Nature’s Palette, an incredible illustration of animals, plants, minerals alongside each colour swatch. We see ‘tile red‘ in a piece of porcelain, in the breast of a bullfinch, a Shrubby Pimpernel. Admire ‘Berlin blue‘ on a piece of sapphire, the Hepatica flower, the wing feathers of a Jay. Features contributions by leading natural history experts with over 1,000 colours. Nature’s Palette is ideal for visual artists, naturalists or anyone who’s captivated by colour.
Whether inspired to capture stories of the Olympic games or commissioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Baroque masters & modern film favourites have endeavoured to capture the strength, resilience, passion, hope & inspiration of the games. From Vivaldi to Vangelis, finest pieces of classical music composed for the Olympics. A tribute to the true spirit of sports, a celebration of humanity.
The Secret Lives of Colour tells unusual stories of 75 most fascinating shades, dyes & hues. From blonde to ginger, Picasso’s blue to charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux. Acid yellow to kelly green, scarlet women to imperial purple, surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history. Kassia St Clair has turned her life’s obsession with colours, where they come from (Van Gogh’s chrome yellow sunflowers or fluorescent pink) into a unique study of human civilisation. Across fashion & politics, art & war, The Secret Lives of Colour tell a vivid, vibrant story of our cultures.
Email: How do innovators come up with new business ideas? (Vietnam)
Innovative entrepreneurs have creative intelligence which enables discovery of new ideas. Our ability to think creatively comes through learning a skill, practicing & gaining confidence in our own capacity to create.
Our ability to successfully connect seemingly unrelated challenges or ideas is central to innovation. The ‘Medici Effect‘. Creative explosion happened when the Medici family brought together sculptors, scientists, poets, painters & architects. As they connected, new ideas blossomed. The Renaissance era. Steve Jobs observed, “creativity is connecting people & things.”
The important job is not to find the right answer, it is to find the right question. Innovators constantly query common assumptions. Most entrepreneurs remember specific questions when they had an inspiration for a new venture. Why? Why Not? What If?
Innovative thinkers have the capacity to hold two diametrically opposing ideas in their heads, then synthesise. We impose constraints on our thinking when forced to deal with real-world limitations like resources or technology. Ironically, great questions actively impose constraints on our thinking, a catalyst for out of the box insights. Creativity loves constraints.
Creators intentionally seek small behavioural details in customers, suppliers, partners & competitors to gain knowledge on fresh ways of doing things. Build prototypes, launch pilots. Edison said, “I haven’t failed, simply found 10,000 ways that don’t work“. Intellectual exploration is the key, a culture that fosters curious experimentation. Apple’s slogan ‘Think Different‘ is inspiring.
Email: How can we create greater diversity at work? (US)
Becoming an inclusive & diverse organisation is essential to innovation & business success. From employees & consumers to communities & investors, the world is watching. Yet, creating ambitious & realisable representation goals can be challenging.
Apprenticeship & sponsorship programs create new career pathways for non-traditional hires & re-skills people whose jobs have been disrupted. Holding leaders accountable for their diversity contribution is essential. Putting people metrics at par with financial metrics is a game changer.
Without a vibrant culture that supports diversity there’s a real risk of division. Are we actively listening, holding open conversations about diversity? Does our work environment enable people to be their authentic self? Are we taking new recruiting approaches to expand the pool of diverse candidates? Once people join, are our development paths helping them succeed? Are we sharing learnings to multiply the impact beyond our walls?
By setting public goals, holding ourself to a higher level of accountability, we build trust. An investment in a culture of equality helps accelerate progress. Ultimately, we create value while leading with values.
