Do you develop writing ideas by hand, or electronically? I was thinking about this, as I have recently gone back to writing ideas down in a notebook, rather than putting them in a document or as notes on my phone. Why? I’ve found that on electronic platforms I am more likely to try to start… Continue reading Thoughts on my writing process

When I was growing up, one of the weekend activities we did as a family was visiting the home of Mirek Smíšek in Te Horo. Mirek’s property was, for a young boy, a cornucopia of delights. There were the massive beehive-shaped kilns. Mature trees to climb. One of the outbuildings had a pedal organ. And… Continue reading The Castle

A friend told me recently he was at peace with a decision he’d made, but I noticed that he continued to revisit that decision and justify why he made it given the slightest opportunity. Each time he gave different reasons why he was right, explored new options, and justified his past choice based on the… Continue reading Pain: Moving from Equilibrium to Peace

In the 1980s I attended the farewell of a colleague from RNZ. After we’d all had a few beers she shared the story of a ‘certain manager’ who offered her a lift home saying ‘it would be good for her career’. Another women – also a former employee – said ‘Oh my God, he did… Continue reading Men, Don’t be a Harvey

This is a personal post, and my hope in writing it is that it helps someone else who finds themselves in the same position. In October 2016 my position at RNZ was disestablished, and I left my job of 35 years. What followed was an identity crisis. What would I do next? What could I… Continue reading You are not your job – thoughts on life after redundancy