The Social Media Exchange is our annual creative day for the charity sector celebrating the power of digital storytelling and its potential to have a positive impact on the world around us. Always a highlight of the day, our Lightning Talks bring together three thought-provoking speakers who define our event theme ‘Championing our Stories’. These change-makers are really making a difference. This year Emma Lawton took the stage to tell us why we all need a F—it List.
Six years ago at the age of 29 Emma Lawton was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. It was the last thing she expected, Parkinson’s was something people’s grandmas got, right? A brain scan showed she had the early stages of the incurable, degenerative condition and she panicked. She realised she had a chance to tip life on its head. So, she did everything that previously scared her and swapping ‘no’ for ‘yes’ expanded her world. She became a spokeswoman raising the voice of her newfound ‘PD family’.
This year she’s embarking on a project ‘called ‘The F—it List’ (rhymes with bucket) For 365 days she will be doing something new every day and blogging about it. The aim is to not only raise awareness of Parkinson’s but to prove that no matter what else you have going on in your life you can have adventures. LIVE NOW to the full. You don’t have to give up your job, you can stretch your horizons in your lunch hour.
Listen to her talk (please be aware this talk contains swearing):
If you want to find out more or even get involved go to www.thef—itlist.com/ and get in touch with Emma on Twitter @ems_lawton and share your comments on Twitter on the hashtag #SMEX19
A little something extra:
We met Emma when she spoke at our inaugural Being the Story Event in 2016, this was one of the first times she’d spoken on stage about her Parkinson’s. She blew away our audience with her powerful and creative talk, watch it here.
We’re crowdfunding a six month mentoring programme to form a network of media confident storytellers with lived experiences of the social challenges facing society today. Find out more and support our crowdfunder.