James Anderson speaker, author, educator, growth mindset expert states,
The competitive advantage is now about harnessing human potential for growth. The organisations who understand this will own the future.
Many organisations are now learning – often the hard way – that having the smartest people in the room is useless if they can’t adapt and innovate. In this new era, the true competitive advantage isn’t found in static knowledge, but in the ability to create a growth mindset where everyone is committed to continuous improvement.
In a recent article Can You Predict Your Success I shared my wife’s breakthrough and new found freedom to be an active artist, applying for solo exhibitions, art competitions, and grants.
Since this article, Lorenz has completed her first solo exhibition at Salamanca Art Center (Tasmania, Australia), was successful in an art grant with Creative Hobart, is completing casual work with ‘Terrapin’ Puppet Theatre and won the Professional Development Award for her entry “Daisy” in the Paper on Skin™ International Wearable Art Competition held in Tasmania, Australia in 2024.
Paper on Skin™
International Wearable Art Competition
Daisy I Lorenz Cherry
Daisy I Lorenz Cherry
Listening to Lorenz speak about the experience is both humbling and inspiring.
Here is what Lorenz had to say:
I discovered the Paper on Skin competition on Instagram (which requires garments to be 80% paper and fully wearable), and I applied because it was happening in my state. I drove three hours to participate, only to find myself surrounded by artists who had flown in from around the world. That’s when I realized I needed to think bigger—location is no barrier.
The underlying win for me was that as it was an international competition, and I was one of 35 entries to be selected yet alone winning one of the prizes. I was privileged to meet, connect and compete with other like-minded artists from around the world. A joyful experience that has fuelled my creativity and drive.
I am now an Australian Artist playing on a global level. The win for me personally is the growth I have experienced. I am no longer a ‘hobby’ artist, and this competition has taken me outside of my comfort zone and launched my artistic expression on a global level which was not possible before.
I am now entering the International ‘Australian Wearable Art Festival’(AWAF) to be held in Brisbane, Australia in 2025. And I have my sights in 2026 on entering the International ‘World of Wearable’ Art (WOW) competition, held annually in New Zealand.
Having been part of such an engaging event, it’s not about winning; it’s about the pure joy of being involved and being part of an amazing creative community that make clothes out of such unlikely materials. It’s fun because it is so unconventional. ‘My Paper on Skin creation, ‘Daisy’ came about from my love of traditional textile crafts like knitting, tapestry and crochet and wanting to stay true to my creative self-expression.
I decided on crepe paper because of its flexibility and spent 50 hours spinning my paper wool with a drill and then countless hours crocheting, cross-stitching, knitting and sewing to create the final garment. I turned something incredibly fragile into something beautiful and relatively robust. Water is its arch enemy!
The design itself unfolded and morphed as I was making it. I had never made a wearable garment from paper before. The key concept of embodying the simple joy of a ‘yellow daisy’ remained however all the technical issues had to be resolved along the way. I was working with crepe paper with no pattern. You cannot unravel mistakes like you can with wool. I had to believe in my skills and trust that “Daisy” would work out that way I intended it to.
“In my creative practice, I do embrace a Growth Mindset, finding joy in overcoming challenges rather than being stopped by setbacks. There’s always a solution, and it’s both fun and deeply satisfying to navigate my way through and create something amazing”.
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Warm Regards
Craig Cherry