Creating a logo for my podcast page.

George Eliot states in her opening line to Silas Marner, the Weaver of Raveloe. (1861): ‘In the days when the spinning wheels hummed busily in the farmhouses…’ creating an interior scene of pastoral efficiency. Silas Marner (the main character) is introduced to the reader. ‘In the early days of this century, such a linen-weaver … worked at his vocation in a stone cottage that stood among the nutty hedgerows and the neighbourhood of Lantern’s Yard. This is described as ‘nestled in a snug well-wooded hollow,’ with a church nearby. Setting the scene of an industrious pastoral landscape, somewhere nearer theContinue reading “From Industrialisation to Technolisation”

I’m currently reading Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. One thing that strikes me is his poetic language, the rich imagery which is rooted in the landscape of agrarian life. This is in sharp contrast to the Dickens’ novels which I’m more familiar with. Dickens considers the life of progress, the industrious Victorians and the landscape is very much more concrete and urban. What’s perhaps more interesting is that both authors were writing in a similar time period: Charles Dickens b.1812 – d.1870; and Thomas Hardy b.1840 – d.1928 Charles Dickens, it could be said, belonged to a timeContinue reading “Hardy and Dickens on Farewell to the Past”

In 1485, Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet kings died in the Battle of Bosworth Field. The battle began early morning on 22nd August and was over by noon. His defeat marked the end of the Wars of the Roses and of the Middle Ages. You can be sure they wouldn’t be setting their watches to a precise time for battle to commence. Rather, at first light, they would gather and attack when they felt there was enough light. Smaller Timepieces Just as the new dawn of the Tudor age began in Britain, across the channel in Nuremberg, Germany,Continue reading “Time pieces in history: innovation, diffusion and marketing”

Terry Tempest Williams wrote about “Why I Write” whereupon she lists many reasons: Writing helps us to make sense of the world, to uncover things that are unknown. It can lead to a story of discovery, to create words in a void and to begin the conversation. She asks: Why do you write? It is just after 5am. I was dreaming about the old house by the sea, Nikita was there, and we had an Alsatian dog, Bernie, who we were taking for a walk. I put on my gloves, warming my hands and we made our way to theContinue reading “On Motivation and Writing”

What are you writing during lockdown? If you’re like me, not very much at all. There has been much upheaval in terms of making lifestyle changes. The work I had was cancelled. With the closure of local parks and the gym being closed, finding motivation to do very much was difficult. I took a couple of months off from writing, house renovations and plans were pushed back. Instead I concentrated on being creative. I got out my sewing machine, made some clothes, cut out sewing patterns for my next projects and learned to knit. Then I made myself a to-doContinue reading “Writing in Lockdown”

Reflecting on learning is an ongoing process. The EBI project already requires some amount of reflection and some thought on where those reflections will enable me to take the project forward some more. Therefore, it’s important to understand the specifics of reflection in the workplace.   Kolb’s is the most commonly used model to analyse the process of reflective thinking. From our own concrete experiences, we take time to review the processes — some of this will happen naturally, but that kind of reflection tends to be lost in the annals of ‘stuff that didn’t quite go right, must tryContinue reading “Reflective Learning”

Reflection. I have been on my MBA journey for two years. Some highlights include: Learning management beyond what was taught at undergraduate level. The course is global in its reach. Researching ideas behind consciousness and applying them to my own work situation. Identifying systems approaches to problems and the learning organisation (agile) and the ideas of Ubuntu, ‘I am because we are.’ I hope to further explore these in application to my chosen work context in terms of how small business owners can balance work/life and how small business can include the ideas of agile and the learning organisation inContinue reading “Looking forward, looking back”

This blog should have been started two years ago when I began my MBA journey. But I didn’t have the time, didn’t have the inclination, and was still busy wrapped up in my old life. And that seems a strange thing to think about because in just over two years, the focus of my attention has shifted dramatically. Then. Before. I was caught up in life’s roiling ups and downs, oftentimes not my own. I was the main carer for my mother. My daughter needed a taxi (me) and attention. Now. I read articles and business papers. I focus onContinue reading “The Long Overdue Blog”

Thanks for joining me! Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton