Input Week

“You are inquisitive. You collect things... Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting.  If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. Its interesting. It keeps your mind fresh.” - Tom Rath on Input.

For the last few years, I've been a disciple of Buckingham and the Gallup group books. I particularly found the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book by Tom Rath liberating and insightful with my main strengths being : Input; Ideation; Connectedness; Futuristic; and Intellection.

This week has been a bit of a nightmare as the last week of term, but it has also been a personal input week - with performer friends Dennis and Tony talking about industry peers and challenging my levels of creative output; Dave challenging my intellectual processes discussing theology, the nature of creativity and divinity, imagination and my physical abilities (at 68, he puts me to shame); and an old mate from my teenager years, Greg, reminding me of the successes in my life - family, friends, career and reliving some nostalgic past events.

It's also been a week of input in knowledge - from reading magazines like Wired and Think Quarterly, websites about current Design and the Golden Spiral, to watching art history docos on Rembrandt, Vermeer, Gleeson and today, the Rokeby Venus by Spanish court painter Velasquez.

I'm currently catching up where I left off in my reading two weeks ago reading an art book on the prints of Roy Lichtenstein, The Snowman by Jo Nesbo (a Norwegian thriller) and Re-Imagine! by Tom Peters. Last night during the Bronco's match, to up the creative ante, I challenged Greg to a competition to complete a novel each by Christmas. And I started a small nude painting for a friend whose tastes run to the traditional - hopefully it won't be too challenging. If Velasquez can do it...

Burn Brightly, Pete.