Kaya Reader

I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately.

On the work I've created, the ideas I've explored, the people I've supported, and the person I've become along the way.

And I'm realising something important.

Sometimes, the next step isn't about doing more of what we've been doing.

Sometimes, it's about making room for more of who we are.

Here's a little of what's been on my mind lately. 🦋

🦋 A little life update from me

After five years of building, refining and growing my inclusion and business coaching work, I'm preparing to close the Inclusion Creators Collective.

It's been an incredibly meaningful chapter. I've had the privilege of supporting business owners to question assumptions, rethink their systems and bring their values into the way they operate.

I'm proud of that work, and I'm grateful for the people who've been part of it.

But I've also been feeling a strong pull towards something different.

More art. More exploration. More philosophical questions. More room to follow an idea simply because it fascinates me.

I've always been someone who sees possibilities in things that don't yet exist. I love connecting seemingly unrelated ideas, noticing patterns, asking questions and imagining different ways of being in the world.

And I want to give those parts of myself more room to breathe.

My art has become an increasingly important part of that expression. Sometimes a painting begins with a question. Sometimes an idea arrives unexpectedly. Sometimes a piece takes weeks or months to reveal what it needs to become.

I don't always know where the process will lead, and I'm learning to appreciate that.

There's something liberating about allowing yourself to evolve rather than continually trying to fit yourself into the shape you've already created.

Perhaps you know that feeling, too?

That sense that something which once fitted beautifully no longer has quite enough room for the person you're becoming.

I'm learning that I can honour what I've built without needing to remain inside it forever.

And that feels like a beautiful place to begin a new chapter.

💭 A thought to take into your business: belonging is more than being welcome

We often talk about making people feel welcome in our businesses.

But I've been wondering whether we sometimes stop there.

A person can be welcomed into a space and still struggle to participate in it.

They might encounter payment structures that don't accommodate their circumstances, communication that assumes everyone processes information in the same way, or services designed around needs the business owner has anticipated without considering others.

Nobody may have intended to exclude them.

But the experience can still be exclusionary.

Here's the reframe: instead of asking, "How can I make everyone feel welcome?", try asking, "What might prevent someone from participating fully in my business?"

That question shifts our attention from intention to experience.

It invites us to examine the decisions, systems and expectations that shape what participation actually looks like.

And it gives us somewhere practical to begin.

Your invitation this week:

Choose one part of your business. It might be your enquiry process, booking system, payment options, client onboarding or the way you deliver your services.

Ask yourself:

• What am I assuming about the people who use this?
• Who might find this process difficult, confusing or inaccessible?
• Is there one adjustment I could make to create more opportunity for participation?

You don't need to anticipate every possible need or get everything right the first time.

You do need to be willing to notice, listen and respond.

Sometimes, a small change can remove a barrier that you didn't even realise was there.

🎨 A painting about the world we could create: Humanity

What if we imagined a world where everyone could access what they needed to thrive?

This question sits at the heart of my painting, Humanity.

In this imagined world inspired by my Aboriginal cultural philosophy of loving and supporting all life. It shows communities that live harmoniously around a shared river. The water is accessible to everyone, representing our access ti resources that support life and thriving. It explores the possibilities that emerge when we support one another.

For me, the painting is an invitation to consider how we might live differently if we began with the understanding that we're sharing this world.

What if we questioned some of the assumptions we've inherited about resources, community and what's possible?

What if we allowed ourselves to imagine a future that doesn't yet exist, rather than limiting ourselves to what we already know?

I believe imagination matters.

We cannot deliberately work towards possibilities we haven't allowed ourselves to consider.

And sometimes, art gives us a way to encounter an idea before we have the words to explain it.

If Humanity speaks to you and you'd like to know more about purchasing the original, simply reply to this email. I'd love to hear from you.

🌿 One last thing before you go

You don't have to wait until something is broken to question whether it could work differently.

You don't have to wait until you have all the answers before exploring a new possibility.

And you don't have to keep doing something simply because it's what you've always done.

Whether you're looking at your business, your creative practice or your own life, there's value in staying curious about what might be possible.

What could change if you gave yourself permission to ask a different question this week?

I'd love to hear what comes up for you.

Until next time, keep questioning, keep exploring, and keep making room for what matters.