back from hols, and Idleness
I'm just back from Secret Garden Party 2007, a festival in the countryside.
I had a brilliant time, and the atmosphere there is pretty unique - it feels like a magical childrens party or something.
image from robjgreen
Apart from obvious factors, like the size of the event, one thing that makes it special is that loads of people there are contributing, not just consuming. There were tonnes of impromptu shows, one-off events, and people going around painting moustaches, as well as the normal big-stage festival stuff.
image from robjgreen
In other words, there's a high ratio of creators to consumers, which gives it a fun, DIY, amateurish feel that brands like Innocent and Howies do so well.
I also got to meet (again) this guy called Tom Hodgkinson, editor of the magazine The Idler the author of the book How to be Idle. This book is probably the biggest reason why I've just quit my full-time job at glue, and it's a great mix of observation, philosophy, how-to, and general wit.
It tied a golden thread through lots of thoughts I've always had, like why I think trading currency derivatives is a bit wrong, and why I hated school, but always loved learning. It's not really about being idle in the sense that people use the word, nor about being lazy, but about taking responsibility for your life and happiness. Highly recommended.
I had a brilliant time, and the atmosphere there is pretty unique - it feels like a magical childrens party or something.
image from robjgreen
Apart from obvious factors, like the size of the event, one thing that makes it special is that loads of people there are contributing, not just consuming. There were tonnes of impromptu shows, one-off events, and people going around painting moustaches, as well as the normal big-stage festival stuff.
image from robjgreen
In other words, there's a high ratio of creators to consumers, which gives it a fun, DIY, amateurish feel that brands like Innocent and Howies do so well.
I also got to meet (again) this guy called Tom Hodgkinson, editor of the magazine The Idler the author of the book How to be Idle. This book is probably the biggest reason why I've just quit my full-time job at glue, and it's a great mix of observation, philosophy, how-to, and general wit.
It tied a golden thread through lots of thoughts I've always had, like why I think trading currency derivatives is a bit wrong, and why I hated school, but always loved learning. It's not really about being idle in the sense that people use the word, nor about being lazy, but about taking responsibility for your life and happiness. Highly recommended.
2 Comments:
Glad to hear it was fun. Old work mates went this year and said it was awesome too.
i think I might try and get down there next year!
Currency what?? Do you fancy burning me a CD with good tunes you've heard recently. I have it on my list to do one for you this weekend...
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