It all started out as a run of the mill eye test. A couple of years and it’s time for me to get my eye test sorted. It’s relatively painless, and although I had some vague concerns I didn’t have any real fears. It’s an eye test, I’ve had them before, what can go wrong?

Well, nothing wrong with the test part of the eye test. The story is not quite the same for my eyes, and a further test is required. Not quite the news I wanted to hear. I feel a bit frightened. Memo to body: what are you playing at?

My eyesight is such a vital part of my self identity – I was suddenly afraid about how I’d cope if my eyesight vanished. How would I earn a living? How could I learn the necessary skills to be able to even get a job? We’re all short on time – what are you going to do with what you have left?

If your eyesight were to fail suddenly – and it does for some people in accidents – what would be the last thing you’d want to see? A favourite scene? A loved one? A work of art? A velvet painting of Elvis? Does it really make any difference?

Is there really a longing, a loving, a gratitude for something until you’ve either lost it or about to lose it?

Either way, you get on with the day … but I’m still wondering about what you do with what you’ve got left.

Manifesto
20. Every day say thank you.
26. Every day take action. Every small step counts.
45. Every day you are a different person.

I can’t think of a more efficient machine for transporting a person, or a load, or – if you’ve ever visited some of the Asian countries – a family, a load of ducks, and a load as well. The bicycle can be mass produced from a variety of materials, and apart from the high-tech models, can be maintained by a relatively untrained and unskilled individual. Me, for example. Even I’ve managed to maintain my trusty steed before today.

It is this ubiquity and accessibility that makes the bicycle a machine that is available for all ages and sexes. I can recall my Mother talking about how important her bicycle was in terms of liberating her from being stuck at home – and from being a beast of burden lugging groceries home. How many machines can be so far reaching in their impact? Somehow I think that in 100 years time the bicycle will still be around. I expect it’ll be technically superior, but probably essentially unchanged – the epitome of an elegant design.

Manifesto
17. Every day look through a new lens.
22. Every day refine, clarify and simplify.
41. Every day use your mind. It is the greatest technology ever created.

It’s the principle that counts here – for those of you seeking employment or a business – there’s much gain to be made from correcting things. ‘Where there’s muck there’s brass’, the old saying goes. Many human activities – job roles or business enterprises are based on making corrections to situations. Cleaning, quality assurance, panel beating, surgery, hostage negotiation, fire fighting – the list goes on – are all essentially corrective activities. Often these activities are highly paid, and the people who engage in these activities are amongst the most respected in our communities. And if you find yourself in need of a skilled correction specialist – a plumber perhaps, a road-side rescue for you and your car, or dentist – you’ll know just how welcome these people can be.

Makes me feel proud to be amongst such creative and worthy companions.

Manifesto
08. Every day choose to bring about change.
14. Every day the ordinary can be the extraordinary.
42. Every day celebrate. Who you are. What you have achieved. Things that matter to you.

Wellington provides some exquisite contrasts between the natural landforms – the hills and harbour, and the man-made architecture and engineering. Add in some art, and the people themselves, and the combinations can be very interesting – at times even beautiful, especially in the early evening with the moon rising.

It can be so lovely.

Manifesto
14. Every day the ordinary can be the extraordinary.
20. Every day say thank you.
25. Every day your light shines for others to see.

From mirror after mirror,
No vanity’s displayed:
I’m looking for the face I had
Before the world was made. — W. B. Yeats

Peter Trevelyan’s Mimetic Brotherhood definitely looks sparking in the bright sunshine. The effect of looking up close to the sculptures is quite mysterious – you’re not only looking for the face, you’re looking for any part of yourself. The different angles that the mirrors are are on prevent you from seeing much more than a triangle reflecting your face or body or whatever, and then very little else. It’s easy to guess how the invisible man felt.

Michael Jackson started with the Man in the Mirror… when you look in the mirror – who – what do you see? Are you happy with what you see, or are you looking to see someone else… me, I’m with Yeats – I’m looking for the face I had before the world was made. Simpler, calmer, easier times.

Manifesto
17. Every day look through a new lens.
22. Every day refine, clarify and simplify.
25. Every day your light shines for others to see.

Dragon gates? Maybe the designer was inspired by the sword blade cabbage tree leaves, or by palms, or ferns or who knows – to me the gates at Te Papa feel like some amazing Chinese style dragon, from the bright red colour through to the spiked back. I love it.

I love it when design is invoked – the gates could be almost any functional device – but in this case someone has taken some time out to think about what the gates might be like in this application. What kind of gates? What kind of story is being told? Most of what we’re surrounded by every day is stuff that unfortunately hasn’t had a great deal of design polish applied. The choices we make.

Manifesto
14. Every day the ordinary can be the extraordinary.
30. Every day use all your senses. Touch. Smell. Taste. Hear. See.
49. Every day is a good day.

I love it when I’m working and things just start to flow – I get so involved in my work – writing, for example, that I get lost in what I’m doing. I don’t notice the passing of time and I find I can get deeper and deeper in the work at hand.

The more quickly, and more successfully I can can enter the flow, the better and more productive I can be.

Manifesto
09. Every day learn something new.
16. Every day looking at the order of things gives you power.
23. Every day retain your personal power. It belongs to you. No one else.

I once spent a long time trying to figure out how we might get better at the things we do. For a while I thought that reflective practice was the answer. I now don’t believe so – at least not by itself. I think there is huge benefit in writing – journaling, keeping a diary, reflecting on and reflecting in practice. I don’t believe all performance improves in isolation. There’s only so much living in a cave a person can do. Sure, you can practice off stage until you drop, but if you want to get better you have to go on stage and strut your stuff, and get the subsequent feedback – accolades – brickbats – good, bad, indifferent – who cares? In the end it’s all the same. In some cases, if you haven’t been rejected you just haven’t been trying hard enough; in other cases acceptance is a mark of disaster.

What I am inclined to believe is it takes time to build up experience and expertise – five years to earn a living, more time for mastery, for leadership, and for artistry. And all the time, consciously trying to get better, to push out the frontiers, to go out beyond the known places – the safety zones – to explore ideas never thought of before.

Manifesto
04. Every day is an opportunity to cultivate the promise of the future.
09. Every day learn something new.
13. Every day be better than you were the day before.

How completely beautiful. This afternoon I took the pear and quince juice my sister Gillian brought us and made jelly. Jam is good, but jelly is better. I love the way the light becomes golden, richer, turning the glass jars into gem stones. The house becomes redolent with the fragrance of quince. I love the meditative experience.

When I first started making jelly I got some really helpful criticism – comments like: ‘You should’ve made it on a sunny day’, ‘The tiny bubbles in this jelly means it wouldn’t win prizes’, and ‘This jelly is too hard/soft/whatever’…

You know, there are some times when it’s better to not listen to helpful criticism. The best thing to do is to make some jelly – some grape, or apple, or peach, or quince – and then make some nice toast. Spread it with butter. Yes, that’s right, butter. No synthetics. Butter. Let the butter melt a little. Spoon over some jelly. Go on, spoon a little more. You’ll love it. Take a bite – let the rich fruit flavours make love with your taste buds. Shut your eyes. Breathe in the sublime summer. Sigh. Love. Love. Love.

So what criticism?

Manifesto
17. Every day look through a new lens.
22. Every day refine, clarify and simplify.
30. Every day use all your senses. Touch. Smell. Taste. Hear. See.

How we seek the right angle. I don’t mean the 90^o kind of right angle, I mean the kind of edge to get things done. The right way. The wu wei. The angle of repose. The active inaction. The do without doing. Naturally occurring evidence. It’s the kind of thing you often see with someone who can do a manual task with the elegant simplicity that looks absolutely effortless.

I love to watch this kind of activity. The ballet of blowing glass. The delicacy of cake decorating. Cutting glass. Throwing a lump of clay on to a wheel and then stroking up a beautiful pot. The one that grinds me – people who can draw a likeness in a couple of lines, a dot or two, and a couple of squiggles. I hate them, I love them.

In my head I know there’s hours of practice and failure before this effortless magnificent, but I also secretly hope that one day there’ll be some astounding talent to be mined out of my murky depths and I’ll be able to amaze my friends and family.

I guess everyone dreams of having super powers. Maybe it’s just about getting the angle right.

Manifesto
13. Every day be better than you were the day before.
19. Every day make time for yourself.
23. Every day retain your personal power. It belongs to you. No one else.