SELF AWARENESS KEY TO UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY, SAYS COMIC

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Self-confessed gay, disabled, vegetarian, Kiwi comedian Philip Patston is prone to reinventing himself – and he's on a mission to change the way the world understands human diversity.

He started his career as a social worker, a counsellor, a Winston Churchill Fellow, a human rights activist and a trainer, then became an award-winning comedian, a soap opera actor on Shortland Street, a columnist, and even New Zealand’s inaugural Queer of the Year as voted by TV show Queer Nation.

These days Philip is leveraging his personal and professional diversity as a consultant, mentor, life coach, inspirational speaker and team facilitator. And, just for kicks, he's a New Zealand Social Entrepreneur Fellow and an ArtVenture Creative Entrepreneur, and leading the development of Momentum’09, an international symposium on disability arts to be held in Auckland in March 2009.

The wheelchair-using comic-turned-entrepreneur just returned from a month in the UK on a speaking tour, one of five international arts practitioners funded by Arts Council England to contribute dialogue, debate and inspiration to the creative sector. He also addressed the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University where, ironically, he was unable to access the opening reception because of steps. Frustrated but unperturbed, he used the faux pas to push his point - that he has turned his disadvantage into a unique social experience that has fueled his social and creative innovation.

"The way we currently view socially marginalised groups like disabled, gay, indigenous or poor people has to change," says the company director of Diversityworks Group. "Our contradictory obsession with highlighting yet ignoring difference is almost pathological. We're either paralysed by fear that we'll get it wrong for other people - or indignant that other people will get things wrong for us.

"What's far more useful to consider is that we may be only a moment away from being disabled ourselves, or being poor, or having a gay son or a daughter-in-law who's from another culture. So we need to think about getting it right for ourselves given all the possibilities of the future. Being fully aware of ourselves, rather than trying to understand others, is the key to valuing human diversity," he says.

Philip thinks that if everyone truly understood and expressed their own uniqueness creatively - and allowed space for each other to do the same - people would live together much more harmoniously. "But that takes a bit of a complex mix of self-responsibility and commitment to others," he cautions. "It's not difficult, but it's hard work keeping the balance. It's about realising that we create everything we experience."

"Creativity is essential when it comes to expressing ourselves uniquely. And in order to be creative, we need to trust our innate ability to adapt to change."

Philip now shares publicly his own engaging story of overcoming fear, cynicism and poverty in order to create an autonomous lifestyle of success and happiness. His journey led him to design WISE SPECIES(tm), a new, creative framework that allows him to work with individuals, groups and organisations to explore all aspects of their identities and potential.

"I've enjoyed finding unique ways of thinking and acting to achieve my goals and realise my dreams. Nothing is more fulfilling than self-discovery and exploring the vital connections between people. Now I'm helping others do it too."

Philip is available as a speaker, consultant, team builder and facilitator for personal and social change.

Online: www.philippatston.com | www.diversityworks.co.nz

ENDS.

For further information contact:

Phiip Patston
09 376 4837
021 76 4837
philip@diversityworks.co.nz