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Move over Michelangelo

I think it’s fair to say that I enjoy my work, moreover it occupies a significant portion of my life. It is also fair to say that I allow this, this is a life choice, but every so often we all need a reality check.

For those who know me well, I have a mantra that life is for filling up, and over the years I’ve tried to fill it with some varied activities other than work. Whatever you do to fill your life up with is about choices, and as with most choices, some are good, others not so.

Recently I realised that the work life balance had once again slipped in favour of work and that I needed to give myself some head space.

There are a number of well documented benefits of doing something different, i.e. learning a new skill. (https://www.mindcharity.co.uk/wellbeing-article/keep-learning-5-ways-wellbeing/)  Learning opens up the mind, gives a sense of achievement, in our world sometimes it can be hard to find this in the constant dynamic of the Alliance, long before you have time to take a breath its on to the next thing. However, learning doesn’t have to be academic and above all, it has to be fun.

So what to try next? As you may know I’m a bit arty-farty and have been known to do the odd sketch or painting, but time is always a struggle and when I do manage to get stuck in I find I’m still thinking of work. Fishing is one of my favourite pastimes,  Sir Izaak Walton described Fishing as the contenplatative man’s recreation, you can think about work whilst doing it! What I needed was something to absorb myself in and totally switch off from work.

Sculpture! Why? Because its something I always felt that I could have a chance of giving it a good go. I’m ok with my hands and a bit arty. Spurred on by my missus’ frustration at not using my artistic ability I enrolled at a local night school.

Meeting people is not an issue for me but when the 8 out of 10 people there had been doing this for a range of 10 to 2 years I had to admit it made me a little nervy, even worse when the other newbie of the class had a first from the Royal College of Art, in sculpture!

My next revelation was it was a life class, seriously, I went with pictures of a wild boar I wanted to sculpt, next moment there is a naked woman in front of me ( well that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). Under the careful guidance of the resident sculptor I quickly got into it. Two hours later, interspersed with a quick tea break, and it was over. What? Two hours of intense concentration, not a single thought about ANYTHING other than clay, shape and form. I couldn’t believe it. OK she looked like Mrs Potato Head at this juncture but I could see something.

I went home feeling very pleased, also, very relaxed; actually, I went home enthused.

Over the next week I actually found myself looking forward to my next Wednesday evening. Sure enough, my concentration was only on that before me. Another two hours gone in the blink of an eye. Driving home my thoughts were to what next – unwittingly I’d found the off button.

I concede that I seem to have found something that I’m OK at and I’m not sure how I’d have felt if I were rubbish at it? There were some ladies at the course who actually feel they are never going to be sculptors, but that actually doesn’t matter, it seems we have that similar desire to lose yourself in something.

So here I am wondering what next? For sure I’m continuing with this, I find it inspirational. I’m already planning my next creation, I’ve booked further lessons and who knows where this will lead, but, what have I learned? After all, the desire was to learn.

Firstly, and most importantly, I’ve realised that learning something doesn’t have to take up too much time, nor does it have to be cerebrally challenging. It’s been fun taking on new skills, meeting an inspirational, diverse group of people. Above all, it’s given me some head space, something to allow me to switch off.

We all need something and over the years, I’ve had to deal with many stressful situations both personally and as a manager. Sadly I’ve seen many a person fall by the wayside and I’m certainly not about to say that doing an art class is going to change your life. What it does do is offer another perspective, an area of focus other than work and if you’re lucky, a sense of achievement. So go on, unlock your inner talent and try something new!

Week 1 – Mrs Potato Head             Week 2 – More Detail   

Week 3 – Fine Detail    Week 4 – Mini Melissa Hollowed out and ready for the Kiln

Mark Froggatt, Engineering Manager, @one Alliance