Another Place

Nearly three years ago I took my first diffident steps into the world of blogging. Inspired by a trip to Crosby to see the famous cast-iron figures standing boldly in the sea, I typed up my first blog about the connection between art and business. Rereading the blog now simply reinforces for me the value of such work for anyone who has the will to do it. I’ve reproduced it in full below because I think the points are as valid now as they were then.

There’s an additional note of optimism around the reading this time as the turmoil hinted at in this piece seems to be receding as the economy gathers pace. Anything that stands the test of a revisit in this way and reveals more not less is a valuable thing to my way of thinking.

Here is the blog in question – I hope you enjoy it:

A few years ago Antony Gormley persuaded Sefton Council to let him place 100 cast-iron figures along the foreshore at Crosby. I’m sure he wasn’t thinking about providing inspiration for business people when he did that. But that’s certainly what he did for me when I took my family to visit Another Place this Christmas. What’s more, I think his statues give us a brilliant example of what value visiting “another place” can give. Indeed if you are someone battling to succeed in business then simply being in “another place” can be the key that unlocks your creativity, reveals a new angle or allows you to put an old problem into perspective…

As I see it there are at least 5 major benefits you can enjoy if you take the trouble to visit any major sculpture in such a natural and often dramatic setting. You’ll probably have different ones and maybe even more but see what you think of mine. I hope my experience can help you to find your “other place”.

Here are my top 5 points:

•         Inspiration comes from just seeing things done very differently and in a remarkably bold way

•         Sculptures like these often provide more questions than answers and thus encourage you to keep faith in a business process which often does the same and where answers are similarly hard to find

•         Personal interpretation is challenging and fosters original thought, steering you well away from the familiar patterns and ruts of everyday business thinking

•         Community and family values are enjoyed and reinforced in a shared experience which is novel, memorable and therefore of lasting value

•         A vigorous walk along a wind and rain swept coastline provides an excellent chance to live by the motto “a healthy mind in a healthy body”

I just hope when you visit Another Place that the wind is blowing a little less vigorously since we managed to visit on the windiest day of the year and consequently enjoyed a sand-blasting experience too which will also not be forgotten easily!”