genius has provided me with so much inspiration that when I started looking for projects I could refer back to by searching my blog and my archive for work we have done together, there were too many examples to count.

From playful remixes and conference campaigns to organisational strategies and international frameworks, I have been lucky to work with Bryan. We first met around a ministerial meeting table in Westminster when I was a brand new CEO, a rookie at influencing policy and finding my voice.

As you can see from the photo that headlines this blog post, I still have my rookie sticker and badge. Reminding me regularly that being new at something, learning something new, is a powerful position to be in. It’s a privilege and the same can be said for many of the initiatives I have worked on with Bryan over the years and fortunately I continue to do so across Open Education and beyond.
Over the years Bryan and I have become friends and I was grateful to meet up with him recently and swap ideas for new ventures that we are each working on. It reminded me how often over we’ve met up for conversations like this over the years, at conferences and in parks, after a busy session of Visual Thinkery or a quiet pint celebrating the end of an event. Bryan never gives me advice, but he so often says the right thing, and helps me see things differently. He’s been a source of encouragement and support as well as someone who has excellent judgement.

Bryan describes listening as his superpower, and I would add kindness and patience to the list of these. Creative genius and artistic skill may be what makes everything he creates pop and sparkle, but it’s the deep humanity that creates the connections that have us send his conference stickers across oceans via post, and treasure zines and t-shirts for years afterwards.

I have a Bryan drawer in my desk, where I keep all the treasures I have collected over the years, and every time I open it there is a little spark of connection, inspiration and joy.

So here’s to you, Bryan!

I’ll be a fan #4life.
03/05/2025