Stuart Eglin Online

Stuart Eglin Online

Archive for category Blog posts

Jumping to the middle

Mar 30

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Writing | Comments off

When writing something – whether a work of fiction or something factual – it often takes a little while to get started. The first few paragraphs feel a little like a warm up before exercising. So, here is an approach that will sharpen the writing.

Begin to write as you normally would. Carry on writing until you get to the end point. Then, review what you have written. Find the natural point in the writing where the work really kicks in: the point where you are actually in focus.

This is the point where you want the writing to begin. So, cut everything that comes before that – and you have two choices. You can either lose the earlier section if it doesn’t contribute anything, or move it further on in the writing.

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A big birthday

Mar 28

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts | Comments off

I had a “significant” birthday a few days ago. One of the presents I was given was a chinese lantern. My youngest son gave it to me. We lit it late in the afternoon. I hadn’t seen one before. I felt like a young boy again as I watched the paper lantern soar up into the air and float away over the Dee Estuary and away to Wales.

The instructions that came with it said to make a wish as the lantern floated away. I did. Hope it comes true…

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Somewhere between head and heart

Mar 24

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Coaching | Comments off

I found a completely new idea, startling me as I considered it, and it appeared in a fascinating conversation with a colleague. We had co-created it.

I am looking for the point of balance between head and heart. It’s the dance between the known and the unknown. I have written before about the way in which so much of the work that we do is a performance. Well, that has made me think more about the nature of the performance. Sometimes we work from a very scripted place – at such times it might be a meeting with a formal agenda, clear goals and a project plan. There is little space for innovation or creativity. This is the head space.

Then, at other times we are drifting in creative space, looking for ideas. Perhaps we are brainstorming or generating new ideas in other ways. This is the heart space.

The place between head and heart brings these things together into a creative tension. The closest of comparisons would be with improvisation. Especially with musical improvisation. If you haven’t listened to a CD of one of Keith Jarrett’s live improvisations, I would recommend that you do. He goes onto the stage with the parameters of the live event as the only boundaries. Beyond that, he empties his mind of pre-conceived ideas and creates new and fresh music on the spur of the moment. It is remarkable to hear and incredible to watch.

It is this space that I am thinking about. Thus, somewhere between head and heart, we find a creative space of improvisation. It can come in giving a presentation, running a workshop, in a coaching session. When it arrives, we find that the words springing from our mouths are a surprise. The ideas that come forward are new, they form in the interaction with others. We find a completely new perspective in the connecting with others.

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Jóhann Jóhannssen – And In the Endless Pause There Came the Sound of Bees

Mar 22

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Music | Comments off

There’s this idea which I subscribe to that if we spend too much time looking at the TV, it saps our imagination. All the work on building images in our head is done for us by the image on the screen. So, we just go into passive mode.

Well, if you want to reconnect with your imagination you could try listening to Jóhann Jóhannsson’s album “And in the endless pause there came the sound of bees”. In the very first track where there is the sound of seagulls arising out of the orchestral strings, the imagination can’t help but build pictures out of the music.

It is deeply emotional music, which will lift and drop your spirits as you listen. And just when you think you are listening to traditional string-based soundtrack music, things veer off into ambient distortions that drop your head underwater in a dramatic way.

The whole thing is just under 37 minutes long (that’s what vinyl used to be on average), and leaves you feeling both soothed and disturbed. It’s a beautiful achievement and a landscape of your own mind which I recommend you spend some time building. Enjoy.

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Signs of life for 2011

Feb 26

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts | Comments off

After a break brought about by various manuscripts which I have been working on, here is a photo to show that I am back.  Over the next couple of weeks I will be posting news about the projects that I am working on at the moment. In the meantime, there’s nothing like a beautiful sunset to lift the soul…

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To the end of worlds

Dec 14

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Writing, Θ Poetry | Comments off

I posted a couple of days ago the link to the ‘November Suite’ booklet. Here’s a poem from that collection in case you’re wondering whether to go ahead and download.

Before

The dark is rising
Now hear all of this
Last night the stars shone
And I watched them twinkle
One drop in each shard of space
Another droplet like a tear from the eye
Flip inwards, peopled with creatures
All standing shell-like, open to us
Watching the night sky
Pacing forwards and
Backwards, until
The sky empties
No stars
No sun
No
N

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November Suite

Dec 12

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Writing, Θ Poetry | Comments off

Ages ago on this blog, I promised to upload the collection of poetry which I wrote in November 2009. It was written through the month – a poem a day. Follow this link to download the booklet. I hope you enjoy it – as ever, I am always keen to get feedback (use the contacts page).

If you want to see more of my writing, please drop your email address into the box over on the right. I’ll add it to my list, and send you content that isn’t available on the website.

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From a place of passion within

Dec 10

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Coaching | Comments off

I was asked recently how it is possible to create real impact. How does anyone create a larger than life presence so that they can truly make a difference?

There is a huge literature on the idea of the charismatic leader. Some argue that this charismatic nature is born into the person and manifests as they show leadership qualities. Others believe that it can be nurtured.

I want to go for a very different take on this. But first, let’s think about the idea of the leader as performer. In fact, let’s look at the idea that we are all performing in the world each day as we get out of bed. The day is a performance – we are projecting ourselves on the world, having an impact on those around us. So, we have the idea of life and living as a daily performance.

Thus, it can be useful to develop similar skills to those developed by an actor. However, that is not to say that we are trying to mask authenticity and develop a false front for the world. If you sit in a theatre and watch an actor who puts on a false ‘front’, there is no authenticity to the performance. An actor has to learn to get into a part, find an authenticity in it and really convince the audience that they are the person that they are playing.

And this brings me to the point. Yes, in order to create real impact and have presence amongst those we work with or lead, we need to develop a performance. But the performance needs to come from a place within. We need to dig down into ourselves and find our authentic passion. What is it that drives us to do the work that we do? Once we are clear what it is, we can tap into it, find our inner passion and work from a place of authentic conviction. Then we are able to have a massive impact because anyone who talks with passion about something will have a significant impact on others.

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That cold spell

Dec 7

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts | Comments off

I posted a few days ago to show the landscape locally just a month ago. Well, here’s a picture of the current cold spell in action. Absolutely beautiful. It’s making moving around in the UK into a nightmare, but within every cloud there is a frost tinged lining.

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Podcasts I listen to #03: Desert Island Discs

Dec 5

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Podcasts | Comments off

The marvellous thing about podcasts is the diversity from shows that are put together by someone in their back bedroom to ones that are produced by big corporations like the BBC here in the UK. And then there is the fact that you can listen to podcasts from anywhere in the world.

Now, I’ve chosen ‘Desert Island Discs’ because it fits the format really well. It is a radio programme that you can listen to in its entirety. The podcast only has short fragments of the 8 pieces of music chosen by each guest because of licensing rules. So, it may seem a bit odd to listen to the podcast version, but this programme really isn’t about the music. It’s about the guests. It’s been running since 1942, and in that time has had only 4 hosts.

It works on the premise that the guest has been stranded on a desert island and has managed to keep 8 discs to amuse themselves, plus a luxury and a book. But that is just the framework which the current host, Kirsty Young, uses to dig into the lives of the guests and get them speaking frankly about their lives. She is a brilliant interviewer, who can get her guests to open up and answer the most direct of questions.

You can find the podcast here.

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How do we know unless we ask

Dec 2

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Writing | Comments off

We spend so much time trying to figure out what other people are thinking, trying to second guess what someone means when they ask us to do something. This is the stuff of working life, the ambiguity that we face every day.

We are given a project to deliver, or we are asked to become a member of a group. In each case we may get an email, see the person who is briefing us on the project. Then we have to make sense of the task. What did they mean? Is there a sub-text to this that we don’t understand? Why have we been asked to involve that particular person when they always seem to be so resistant? What exactly should the outcome be?

So we set off on a mission to clarify what this all means. We may spend ages trying to unpack it all in our head. Then we check it out with friends and colleagues.

We can get lost in the multiple layers of an onion, each time we speak to someone a new layer of intrigue is revealed. We piece together a complex picture, wondering how we are going to navigate our way through all of this.

And then at the point where it all seems like a state of chaotic confusion, the glaringly obvious suddenly strikes us.

Just ask.

Instead of trying to read minds, trying to make sense by going all around the problem, we should go direct to the heart of the problem. If it’s the boss we often don’t feel able to check back. But that is what we should do.

We should go back to the source – and ask. Seek clarification.

Yes, I know it seems staggeringly obvious. But how often have you wasted time trying to make sense of something when you could have just asked?

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The difference of a month

Nov 30

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts | Comments off

We are in the midst of a really cold spell (- 6°C at night) as is a lot of Western Europe. And that set me to thinking about how things were just 4 weeks ago. These pictures were taken on 24th October! Seasons change…

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then one morning

Nov 28

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Writing, Θ Poetry | Comments off

 Here’s a poem from ‘Spirit Soul: Pursuance’ to give you some idea of the contents of the latest book. If you like it, go take a look. The link is here, and on the ‘Free Stuff’ page of the site.

then one morning
eyes slightly out of focus
I was taken by surprise

there in the mist, early hours
was a deer, standing in the garden
grazing, eating berries from the trees

the winter had been hard
this deer was thin, lack of food
had left it no choice but to come to the house

I stood and looked out of the window
motionless, I waited for the deer to turn
then it looked me in the eye, ten seconds

Then gone

Just the connection, an open
one sense in which I can move on
let go of the me of last year

Spring time, will be here soon
new growth, beginnings
a chance to escape the famine of winter

Hope.

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Henry Eglin

Nov 24

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts | Comments off

My father died a year ago today.

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Spirit Soul: Pursuance

Nov 23

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Writing, Θ Poetry | Comments off

On Sunday I settled down late morning to write a poem. It’s approaching the anniversary of my father’s death and I wanted to do something that would help with this. I was also keen to build on something I had already written. I took a poem from a collection of poems back in 1998 called ‘Brother Spirit Brother Soul’ and thought this would provide useful inspiration.

The poem had 24 lines, so I dropped each line at the top of a separate page. The intention was to write a poem for each of the lines. After I had written one I thought I’d try another. Well, without going into detail on the passage of time, 6 hours later I had written 24 poems, chosen a photo for the cover and had a booklet completed.

I may return to it to do some further editing of the poems, but for now here it is. I’ve sent it out to a few people for comment. I’ve never had such an intensive period of creativity before. It’s fascinating to look back at it now and see how the ideas ebbed and flowed as time passed. Pushing myself on with the experiment brought through ideas that wouldn’t have otherwise emerged. An interesting experiment, which I think I will repeat.

What did it teach me? Immense amounts of creativity come just one step at a time. Commit to small steps. Having 24 titles to work with created the instant stimulus to work from, which made the process of generating something new easier because there was already a starting point.

Anyway, feel free to download the pdf by clicking here and have a look at the book – “Spirit Soul: Pursuance”. You can also go to this page to find other pdf’s for download. I’d welcome feedback. I’m still unable to open up comments without being deluged with junk, so use the contact form.

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The Coaching 30: ten to keep you going

Nov 16

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Coaching, Personal Development, Writing | Comments off

OK, I wrote a few months ago about the book I am writing called ‘The Coaching 30‘. Back in April of this year I sent out ‘The Coaching 30 - four for starters‘ to a group of 30 people to get feedback. This was really useful as it gave me lots of ideas for the manuscript as I continued to work on it.

Time passes, and I am nearly ready to send out the next instalment. It will comprise 10 of the 30 tips / ideas developed from my coaching practise. The distribution list is growing. Let me know through the contacts page if you would like to be included. What does that mean? Well, I will send you the pdf of the 10 tips and ask you to give me feedback on it – not a lengthy review, just your reaction and any useful comments you may have. I also ask you to send the pdf to anyone else who you think might find it useful.

So, do get in touch if you are interested.

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This spectacular view again, bored with it

Nov 14

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Writing | Comments off

Here’s a poem, hot off the press, from a new collection I am in the middle of writing called “Father, Brother, Son”. On the poetry front, I will be posting the pdf of ‘November Suite’, a collection I wrote through the month of November last year, in the next few weeks. It will be available as a free download. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading this one:

This spectacular view again, bored with it

This spectacular view again, bored with it
- Staying in this temporary home -
What happens to the flow of life, with this big disruption?

And I see a jay, in the bush, unaware of me.
Magnificent costume, my clothes drab, lesson learned then.
The sun shines on the unjust and the cruel, like the victims too.

Winds serrate the landscape at 80 miles an hour for hours.
How does this have such a gut pulling shape on my emotions?
The eye of I wonders why.

Should I stare at a Rothko painting for days on end,
Contemplate the suicide of a place of turmoil,
To see into his three band state of mind?

Or should I walk on deserted beaches, deckchairs flapping
Seagulls pitching and dive bombing, thoughts of
Everything I lived in, everything I have lost?

Landscape then is all there is, the sense that
Living is bigger than loving, that is the start point,
Where survival holds all together, safe in harbour.

I will sail again, for new places, new people
But not until I have let go of old journeys,
And anniversaries that scrape the surfaces of my experiences clean.

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Podcasts I listen to #02:TED Talks

Nov 11

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Podcasts | Comments off

Strictly speaking, this is a vodcast – and it’s something I watch, rather than listen to – but let’s not be pedantic!

I have written about TED Talks before. For some time now (maybe 3 years?) I have been watching videos on the TED website. TED (Technology Entertainment Design) has the motto “ideas worth spreading”. It began as an annual conference bringing together people from those three fields to hear great presentations about cutting edge ideas. Over the years it has grown, so that there are now many events throughout the world in addition to the 2 ’official’ events.

Getting to attend TED is really difficult, and very expensive. The demand is immense. The podcast solves all of that. It is free and can be subscribed to in all the usual way (including the ubiquitous iTunes). Five days a week a new video appears – ranging from 5 minutes to 20 minutes with a small advert at the end to cover costs.

If you are at all interested, go to the site and look at a couple of the videos. I am sure you will be hooked, and find yourself being inspired on topics of an incredibly diverse nature. I’m constantly drawing on things from TED videos to stretch my creativity, and extend the ideas that I have. Strongly recommended.

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Five ways to well-being

Nov 8

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Coaching, Things I found | Comments off

The New Economics Foundation has a page which highlights the five ways to well-being. I really like this. There is more information at the site, but in summary the five key factors are:

  1. Connect
  2. Be active
  3. Take notice
  4. Keep learning
  5. Give

The more I mull over these factors, the more I realise that they are the key principles to an active and engaged life. Try it yourself. Think about times in your life when you have felt at a low point. What a difference it would make if you connect with others, exercise, take notice of the things around you rather than being self-absorbed, keep learning and being curious, and give to others.

Interestingly, the New Economics Foundation has as its strapline “Economics as if people and the planet mattered”. In the current political climate in the UK, it would be useful to apply that message! Understanding the value of everything rather than the cost of everything.

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Still Life Flotsam

Oct 13

Posted by Stuart in Blog posts, Things I found | Comments off

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