Dear friend innovator, pioneer and rebel,

As of last Monday I am a Professor in Creative and Open Education. On the one hand, this is a significant professional recognition for the body of work I have produced over the years: I pioneered open-connected and boundary-crossing academic professional development, sustained multiple successful collaborations with organisations nationally and internationally. I also championed fruitful and diverse experimentations and applications in the area of creativity and playfulness in learning and teaching that are shaping student education. On the other hand, this recognition presents a collective opportunity to further extend influence and growth for the School of Education, the Faculty of Social Sciences and the University of Leeds. Exciting times are ahead of us.

The road has been bumpy, but then it always is for the risk takers, movers and shakers, for those who are committed to making a difference to others and the world around them despite the obstacles, boulders and layers of impenetrable concrete they find in their way (Jackson, 2014). Nothing is impenetrable! The blockers, the indifferent, and the opponents are and will always be there (Levitan, 2009). Remember all the advocates and the followers, the companions and keep growing your influence. Keep going! Keep connecting! Don’t let anybody dishearten you, make you feel worthless, disorientated or lost. Remember you are not a hazard! You are not going to be locked up in a dark cupboard! You are a free bird. Open your wings and fly! Your ambition, commitment, inner drive and glow should guide you to continue on your path toward making a difference and you will! You probably are making a difference already! Believe in yourself. Continue with confidence on your path of experimentation, adventure and discovery. Feed that curiosity and wonder! Continue sharing your ideas with others, embrace them, and help whenever you can. Lift them up! Create warmth and community. Collaborate with generosity even if others rush to claim your ideas as their own. This means that your ideas are precious gems and you have come up with something special that others wish they would have come up with themselves. Let them have what they want to take. We are defined by what we give, not what we have. And believe me, you will feel richer by giving and letting go!

I am grateful to all the people I met in my life. All experiences have been valuable and made me the person I am today and who I am becoming.

I would like to acknowledge my Mami and Papi who played a key role in stretching me from a very young age and cultivating an endless love of learning within me. Also, Adam, my understanding husband, and our amazing boys Thanassis and Odysseas for their unconditional love and support over the years. A big thank you goes to all my teachers and supervisors, collaborators and companions but also co-experimenters, students and friends, especially Soula Kalisperati, Haroula Stathopoulou, Cristina Costa, Alex Avramenko, Andrew Middleton, Norman Jackson, Charles Buckley, Barbara Thomas, Peter Gossman, Alison James, Neil Withnell, Kathy Wright, Ale Armellini, Sally Brown, Phil Race, Gerasimos Chatzidamianos, Gail Spencer, Alison Laithwaite, Sandra Sinfield, Tom Burns and all colleagues from #creativeHE, Javiera Atenas, Ronnie Macintyre, Leo Havemann, Paola Corti, Paul Kleiman, Simon Lancaster, Tanja Urbancic, Bea de los Arcos, and the whole GO-GN family, Linda Matthews, Raheel Nawaz, Melita Sidiropoulou, Digby Warren, Margaret Korosec, Antonio Martínez-Arboleda, Iria Lopez, John Hammersley and the e-pizza team, Kenny McDowall, Jeff Grabill, Vanessa Kind, Annie Wei, Kristyn Gorton, Paul Johnson, Lisa Wainwright and so many many others.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Chrissi

References

Jackson, N. J. 2014. The Wicked Challenge of Changing a University Encouraging Bottom-up Innovation through Strategic Change. http://www.creativeacademic.uk/uploads/1/3/5/4/13542890/__the_wicked_problem_of_changing_a_university.pdf

Levitan, B. 2009. Stakeholder analysis toolkit. https://kq.freepressunlimited.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Stakeholder-Analysis-Toolkit.pdf