Growing Brighter

Lisa Tervit started a small business a couple of years ago called Growing Bright, offering creative workshops in the local area.

While this may sound like a fun and enjoyable endeavour, Growing Bright holds much deeper significance for her. It represents a complete career change after the challenges of lockdown took a toll on her wellbeing.

Lisa had been working as a solicitor in a new job when the pandemic struck, and suddenly, the things she relied on to function were taken away. Both she and her husband were working constantly, alternating shifts to homeschool their young children. Like many others, Lisa found the experience highly stressful, with no time for herself, no hobbies, no social interaction, and no respite.

They made it through, but it wasn’t until life began returning to ‘normal’ that the full impact hit her, and she realised she could no longer continue as before.

Taking some time off, Lisa pursued short courses, engaged in voluntary work, and embarked on a journey of self-exploration. For the first time, she truly observed her strengths and passions, and this process was incredibly revealing. She discovered her love for art, craft, nature, people, and the environment, and she combined these interests to create Growing Bright.

Today, Lisa offers workshops in the local area, both independently and in collaboration with charities, and even at local pubs. She strives to make her projects as eco-friendly and accessible as possible, always incorporating a nature theme or using materials that would otherwise be discarded, such as corks or fabric offcuts.

The focus is on simple pleasures and repurposing what we already have to create something new and useful. Values like being welcoming, kind, a friend to the planet, and creating something beautiful are very close to Lisa’s heart.

Lisa says: ‘I definitely still use my lawyer skills when I’m diligently spending hours researching and designing new projects, or making new opportunities and networking. I even registered my own trademark!

‘More than this though, I am using my other skills that were probably a little buried before, like giggling, talking about how much I love leaves and dishing out hugs.

‘Growing Bright has really helped me to grow brighter as a person.’