Karl Donaldson
Director & Founder of Be-Intrinsic
I have been a youth practitioner for over 25 years and witnessed how the impact of misdiagnosis, poor-education and socio-economic status can often lead to poor opportunities and negative lifestyles. I am dedicated to supporting young people and helping them use creative media to find their voice and speak their authentic truth.
“Karl has a natural flare with bonding with people and giving them encouragement in an effortless manner.”
My Intrinsic Journey
My earliest memories of school are me being described as well-behaved and getting on well with others, but I also remember being described as disruptive and rude towards my teachers and that label stuck with me for many years.
As a young person I experienced lots of negative labels and a poor education. I know now why I was disruptive during my time at school. The type of conditioning that had taken place during my earlier school years was unconscious, and this led to me not respecting authority as much as I should have. I left school at 16 with no qualifications and despite an exterior bravado of hyper masculinity and not-giving-a- *** I was extremely low in self-confidence, self-esteem and lacked the ability to effectively express myself outside of my immediate peers and comfort zone.
These experiences put me on the wrong path for several years, but with diligence, self-reflection, mentoring from elders and hard work on my intrinsic self, I found new positive opportunities for personal development and growth. From lived experiences I know first-hand how important it is to have role models and to be encouraged to develop intrinsically and adopt a mentality to match my lifestyle.
In 2015 a colleague encouraged me to return to education and so I enrolled at University of Westminster to do a 3-year Psychology degree. In Jan 2016, I was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia. I am aware how these special educational needs contributed towards me not believing in myself. Many young people today face similar barriers, some have their specific learning needs identified early but others do not. Either way its vitally important that young people are provided with a range of options, approaches and information which suits their learning style and encourages their intrinsic development, holistically as well as academically.
I believe had it not been for my strong family bonds and the belief from my many friends and teachers I might not have regained the confidence to study again. This is where my passion for helping others comes from. From better understanding the psychological effects and impact of my own experience on my own learning development, Be-Intrinsic was created to provide safe spaces for young people to develop their communication skills, conquer their trauma and enhance their personal development and confidence through creative arts and media.
Having worked with some of the hardest to reach, most difficult to engage and marginalised youth in London I am known for my ability to build peer to peer relationships; and mediate between services, being on the pulse of what matters to youth and helping them to create streams of communication that builds confidence and increases resilience. I spent some time on the wrong side of the tracks before becoming a father and finding steady employment. My job roles have included data / fibre / electrical engineer, project supervisor (probation service) and a support worker at an NHS specialist addiction and mental health unit as well as other community settings which has added more depth to the knowledge I have acquired over the years.
My mission is to help young people look at the story of their own lives differently and supportively challenge their comfort zones and any unhealthy beliefs they may have about themselves. The things that make us uncomfortable often help us grow the most when we deal with them directly and intrinsically. We can only grow when we disturb the soil, plant goods seeds and care for our environment and ourselves authentically and holistically.