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Recently I have had cause and pause to think about problems and in particular what maketh a real problem in our lives.

I left last Monday to travel to Paris for my birthday. Frequent flyer points were used. This signifies an awful lot of economic activity that I have been in a position to undertake. Granted, I have worked and on occasion quite hard to earn those points. But to have a job that paid me money, is in the majority of the world not a privilege people are afforded. This is a first world privilege.

The Connect Now Conference was held at Sydney University 7-9 April 2010. I had the priviledge of working on the registration desk and meeting most people who attended. For a social butterfly this was sheer heaven.

Connect Now rewrites the conference rule book. People who attended were from a broad cross section of small and large business, public relations, marketing, design, programming, media, education and non profit sector. What other conference can boast such a broad cross section of people?

Whilst people's backgrounds varied the driving sentiment of the conference was first and foremost about community. Everyone felt the lerve in the room and left feeling invigorated and inspired.

The first Finders' Market was held Sunday March 14, and will continue 1st Sunday of the month. This new market will offer stalls selling, collectibles, antiques and treasures, nic-nacs and bric-a-brac of all kinds, plus valuations.

The market will be run by Mario Kery (who most of you will know from the ‘Next to Nix Flea Market’ on the ground floor of the Convent building) and Toula Karayannis of Digital Kulcha (Convent Tenant in C1 12).

If you would like to become stall holder or would like more information visit: http://www.findersmarket.com.au/

Visit Digital Kulcha's online shop for a range of products to suit a range of needs.

If you have something you would like us to design, contact us on +61 3 90105432 You too can have a personalise product. It's easier than you think!

Suburban Gladiator

Ordinary Visionings

There are many things around us that we ignore because they are 'ordinary' or utilitarian. I'm keen to sharpen our vision of the world around us and to see beauty in even the most pedestrian of things. Photo Essay: Peripatetic Visionings Vol. 1 2010

by Phil and Scotty (Phillip Stokes Studio - Abbotsford Convent www.philipstokesstudioglass.com.au)

We are pleased and very proud to announce that the For Art’s Sake Auction held on the 8th of November raised $16,284.20. This money will be donated to Regional Arts Victoria based in the Murrindindi Shire this week. Marilyn Gourley is the Arts Recovery Project Officer, the position funded by Regional Arts Victoria, post fires and based in the Murrindindi Shire. Marilyn will distribute the funds to arts projects and artists within the bushfire affected areas.

Our aim is to gather a truly significant collection of Australian Art for the “For Art’s Sake” Auction. The Auction will present art works across many mediums by internationally recognised artists from across Australia and New Zealand.

by Karin Riederer

If you’ve peered into the Abbotsford Convent courtyard this week – especially from Handsome Steve’s balcony – you might have noticed that a word has appeared in the lawn.

Coming from the non-profit sector I came into the Marketing Now conference (Melbourne 22-23 September 09) with my metaphorical arms crossed and resistant. A regular Lil' Miss Snippy with a huge non-profit chip on my shoulder. The words 'marketing', 'customers' gave me and still do, give me the heebie-jeebies.

I didn't come to learn how to be a marketer or to learn how to ensnare unsuspecting customers. (Not that all marketers are like that, just the ones that ring me at 6.30pm when I am mid burrito! ie commonly referred to as Burrito Interruptus :)

I came because the Social Media focus of the conference not only intrigued me but taken over my life and my little enterprise Digital Kulcha. I wanted to know more about how and why this Social Media zeitgeist had moved into my life and how it could possibly impact the communities & non-profit, community organisations I worked with....and oh yes, I wanted to change the world (again!).

Secret's out! I have a whole lorra, lorra lerve for our native lorikeet. I am a self confessed twitcher, a clueless amatuer but a twitcher nevertheless.

These photos were taken on my walk to work this morning along the Yarra River, Melbourne....now back to my day job.

...for more photos click 'read more' below...