The Alternative Board

From an early age, I’ve seen the world in images. While most children remembered poems by repetition, my mother taught me to anchor words with pictures. It worked, and more than that, it stuck. To this day, I navigate the world through patterns, shapes, colours and concepts. Ask me to recall a number, and I’ll see the way it travels across a keypad. Speak to me about your business, and I’ll likely see your words as a kind of mind map forming in my head.

That way of thinking – visual, intuitive, and connected – has become my greatest asset, both in life and as a facilitator at The Alternative Board.

A creative mindset shaped from childhood

My passion for visualisation isn’t just about seeing things differently. It’s about translating complexity into clarity. In my work with TAB members across North East Scotland, this comes to life in strategy sessions where ideas flow quickly and sometimes chaotically. I’ve learned to listen deeply, not just for the words, but for the links between them, sketching structures, themes, and priorities in real time.

Over the years, I’ve leaned into this gift. When I was ready to downsize, I didn’t just find a new house. I visualised a new way of living and set out to build it – literally.

Our self-build project has been years in the making. I told the architect: "Don’t you dare build me a square box." And he didn’t. The design splits the home into three distinct pods: Living, Sleeping and Create. That last one, the Create pod, will be a dedicated art studio where I can paint, sculpt, and continue to grow as an artist. Building starts in March, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Sculpture, painting, and a lion named resilience

Creativity is more than a pastime for me. It’s a lens through which I engage with the world. I recently finished sculpting a lion, a bold, ambitious project that took time, trial, and quite a bit of mess. It’s not perfect, but it represents strength and self-expression, and I’m proud of it.

In a quieter way, an oil painting I did of my father holds a place of deep sentiment. It was my first attempt at portraiture, completed during a course in France. The painting itself may not win any awards, but it means the world to me. It’s a reminder of where I started and who shaped me.

Speaking of shaping, my mum was a huge creative force in my life. In her sixties, she apprenticed in New York at the Isabel O’Neil Studio of Decorative Art, mastering the painted surface. Her furniture pieces are stunning, each one a masterclass in craftsmanship. I still have several of them, and they’re a daily reminder that it’s never too late to pursue passion with purpose.

Seeing potential – in people, business and beyond

What visualisation gives me, more than anything else, is perspective. Whether I’m looking at a blank canvas or a complex business challenge, I’m always searching for the connections – the story under the surface.

As a TAB business coach, this plays out in every board meeting and one-to-one. When members feel overwhelmed, I help them map a path forward. When their goals feel distant, I help them sketch out a vision that feels tangible. And when the picture seems too messy, I remind them that clarity often comes from stepping back.

One of my proudest moments came while working with an education provider. Their executive summary was pages long and filled with jargon, practically unreadable for frontline staff. We boiled it down to a single slide. Just one impactful before-and-after image with fewer than a dozen words. People got it instantly. That’s the power of visual thinking.

Creating space – literally and metaphorically

Running a business can consume your mental bandwidth. That’s why I always encourage other entrepreneurs to have something totally unrelated, something that gives your brain the space to breathe. For me, that’s art. When I paint or sculpt, I disconnect from the digital world and connect to something slower, more human.

Even now, before my studio is built, I try to find moments to be creative. It’s grounding. It reminds me that we are all makers – not just of businesses, but of meaning, of environments, of experiences.

In the future, I plan to connect with more local creatives and join groups once I’ve moved. For now, I’m part of a global community that continues to inspire me from afar.

A final reflection

We don’t all think the same way. Some of us are logical, others intuitive. Some need words. Others need pictures. But whatever your thinking style, there’s value in stepping back and asking: what do I see that others might miss?

Because often, the right picture – whether it’s a sketch, a sculpture, or a strategic plan – can say what a thousand words cannot.

If there’s one thing I’d like people to take from my story, it’s this:

"A picture can paint a thousand words."

Helen Mill