I have some new subscribers. Ooo popular. Thank you for being here! The Offcuts is a weekly digest of small influences. Little glimmers that haven’t made it into the newsletter, but are worth a mention of sorts. A round-up of random thoughts. As much as I’ve maybe expressed uncertainty on whether The Offcuts works, or feels fitting to the things I want to write about on my Substack, I’m learning to fall back in love with it. It’s just so ‘Drafting’ in the sense that it encapsulates the snippets of daydreams I have. Small bursts of creative thinking. Seeing behind the scenes of how and where influence can strike me. In all its weird and wonderful glory.
I read this article called ‘It’s Fun To Be Alive - 13 Older Photographers Show Us Their Work and Themselves’. It takes a look at different perspectives on ageing and redefining what being “old” means. There are some truly beautiful pieces of wisdom and reflections on a life well lived. A heartwarming read.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year returns to The Natural History Museum again next month. I remember going for the first time on a school trip for my Art History class at Sixth Form. I didn’t really have many expectations but I was blown away by the whole exhibition. Captivated so much by the ways these photographers captured the wonder and beauty of Mother Earth that I still vividly remember it now 10 years on. I haven’t been back since. I’ve wanted to but never got around to it. Maybe if I write about it then I’ll remember to go. Stay tuned.
I’m not sure about the ethics of calling hostage situations spicy but here we go. I listen regularly to Woman’s Hour and last week, Nicky Perfect was interviewed ahead of the release of her new book. She recounts her experiences working in the Hostage and Crisis negotiation unit. I actually completed a course for work a little while ago run by former FBI negotiator turned Sales trainer Chris Voss about successful negotiation using tactical empathy. Fascinating stuff.
Has anyone else noticed that bottled drinks from the supermarket now have these weird contraptions that stop the lids from coming off entirely? Supposedly, it’s to help the wider recycling of the lids. I don’t know about you but I tend not to lose the lid of my drink. Now I have to contend with a bottle cap scratching my upper lip and getting in the way when I’m trying to take a good ol’ swig of my drink. Annoying.
Despite the revolting heat *fingers are clammy as I type this* I’m still thinking a lot about the change of the seasons and thinking about the arrival of autumn. I found the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost, which reflects the ways good things end and uses the seasons in nature to show that throughout our lives, we go through essential cycles of change.
