Super uncreative title, I know. But I literally have the image of 16-year-old Spenser Inwood dressed up as Wonder Woman imprinted on my mind. And it’s so fitting. She genuinely possesses the strength, grace, intelligence, and beauty of an Amazonian woman. It’s therefore probably unsurprising that her identified superpower is kinaesthetically based.
As a young child, it was recognised that Spenser displayed characteristics of dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. So, here’s a kid who struggled with reading, paying attention, and sitting still. Where does your imagination take you right now when you try to visualise this child in the classroom? You may be surprised to learn that Spinna was actually a role model student in her environment. (Yes, that last part is important!) Spinna didn’t grow up in a typical environment, she attended a circus school. All the children fed off one another with their boundless energy and preoccupation with handstand competitions, monkey bar artistry, or chucking a flip. She was embedded within a culture that valued precision of kinaesthetic movement and timing, strength, flexibility, persistence, endurance, and spacial awareness. Naturally, she thrived; Spinna was in an environment that didn’t devalue her based on socially derived ‘weaknesses’, it embraced her superpowers to nourish her mind, body, and soul. Within chaos there was peace.
There was also an incredibly intuitive and adaptive family. Believe it or not, this trapeze swinging, can-can dancing, strong woman, acrobat actually has a brother with a very intellectual public servant role and essentially spent his early adulthood as a career student. Chalk and cheese much? The parenting contortion undertaken by Spinna’s parents is truly a spectacular feat. (Kudos to Mum and Dad Inwood!) Without such parenting prowess and her enriching environment, Spenser’s broad spanning abilities would have been cut down to squeeze her through society’s proverbial round hole.
Instead, Spinna’s atypical abilities were nourished, and she now produces, directs, teaches, and performs circus art all over the world. Far from ‘just a carny’, this wonder woman’s awareness of her own body and where it’s positioned in space relative to others’ is phenomenal. Equally as impressive is her muscle memory. Spinna can rekindle the pleasures of childhood games played decades earlier and transform them into aesthetically mesmerising artforms. An infusion of these superhuman abilities with her wit and worldliness culminates in performances with important social messages that are nothing short of spectacular, hilarious, and inspiring. To watch my darling Spenser in action is a blessing.
(Parents, If you’d like some help to find your own power to support your children to thrive then click here to contact me!)
