Maren Deepwell

Category: things I like

  • Happy World Postcard Day!

    Happy World Postcard Day!

    World Postcard Day, celebrated annually on 1st October, might be a marketing initiative launched relatively recently, but it’s a great excuse to write a postcard, and thus I am on board!

    Regular readers will know that I am an avid pen pal, not only when it comes to family and friends, but also in my coaching and leadership work. For several years I even ran a postcard based leadership coaching service, AKA Long Distance Leadership Postcards 🙂

    Positive Feedback by Post

    One of the activities I designed around Postcards is called “Positive Feedback by Post” and it’s exactly that: a short, positive message you hand-write and give or send to the recipient.

    Write about as much as might fit on an actual postcard, and simply focus on something that’s made a positive difference:

    “Thanks for making me tea yesterday when I was really tired. I really appreciate it.”

    “You speaking up in the meeting helped me find my own voice. Thank you!”

    “You stepping in when things got busy saved the day. Cheers!”

    Why not give it a go and write a small piece of positive feedback yourself. I bet you are going to make someone’s day 🙂

    Why keep writing?

    I’ve been a pen pal since my school days, when our school offered an International pen pal scheme to take part in. Ever since then, I’ve stayed in touch with friends made on holidays, colleagues met at conferences, long time friends and my family, too, through postcards and letters (and sometimes even parcels!).

    In fact, I have boxes of correspondence collected over the years. I keep birthday cards and everyday letters, and I usually keep the envelopes and stamps, too.

    In a life lived in a distributed world, it helps me stay connected, and to keep those connections meaningful. One postcard or letter equals many digital interactions, that’s for sure.

    And I also love the pace of writing and thinking a little more slowly.

    So here’s to World Postcard Day! Long may postal services keep delivering our mail.

  • Adventures in Analogue II

    Adventures in Analogue II

    This seems to be the time of year when I blog about my adventures in the analogue world. Most of my work and much of my friendships are happening online in some form or other, so this is post is about the things that are happening offline, in the analogue world I treasure.

    A photo of my painting desk, with work in progress, a book about learning how to paint, colours, paletes.

    Painting

    I started painting a while ago, and mostly focused on seascapes to begin with as that is where most of my inspiration comes from. On a summer trip to Oxford however I picked up a book promising “Art in 15 Minutes” and ever since I have been learning how to paint with the help of its projects with great joy. I would not normally choose the motifs or the colours the exercises focus on, but I am learning much about mixing colours, working with shadow and simple perspective. As you can see in the photo above, the small, postcard-size canvases I use fit very well with the templates in the book, and so I paint away happily most days. It’s a very relaxing activity, but also fuels my creativity no end.

    Landscape view of Taff valleys near Cardiff
    Photo of the view from a local woodland path towards the sea.

    Running

    Since the Vancouver Half Marathon in early May, my running distances have decreased, but I have kept a steady training schedule of 3-4 runs most weeks. I can’t say that it’s been particularly easy given conditions haven’t been particularly helpful, but I am very proud to have kept going after that big milestone race I was training for over a long period.

    Parkrun has made a welcome return in my schedule, and I am very grateful for several local community events to choose from every Saturday.

    A photo of books, cards and stationary which I picked up on a recent visit to Hay-on-Wye.

    Reading

    Reading has been A LOT of fun this summer. I have read too many historical naval novels (thank you, Patrick O’Brian) and also a lot of other fun reads, whilst failing most of the time to track them as I had hoped to do this year.

    I catch up on the app I use every now and then when I remember, but by then I have likely moved on to new books already. Some recent highlights:

    • We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune: An original story-telling voice and an end of the world scenario spin a tale of an existential road trip. I loved it.
    • wild things by laura kay: a summer romance read with a wonderfully diverse cast of characters that I spent a very happy afternoon devouring.
    • The Secret World of Weather by Tristan Gooley: my current read, and absolutely fascinating. I stood in the nearby rugby field with a compass, checking which direction the wind came from and watching the cloud. Highly recommended.

    I’ve also been re-reading Richard Osman’s cosy crime books in anticipation of his new one coming out. Joy.

    Postcards that arrived this month

    Pen Pal

    One of my lifelong hobbies is writing letters, and over the years I have had many pen pals. Some come and go, others stay for many years. My mother must be my most long-standing postal correspondent but I have a few friends with whom I have sent many letters, cards and small parcels back and forth across continents and oceans. It may be out of fashion (and many postal services are creaking), but it brings me much joy and connections.

  • The beautiful long tail of (un)social media

    The beautiful long tail of (un)social media

    I really like this recent article by John Naughton on how social media has turned unsocial. In it he shares some interesting figures about the declining proportion of users, particularly younger adult users, who post on social media sites and the increase in consuming content passively, scrolling mindlessly.

    It echoes with my own use of these platforms, both in terms of my personal posting habits and my ability to reach and connect with others. Things have changed, that’s for sure. And yet I am one of the lucky web generation that experienced the age of social media and blogging that built real personal connections and friendships, many of which still persist.

    Never has that been more apparent than on a recent trip to Canada, a holiday which gave me the opportunity to catch up with many friends first made on social media, through conferences and collaborations. In many cases it’s been many years since we last saw each other in real life, hugged and shared food, and we keep in touch sporadically via letters and postcards, or old-fashioned family facebook posts or indeed on signal and wherever else.

    We shared travels tips and subsequently visited many eateries and vinyl shops and beaches recommended by friends. It really made the trip so much more special, and led to sharing many photos and travel updates along the way.

    A photo of the Tacofino taco truck in Tofino.
    A photo of the Tacofino taco truck in Tofino.

    We collected stickers, now proudly covering my suitcase, from as many places as we could, and it reminded me of my laptop that likewise used to be covered in stickers from conferences (it still is, I just travel a little less nowadays) and how I used to collect and send stickers from events on to friends who couldn’t make it. Once we had a regular ‘black market’ for Bryan Mather’s beautiful creations between the edtech lady pen pals of the world.

    I may not like what many mainstream social media platforms are turning into today, and I will continue to try and connect and engage via federated social media, but I am most grateful for the connections that I made in the before times, and all the beautiful friendships that have resulted from them.

  • The bike bell of progress

    The bike bell of progress

    I happen to live in an area where cycling is very popular. Everything from commuting by bike, to getting around, cycling to school or into town as well as the more specialised sports like mountain biking and road racing is GO! There is a bicycle cafe nearby, which serves delicious coffee to bike enthusiasts and locals alike. And, every day as the dogs traverse their daily walk, we meet cyclists on route. In the woods, next to the canals and on the Taff Trail, the very long path that winds its way for many miles all the way to Cardiff Bay.

    A few years ago I thus went to a local bicycle repair shop, and bought a beautifully refurbished bike. Older than me, and sturdy in every way, a three gear bike that I immediately fell in love with. Apparently its previous owner had ridden the bike well into old age, and I felt compelled to follow suit. I bought light, a helmet and – thanks to the recommendation of the friendly shop owner, a Crane bell, a Japanese bike bell. On their website you can actually listen to recordings of what the bells sound like, which I though was a nice touch 🙂

    Anyhow, I soon put the bike and its bell to good use, cycling to local work appointments and into town or to the library, gladly announcing myself with the bright sound of the bell. I loved it (maybe annoyingly so). And that was the moment I realised that I am in the tiny minority of cyclists who still have a bell on their bike.

    Whilst every other aspect of cycling technology seems to have been adopted with glee, and faster, bigger and BIGGER bikes are seemingly everywhere, there is a distinct lack of bell use. Most commonly, there is no notice of anyone approaching at all, or a last minute call of “bike” as they pass by. This morning I had a polite lady call out “Bike Passing!” as she approached from behind, but more commonly there is simply a loud and sudden “LEFT” or “RIGHT”, as urgent men rush by. The ominous whirring sound of fast tires on asphalt meanwhile is often the only signal to take cover on the verges as lycra clad groups of fast racers swish past.

    Why, I wonder, is EVERY conceivable piece of kit attached to the bikes, but no bells? (I am equally puzzled at the absence of mud guards on so many bikes nowadays, which often result in cyclists sprayed in mud down the whole back, and which in such a wet and muddy country in particular, feels like an oversight.)

    Like with so many products that evolve with shrinking profit margins over time, I think bells became an optional extra somewhere along the way, making you neither faster not needing an app to function, and thus inherently un-sexy to use. They are a retro and analogue technology of cycling that has fallen out of favour, but which I miss daily.

    There’s probably a metaphor in there somewhere about technological progress, but I am not going there today. Instead, I went into the garage, where my bike has safely over-wintered, and rang the bell, the chimes echoing of the garage walls and roof. Soon, as spring is approaching, I shall be out and about again on the bike, checking my analogue watch on my wrist for the time as I cycle to the record shop and along the way I am going to ring the bell as I pass walkers and dogs cheerily in an act of defiance. The age of the bicycle bell may be nearly over. But not just yet.

  • Reading, Running & Art: Hobbies I’ll be Blogging about in 2026

    Reading, Running & Art: Hobbies I’ll be Blogging about in 2026

    Here in Wales the start of the year has been very cold and this morning we even had a light dusting of snow. So close to the coast it rarely snows a lot, but the ice on the roofs I can see through my window as I sit at my desk is a good reminder that winter is here.

    In a few days, I’ll be back to work as usual, but for the time being my other interests take up the majority of my days, alongside the daily dog walks: namely reading, running and art.

    Reading

    For the first time ever I am trying to keep a record of what I read (using StoryGraph), and I am curious to see how that goes. I’ve always loved to read and I read a lot, widely across genres both fiction and non-fiction. I tried previously to blog about books I’ve read, mostly from a coaching perspective, but that didn’t stay with me for long and so it’ll be interesting to see if and how this interest shows up on the blog this year.

    Given how much I love reading and how much time I spent reading I’d like to find a way to represent that particularly interest in this space.

    Running

    Running is continuing to make progress, and training for the Half Marathon in Vancouver in May is growing more intense. I am not particularly into going to races, so every time I do it feels like a big adjustment to be running with people. Thus, I have finally signed up for Parkrun and am looking forward to going to my local race on one of two Saturdays each month and get more comfortable running in company.

    We did Parkrun on Christmas Day, which was a wonderful morning out, if bitterly cold with an icy wind, which offered me more inspiration to give this a go. Barcode tags ordered. Here we go!

    Art

    I’ve also spent a lot of time painting over the holidays, and the house is starting to fill up with seascapes and coastal landscapes in various shades of blue. After experimenting with a lot of different creative pursuits last year, this feels like a good fit for something to focus on and to deepen my practice.

    I’m also looking forward to seeing more art and exhibitions this year, and spending more time on exploring creativity.

    This blog has always reflected my various interests, mostly professional ones, and this year I want to try and sprinkle some of my interests from outside of work through my posts, to reflect more of what inspires me and what brings me joy.

    You might find it also shows up in my newsletter, so look out for the first edition next week 🙂

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  • For the love of a good dog

    For the love of a good dog

    This is the last post of the year, and this one is for my most trusty office buddy, Posey!

    Posey turns FIVE tomorrow, and her adventures over the past year have been a big source of joy for me each and every month. I always dreamt of having a dog when I was little, and I am happy and grateful indeed that I have been able to fulfil that dream now that I live a life that can offer a dog a happy home.

    As a morning person there is nothing better than waking up with these rascals every day, greeting the morning tea in hand. We walk 3-5 miles each day and that keeps me active and outdoors more than any other activity ever has. Their company makes working from home a lot more sociable and coastal walks more fun, too.

    Cuddled up next to her favourite blanket.
    Cuddled up next to her favourite blanket.
    Exploring the dunes.
    Exploring the dunes.
    Beach time with her brother Teilo
    Beach time with her brother Teilo.
    Posey in full shark posing mode.
    Posey in full shark posing mode.
    At the local pub after a visit to the castle
    At the local pub after a visit to the castle.
    Summer play in the garden
    Summer play in the garden.

    Happy Birthday, Posey! Here’s to many more years of adventures together, and wishing everyone, humans and dogs (and cats and other creatures, too, of course) a Happy New Year 2026.