“From the centre outward — transformation begins within.”
A Feather and a Saturday Morning
It began as a simple Saturday morning moment. While waiting for the washing to finish, I reached for a few oil pastels and a permanent marker. What unfolded became more than a creative distraction; it became a quiet reflection on growth, freedom, and transformation from within.
The Art of Letting Colour Flow
I had seen someone create a feather artwork on Facebook and decided to give it a try.
I drew a single black line down the middle of the page with a permanent marker, made coloured circles with oil pastels, and then used cotton buds to sweep each blob of colour outward and upward from the centre.
The movement felt symbolic. As the colours stretched and softened, I saw how transformation often begins — from the inside outward. What starts as a concentrated spark gradually expands, blending with other hues, becoming something more fluid and free.
To fix the pastel, I finished with a light mist of hairspray, sealing in the story of the morning.
Inspiration from Fledge Town
This creative act was inspired by Fledge Town, the beautifully transformative new resource developed by Lorna Stalker.
When Lorna first introduced a glimpse of it during ‘Fuddle on the Rhine’ in May, I knew we were witnessing something extraordinary. Fledge Town is more than a resource; it’s a world of imagination and identity. Through bird characters, each with their own quirks, talents, and colours, it helps children explore who they are and who they are becoming — a gentle, playful invitation to reflect.
During the launch webinar, I learned something new: jackdaws build their nests together, forming spherical homes in trees where they help one another. For years I’d thought those round shapes were just giant mistletoe clusters! That small revelation reminded me how often community and connection go unnoticed until we pause to really see.
Like the jackdaws, Fledge Town reflects a supportive community in action — creative professionals helping one another grow their wings.
The Rachis and the Sense of Mattering
As I looked back at my feather, I noticed the oil pastel blobs still visible near the centre. At first, I saw them as imperfections. Then I realised they were part of the process — reminders that growth is rarely smooth.
That central black line, the rachis, gives the feather its strength. It’s the spine that holds everything together. To me, it represents our own inner sense of mattering. It’s the quiet core that helps us hold shape when everything else is shifting.
In gaining clarity, mattering is the quiet confidence that tells us we belong and that what we contribute has meaning. When we connect with that inner line of strength, we can stretch outward with purpose and authenticity.
Creative Practice as Reflection in Motion
Transformation rarely happens in one leap. It begins with small, reflective acts like this — moments that help us notice what we feel, what we value, and how we grow.
The act of creating gives our inner thoughts a visible form. It invites reflection through experience rather than evaluation. This aligns beautifully with Hope Action Theory, particularly:
- Self-Reflection – pausing to notice what we value
- Visioning – imagining what might grow from within
Encouraging clients (and ourselves) to explore creativity in motion — through metaphor, story, or image — opens a space where clarity can take root.
“Transformation doesn’t always arrive as a breakthrough. Sometimes it’s a quiet sweep of colour, moving gently outward from the centre.”
Transformation from Within
Perhaps transformation is less about reinventing ourselves and more about rediscovering the colour already waiting inside.
Sometimes, it takes something as simple as a feather, a few oil pastels, and a quiet Saturday morning to remind us that change doesn’t have to be loud or dramatic. It can begin gently, with one small sweep from the centre outward.
As I look at my feather now, I see the story of transformation held in its layers — colour meeting structure, softness meeting strength, individuality meeting connection.
Thank you, Lorna, for creating something that invites us all to see transformation not as a destination, but as a living process — one that begins from within. Thank you also Liane Hambly for helping to bring Fledge Town to us
** The feather art activity was originally created by someone else on social media
Jenn Barfield - Holistic Clarity Coaching 