Now's the time to reflect and renew

A former trainee of mine - an alumnus of the Fast Track programme formerly run by the Independent Theatre Council - phoned the other day for a catch-up chat. After putting in the usual slog with two or three internships, she was full of excitement for the paid work she has been doing for Tête à Tête, in which she has been going from strength to strength.

Gratifyingly for me, she claimed 'I owe it all to you!' Of course, she doesn't - she owes it to her own instincts for communication and to the organisations which have trusted her to develop her skills. But she did get switched on to the fun and creativity of marketing on our Fast Track day, and she goes back again and again to the resources and crib sheets I supplied - constantly asking herself 'What more could I do? What have I forgotten?'

For many of us, the time around Christmas and New Year is a lull and a chance to catch our breath and catch up with ourselves. Taking time out from the heads-down, headlong rush of the job is never wasted. It allows us to reflect on our successes and slip-ups and to review what we do and why we do it.

It gives you time, maybe, to sign up for my next Introduction to Marketing Skills course on January 29, and treat yourself to a whole day of reflection and refreshment. Call it a spa day for the arts marketing professional!