June invites reflection — on the year gone by and the world around us. For Jo Turbitt, Insight and Innovation Partner at CDN, it’s a moment to explore authenticity, courage, and the creative power of thinking differently.
June is often quite a reflective month; it marks the end of another academic year and offers moments to consider the events of the last 12 months.
Personally, this year my reflections lead me to thinking about a quote that has been quite prevalent for me: “To thine self be true.” It was only recently that I came to really appreciate how it translates into professional practice.
It is additionally poignant that June is also Pride Month, bringing with it the wider message of celebrating diversity, remembering the progress made, as well as the challenges that remain. It draws attention to being courageous and our authentic selves, which is so important now — not just in the face of global events, but in our sector too.
Returning to “To thine self be true”, the ideas of courage and authenticity in practice resonate strongly with me. They link to what I think of as messy thinking — valuing imagination and resisting the pressure to fit expected norms, which can feel instantly disingenuous.
I’ve found that my interests, previous experiences, and hobbies all influence my approach to challenges. For example, the Star Wars quote: “Rebellions are built on hope” has become a personal driver when navigating constraints, frameworks, and red tape.
This mindset feeds directly into the Ideation work, the Insights and Innovations Hub, and the Researcher Development Programme, where my hope is that we reignite curiosity and bold thinking in others — encouraging people to try something new without waiting for permission (even if the systems aren’t ready for it… yet!).
Reflecting on where this drive comes from, I see strong links to my background in Dance, Musical, and Theatre training. I was lucky to have teachers and mentors who encouraged a “who says?” attitude, and who used their creative practices to challenge conventions. The pioneers of the dance styles I trained in also forged new paths, often in the face of criticism — courageous (and slightly mad!), but essential in the face of challenges outside our control.
Working in a way that might go against the grain naturally invites criticism, and building a resilient sense of failure has become a key capacity in my own practice. It’s something I actively encourage in Ideation sessions too. Trying something new and unexpected is almost always more valuable than wondering “what if?”.
I even failed on national TV when I took part in MasterChef — and I learned a lot by doing so. It was scary, intimidating, and totally outside my comfort zone, but it deepened my appreciation of the science of food, the history of cuisines, and enhanced my love of cooking (which my friends now benefit from!).
Coming full circle to those initial reflections: advocating for authenticity, embracing diversity, and recognising that difference creates opportunity — it’s not always easy, and it’s rarely straightforward. But being true to yourself will show up in countless ways, and may even give courage to others to do the same.
I want to finish this blog by wishing you all a fabulous summer!
If you’re heading to Edinburgh for the Fringe in August and fancy a bit of comedy (with some tap dancing thrown in), you’ll find me on stage with the immensely talented Robin Ince.
I’m coming out of retirement and putting my tap shoes back on for 13 performances (1st to 13th August) in
‘Ice Cream for a Broken Tooth’ at Stand 2
If you come and see us, hang around at the end to say hi!
