From the Counsellor

This week’s offering extends and dives further into the theme of “Being our Best Selves”, which emerges so often in this space and in the broader community, as those moments when we choose to focus more on others than ourselves, to make choices in service to our values, rather than instantly gratifying ourselves, or simply when we listen to a friend in need, resisting the urge to “me too” the conversation. I was very interested to read the pledges and statements of intent from our current Year Elevens, our aspiring and now decided leaders for 2023. Indeed, I was moved and inspired by many who asserted that leadership comprises service, by those who value empathy, the wellbeing of others, but also knowing when intervention and making a stand are important for reasons of social justice, equal opportunity and inclusivity.

A Personal Encounter with Two Extraordinary Humans in my Home State – Being Their Best Selves 

The school holidays saw me in my “home” state of Queensland, specifically Brisbane and Mackay. What an unforgettable journey this was. My “little” sisters and I reconnected as only very close siblings can – decades folded into seconds as we reminisced, chortled, sobbed, held each other in paroxysms of exultant delight, reveling in our sacred, precious sisterliness. It was at times a fraught journey though, as three Fridays ago, on a warm, gentle, glistening day, we scattered our dad’s ashes into the welcoming waters of Moreton Bay, a favourite and nostalgic setting, and then joined old family friends and relatives for his wake.  

My sisters are very close friends of Judy Sharp, who attended the same high school, and was with us at Dad’s wake, accompanied by her celebrity son Tim. Some of you may be familiar with A Double Shot of Happiness, written by Judy, and described by Amazon thus:   

The inspirational story of how a boy diagnosed with severe autism went on to become one of Australia's best-known international artists and the creator of Laser Beak Man.  Tim Sharp and his magnificent creation, Laser Beak Man, are now major names in the world of international art. But the journey to this point has been an extraordinary one. When Judy Sharp took her three-year-old son Tim to a paediatric specialist, he was diagnosed with autism so severe that she was told he would never be able to talk or learn to live in a normal household, and that he was incapable of love, even towards his own mother. The advice at the time was that he would be better off in an institution.  Just over twenty years later, Tim's joyful artworks and drawings involving his superhero, Laser Beak Man, have been exhibited around the world. From the Powerhouse in Brisbane to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, some of the world's greatest galleries have showcased Tim and his amazing career. Laser Beak Man's appeal is so widespread it's gone on to inspire, among other things, an eight-part animated children's TV series and a Broadway play in New York.  A Double Shot of Happiness (from the title of one of Tim's favourite artworks) is Judy's beautiful and heartfelt account of Tim's odyssey from that terrible diagnosis to his emergence as an acclaimed artist and a fulfilled, loving and loved young man. It's a story that has involved many hurdles, moments of despair and incredible hard work from Tim, Judy, his brother Sam and all those who have helped them, but that is ultimately moving, inspiring and triumphant. 

I’m writing about this encounter and Judy’s book, as my time with Judy and Tim that perfect day deepened my life experience. I was farewelling my father, with my beloved sisters, while in the presence of two other remarkable humans who strive to be their best selves. While Tim’s story and his creations of Laser Beak Man are well known to many, Judy’s unwavering, persistent, courageous, luminescent, help-seeking, shame overcoming, resilient, fierce mother love catalysed Tim’s development, as narrated in this incredibly honest, humble, harrowing and at times, hilarious book. 

I commend this book to you and if you are moved as I was, and hungry for more details, here are some links to TED talks, ABC Australian Story, Laser Beak Man website, and more.  

From a non-verbal, “should be institutionalised” toddler, to a wonderful dinner guest and raconteur, with his mum at his side, Tim’s presence and Judy’s constancy ripple on, and for me embody deep values of hope, optimism, faith and love. I’m smiling as I write this.  

How Tim Sharp created a ‘double shot of happiness’ with Laser Beak Man | Australian Story - YouTube 

A double shot of happiness: Tim & Judy Sharp at TEDxSydney 2014 - YouTube 

Laser Beak Man by Tim Sharp. Art. T-shirts. Television. Theatre. Keynote Speaking.

Ms Sheryl Moncur | Counsellor, Teacher