
Circles of Inclusion
Acrylic on canvas (framed), 80x80cm
By Garry Billing
This captivating piece by Garry Billing draws inspiration from Edwin Markham’s poem Outwitted. The painting features harmonious circular forms intersecting in hues of green and yellow. The dynamic layering and bold lines invite reflection on how love and acceptance can bridge divides and create unity. A visual metaphor for expanding our circles of care, this artwork reminds us of the power of bringing others in.
This past week, a recurring theme was circles of inclusion, love, and connection. Much like a bowerbird collecting colourful and intriguing objects, I have been noticing and connecting ideas from various sources, each intersecting in ways that spark reflection.
The first piece in this collection came from my wonderfully talented father-in-law, Garry Billing.
Garry recently completed a painting titled Circles of Inclusion. The piece, is a visual response to Edwin Markham’s poem Outwitted:
He drew a circle
that shut me out,
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout,
But Love and I had the wit to win;
We drew a circle and took him in.
The painting beautifully captures the essence of inclusion and connection with its overlapping and intersecting circles. Garry’s work and the poem’s words struck a chord, alongside recent reflections from others in my network. In her piece on Substack Community, Love, Connection—A Tonic, Sarah Patterson speaks to the challenge of staying engaged when disengagement feels like the easier option. She writes: “It’s been tempting to switch off and disengage from it all this month, but in my heart of hearts, I know that the times are calling for precisely the opposite.”
The next treasure I’ve picked up along the way comes from a question posed by Jennifer Garvey-Berger: What role does love play in organisations? This question lingers, particularly in the context of leadership, change, and culture. How often do we consider love—not in a sentimental sense but as a guiding principle for inclusion, generosity, and understanding within workplaces and communities?
Lastly, against the backdrop of increasingly divisive global and national politics, I find myself asking: What role do love and acceptance have in helping us navigate these troubling times?
I don’t have the answers. But there are people within my circle who are showing a way forward. Like the bowerbird, carefully curating a space with fragments of beauty and meaning, I am grateful for the wisdom, art, and inquiry that remind us of the power of inclusion, the importance of connection, and the necessity of staying engaged.
With deep appreciation, I acknowledge all the voices that have shaped these reflections—Garry Billing’s Circles of Inclusion, Edwin Markham’s poem Outwitted, and Sarah Patterson and Jennifer Garvey-Berger’s thought-provoking insights. May their words and ideas continue to expand the circles we draw.