Morning!
What a beautiful sunny day at last!
And a lovely day for a thinking walk I think!
When coming up with ideas for new pieces, workshops or any thorny questions Olly and I have historically taken to wellies and the dog to find the answers. A dog and a nearby wood or forest are all you need really and an hour or so to walk and talk.
We have often found that if you head off with a question in mind, by the time you are heading back there is likely to be an answer of some sort. For a long time we lived near Epping Forest which is a fantastic and evocative place to spend time. Indeed we held the naming day for our eldest daughter Grace there. The natural space is a great environment for creativity and imagination of course.
Years ago we established the notion of 'thinking days' within Arc, I even managed to introduce them for a little while to the Principal of a school where I was Chair of Governors. It really just means getting away from the desk or computer for a day and retreating to somewhere to give space for reflecting on a work question. What I love about it is that once people get past the idea that they might be 'skyving' they interpret the space in the way that is unique and right for them.
In my experience walking generally works extremely well for all sorts of creative planning and problem solving meetings and conversations. Its often about solitary thinking time too. Some people might like a trip to the sea and a walk along the promenade or to play an instrument or cook or like Olly take a long drive to see a Leyton Orient away game!
This thinking space is an essential part of 'work' in my book, and is counter to the 'presenteesm' that is now so common. And how much time is wasted by the 'just show up' brigade?
I guess in the end its about trust and its about what works for different people.
For me, its very often the stimulus of a different space or environment that gives rise to new thoughts and project ideas. So I am off for a walk today to think about my workshop for Poland next week. Its a nice day, I might go to the woods!
Have a good one.
What a beautiful sunny day at last!And a lovely day for a thinking walk I think!
When coming up with ideas for new pieces, workshops or any thorny questions Olly and I have historically taken to wellies and the dog to find the answers. A dog and a nearby wood or forest are all you need really and an hour or so to walk and talk.
We have often found that if you head off with a question in mind, by the time you are heading back there is likely to be an answer of some sort. For a long time we lived near Epping Forest which is a fantastic and evocative place to spend time. Indeed we held the naming day for our eldest daughter Grace there. The natural space is a great environment for creativity and imagination of course.
Years ago we established the notion of 'thinking days' within Arc, I even managed to introduce them for a little while to the Principal of a school where I was Chair of Governors. It really just means getting away from the desk or computer for a day and retreating to somewhere to give space for reflecting on a work question. What I love about it is that once people get past the idea that they might be 'skyving' they interpret the space in the way that is unique and right for them.
In my experience walking generally works extremely well for all sorts of creative planning and problem solving meetings and conversations. Its often about solitary thinking time too. Some people might like a trip to the sea and a walk along the promenade or to play an instrument or cook or like Olly take a long drive to see a Leyton Orient away game!
This thinking space is an essential part of 'work' in my book, and is counter to the 'presenteesm' that is now so common. And how much time is wasted by the 'just show up' brigade?
I guess in the end its about trust and its about what works for different people. For me, its very often the stimulus of a different space or environment that gives rise to new thoughts and project ideas. So I am off for a walk today to think about my workshop for Poland next week. Its a nice day, I might go to the woods!
Have a good one.
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