I’m ashamed to say there was a time when I didn’t see the point of reading fiction. Frankly, I thought it was a waste of time. What was there to gain in reading made-up tales and stories, and what did those stories have to teach us about the real world? I rationalised my position by…
Read moreThe Sum of All Moments – Part 2
My wife and I saw The Accountants in the theatre last night. The Accountants is a mixed methods performance theatrical piece, that centres on the experiences of two characters, one of Indian British heritage, and the other of Chinese British heritage. There were a dozen dancers on stage performing highly choreographed movements. Alongside the dancers…
Read moreThe Sum of All Moments
These days it feels like every time I check the news, go on substack, or walk past the front window of a bookstore, there’s a new headline, or article, or bestselling book reminding us of how much more dystopian the world has gotten since I last checked. From the threat of annihilation through nuclear warfare,…
Read moreOn Reality
A few weeks ago I came across the checker shadow illusion and it left me feeling unsettled. In case you’ve not seen it before, it’s an optical illusion that features a checkerboard with light and dark squares, two of which are labelled A and B, with a cylindrical object placed near one corner of the…
Read moreCourse Correcting
Last week my wife and I went on holiday to Amsterdam to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday. On arrival, we planned to take a train from the airport in Schiphol to the central station in Amsterdam, and then walk from the central station to our hotel. The walk would take about 45 minutes according…
Read moreNavigating The Unknown
A few days ago I read the transcripts of an interview with the renowned author of the Jack Reacher books, Lee Child. When asked about his approach to writing the Reacher books, Child said he doesn’t create a plan before writing. Rather, he creates a scenario and asks: What would Jack Reacher do? And he…
Read moreTo Do or Not To Do?
Let’s assume you’re going on a week-long holiday with your family and on the third day, you’re going on a day trip that’ll take you out of the coastal resort you’re staying in, to the nation’s capital. Your family have worked together to create an itinerary for the day trip, featuring all their interests. It’s…
Read moreOn Luck
A few weeks ago, I had a thought while listening to a No Stupid Questions podcast episode. For the uninitiated, No Stupid Questions is a podcast where the hosts – currently Angela Duckworth and Mike Maughn – pick a question (either submitted by a listener or drawn from the hosts’ lives or experiences), and attempt…
Read moreReflections on a Creative Journey
A few weeks ago, I was invited to play a gig in a bookstore. The setting was intimate, the atmosphere was pregnant with creativity, and the space was lovely as I was surrounded by books and book lovers, writers and avid readers alike. There were a few readings – poetry, spoken word, short stories and…
Read moreThe Paradox of Productivity (Part 3)
The last two posts on this blog have centred on the paradox of productivity. This post carries on the same theme as it relates to technological innovations and AI. I know I’ve written a few posts about AI over the last few months, but this is a topic that deserves more of our attention due…
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