Proceeding creatively

March 15, 2022March 15, 2022 by Metropol No Comments

Christchurch local Bridget Williams is the brains behind Bead and Proceed. She talks with Brydie Macbeth about how it started and what it does.

Chairman of the Fendalton Community Board, a member of the Global Shapers Community for the World Economic Forum and a part of the AsiaNZ Foundation leadership network, Bridget Williams thrives on helping and inspiring others. Hers was the impetus for Bead and Proceed, a social enterprise intended to inspire and uplift individuals of all backgrounds; a catalyst for deeper conversations to be had and ideas to be shared.

All this and she is still in her 20s.

Motivated by the lack of creative processes acknowledged in work-related environments, Bridget sought a method of cultivating togetherness and “important discussions, bonding over a shared experience.” She drew her idea from the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), seeing the connectability between these goals and “putting an onus on the participants and seeing similarities and differences between their goals as well as helping to strategise projects and initiatives.”

Bead and Proceed has received national and international exposure. “It’s a wonderful journey, complimenting my work done with the community board,” she reflects.

Successfully launched and supported by members of the Christchurch community, Bridget understands the challenges that come with starting small, yet remains a firm believer that “the small ideas can have the biggest impact.”

Now more than ever, she encourages cherishing creativity, as our every day lives become more distanced and digital.

“The presence of creativity is crucial in sparking creative ideas and creative solutions too,” she says. “Be inspired to be a leader too, think and converse differently with whānau and colleagues as “power comes from reconnecting with raw creativity.”

Tips from Bridget: