Archive for Work

All you need is an idea… and lots of time

// May 10th, 2010 // 0 Comments // Video, Work

The democratisation of media technology means if you have something to say in words, you can tweet it, blog it, print it and get 1,000 copies done in perfect-bound full-colour before close-of-business tomorrow. If you ache to express yourself with images you can grab a digital still camera, video camera or mobile phone, edit it there and go straight to the web or to DVD. And if you want to create music all you need is a laptop, a midi interface or a microphone, a copy of Garageband and publish your music straight to the web.

But there are still two limits to self-expression:

  • Ideas; and
  • Time.

You need at  least one idea and you need lots (loads, masses, heaps) of time.

In fact, I can define a new genre of art that is defined primarily by the time taken to produce it. Vimeo is full of examples where the idea itself wasn’t so inventive but the artist has distinguished themselves and found an audience by devoting an enormous amount of time to the expression of the idea.

Here’s an example where the idea’s not a big deal (anybody who’s bounced a ball for a while has heard rhythms in the bounce) but the art is in the expression and the time taken to express it in video. It’s very well done.

It’s been said by people much smarter than me that the most precious commodity of our age is time. I’d humbly suggest that without an idea, time will achieve nothing, yet without time, an idea will remain unrealised.

Gravité from Renaud Hallée on Vimeo.

Seven steps to finding the dream job and work/life balance

// November 4th, 2009 // 0 Comments // Work

Miles Campbell, founder of TTA.edu.au and I like to discuss the big issues, whether over a beer at our regular Pub Night talk fest, at events like Interesting South, or often when we’re meant to be watching the kids and making sure they don’t fall off the swings. Miles is far too busy thinking big thoughts to have time to blog, though not too busy to email me when an idea occurs to him (yes, I’ve tried explaining that blogging can be just as quick as emailing but he’s so old skool.)

The following post, on finding a healthy work/life balance and how to recognise one when you find it, is essentially one of Miles’ emails, slightly edited by me. Over to you, Miles… (more…)

Is burnout just around the corner? (wait, just lemme reply to this email)

// October 2nd, 2009 // 0 Comments // Startup, Work

Derek Featherstone in Box Of Chocolates has a great post today on the very modern disease of working crazy hours. He says in part,

I’m tired of seeing my friends across the globe at the wrong times. I shouldn’t be awake and neither should they! My friends on the west coast of North America? If you’re still awake and working at 3am when I’m waking up at 6 or 7 am, then something is wrong. Those in the UK and Europe? When I’m doing a bit of extra work at 9pm at night and its 3am for you? Not cool. My Kiwi and Aussie friends? Get. To. Bed.

And later,

Over the past few months I’ve realized that the sacrifices I have made haven’t always been the right ones — partly because I’m conflicted. I’m sure we all feel this pressure in some way: in order to provide for my family I feel more pressure for the business to do more — take on more work, expand what we’re doing, have more income so that I can provide more comfort, more food, more whatever. more. more. more. But at the end of the day, it just feels like less and less and less.

Great post, and I agree. Why is it happening? I think there’s three reasons: technology, knowledge work and wealth.

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