The December Jotter
Inspiration is everywhere. A collection of things that have piqued my interest, sparked a thought, or inspired action.
Posted here or delivered safely to your inbox on the last Friday of each month.
01. A book about our local boating community.
The Kennet and Avon Canal plays an integral part in the Bradford on Avon community; both for recreation and as a place many call home.
This beautiful book of evocative photos and meaningful words is by a couple who have lived on the waterways since 2012. They are part of a local community of around 600 people who have chosen to live more closely with the seasons and further away from the mass-consumerism of our age.
The boating community aren’t always popular with some elements of our population; but they add variety, character and a different way of life to our increasingly gentrified town.
02. Seven ingredients of Creativity.
03. This business started more than 1000 years ago.
“If you look at the economics textbooks, enterprises are supposed to be maximizing profits, scaling up their size, market share and growth rate.
But these companies’ operating principles are completely different. Their No. 1 priority is carrying on. Each generation is like a runner in a relay race. What’s important is passing the baton.”
Kenji Matsuoka
04. Are you setting goals for 2021?
Two pieces of writing on goals and why you don’t need them.
04.01
Gareth K Thomas explains why systems are better than goals.
04.02
Jason Fried on why he has never had a goal.
05. Combining two loves.
… beer can design and album covers. It was this design of New Order’s debut album that grabbed my attention.
06. Halls of residence.
Lucky students in Sheffield can live in Béton House, a brutalist masterpiece.
07. Two quotes.
07.01.
“When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
John Lennon
Thank you Stefan Powell for feeling inspired to share this.
07.02.
“If you trust in yourself. . .and believe in your dreams. . .and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Terry Pratchett
Thank you again to the fountain of all knowledge, Harry Watson for tweeting this.
08. Grayson Perry’s Map of America.
One of the TV highlights of the year was Grayson Perry’s Art Club. Feel good TV which celebrated creativity and acknowledged the challenges we all faced; handled with empathy and intelligence.
This Map of America was made in response to his recent Channel 4 series, The Great American Road Trip and “reflects a battle-torn landscape where nuance, compromise and empathy are casualties in the culture war.”
09. Highlights of 2020.
It wasn’t a good year for everyone, but some good things did happen. Here are a few of my highlights:
Great music doesn’t stop getting released when you become an adult. Here is the proof.
The Encouragement Manifesto. The title says it all.
The Keyboard CEO. An online course created by the inspirational Do Lectures which has led me to all sorts of new discoveries.
Seeing differently which prompted me to take more photos within 1000 steps of my front door.
Helping businesses navigate through these choppy waters.
Being immersed in Bait one week before lockdown, followed by a Q&A with talented director, Mark Jenkin.
Feel good TV: the aforementioned Grayson Perry’s Art Club, two gently humorous programmes - Mortimer & Whitehouse Gone Fishing and Schitt’s Creek.
A particularly delicious meal at The Bunch of Grapes.
Jonathan Dimbleby interviewing Don McCullin at the Martin Parr Foundation. Standing close enough to take this photo of the great man.
