Inspirational People | EnormousYes

Inspirational People: Musician & Recording Engineer Del Palmer

By: Odette Beris

14-07-2011

Careers, Del Palmer, Inspirational People

I’m delighted to welcome Del Palmer, musician and recording engineer as this month’s featured guest.

Del Palmer is a man of many talents. He’s a recording and mixing engineer, bass player and recording artist. Last year, Del released his solo album Gift which is a beautifully crafted, eclectic piece of work, imbued with jazz and rock influences. 2007 saw the release of Leap of Faith, Del’s 1st solo album which is a very melodic collection of songs – my personal favourite is Man Out of Time, such a magical track. In addition, he has released an EP called Outtees and Alternatives which is well worth checking out.

Del is also well known for his musical association with Kate Bush both as a musician and recording engineer. He played in the original KT Bush Band back in 1977 and has worked with Kate Bush both as a musician and then as an engineer on many of her albums. For instance, Del was credited as the recording and mixing engineer on Kate Bush’s ‘Aerial’ as well as recording engineer on her ‘Sensual World’ album.

As is the tradition in these Inspirational People blogs, I asked Del Palmer one question:

What is the best piece of career/life advice you’ve ever received?

This is what he said:

‘So, The best and most fitting piece of advice I ever had was, in fact the running joke amongst musicians when I started..
It was.. Never give up your day job..It was always said amongst musicians as a joke and young musicians back then always thought of themselves as bullet proof and destined for the “Big Time”.. I know I did.. However I always saw it as meaning have another string to your bow… Keep an alternative up your sleeve.. I have been fortunate to have had music as my life’s work but I always have an alternative handy..
Just in case…’

Del’s advice of having an alternative career or ‘string to your bow’ strikes a chord for many reasons. Earning a living in music can be a precarious business (and indeed within the arts generally) so having a back-up plan can be a pragmatic move. Being resourceful by lining up a fall-back option doesn’t have to mean one is any less dedicated to pursuing a goal; it just may mean you have other avenues available should the need arise.

Besides, as we develop, our career interests sometimes subtly shift and evolve. Being open to alternatives can work in our favour to allow us to think about our career options more flexibly and strategically. You just never know what’s around the corner…

Sincere thanks to Del Palmer for his insightful contribution and also, for his kindness.

*Photograph used with kind permission.

Inspirational people: Alain de Botton

By: Odette Beris

01-10-2010

Careers, Choice, Inspirational People, Proust

Alain de Botton writes beautiful books. He has in fact written several beautiful books; philosophical musings and essays on love, travel, work, architecture, status and literature. I remember reading de Botton’s How Proust Can Change Your Life when I was in my twenties, a humorous and unusual self-help manual/analysis of Proust’s À la recherche du temps perdu. (The closest I ever got to reading Proust it might be said).

Mr de Botton’s most recent book The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work is another thing of beauty with exquisite photographs taken by the documentary photographer Richard Baker. If you’re fascinated by work and careers as I am, this might be one to check out. He considers what makes a job meaningful or soul-destroying; exploring everything from rocket science to art through to biscuit manufacturing.

Alain de Botton is not only an accomplished writer but also an entrepreneur. He is a founding member of the School of life which seeks to make learning relevant and offers courses on everything from what it is to have a meaningful life to finding the job you love.

Last year, Alain gave a ted talk on Success and career anxiety. De Botton suggests, quite refreshingly, that in relation to our careers at least we probably can’t have it all. To succeed in one sphere may involve some sort of loss in another. Inspired by his thoughtful work, I invited Alain to be EnormousYes’ featured Inspirational Person of the month and asked him to share what he felt was the best piece of career advice he’d ever received. To my delight he responded. This is what he wrote:

“The best piece of career advice I received was from my father who said to me that the best choice is the one that makes you feel least sad about all the other choices you didn’t take. For me, this was useful because it suggests that no one choice is ever perfect, there will always be regrets, but at the same time, you need to go for the thing that captures as many of your talents and inclinations as possible.”

This, I think, is useful advice. To acknowledge that there are many choices open to us, amplifies the value of what we choose to say yes to. And for every choice there will also be a sense of loss. The door we didn’t open, the path we didn’t walk down.

On the other hand, the good news is that choosing a career which plays to your talents, strengths and interests may minimise your sense of regret for the choices you didn’t make. Doing something you enjoy and doing it well may bring its own source of pleasure and inner contentment.

References:
Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain De Botton (2009)
Alain de Botton: A kinder, gentler philosophy of success: Ted talks
How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain De Botton

Inspirational People: Follow your interests says Barbara Fredrickson

By: Odette Beris

14-09-2010

Careers, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, Inspirational People, Inspirational Women, Interests, Positivity

Each month I invite an individual whose work I’ve found inspirational, to share what they feel is the best piece of advice that they have ever received in their career or life. This month I approached Dr Barbara Fredrickson, who is Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina.

Some of you may be familiar with Dr. Fredrickson’s work on positive emotions, which is an interesting body of research with potentially important implications for psychological health and well-being. In brief, her broaden-and-build theory suggests that experiencing positive emotions such as love, joy and interest may literally broaden our mindsets and build on our inner resources. Experiencing joy, for instance, may spark a sense of playfulness, whilst experiencing interest in something may trigger the desire for exploration. (For the interested reader, check out Dr. Fredrickson’s book called Positivity or in my previous blog on the positivity ratio.)

So, what did Dr. Fredrickson consider the best piece of advice she had ever received? She wrote:

‘…(the) best advice I ever got was “Follow your interests” which translates into, don’t follow the money or do popular or derivative work. Develop your contribution by developing your passions.’

This resonates for me. By following our passions we are more likely to tap into positive emotions, which the theory suggests will trigger behaviours to extend and build our intellectual and psychological resources. By doing what we love, we may then go the extra mile to further develop our competence in areas that we enjoy. As well as developing our skills, we may feel more authentic when we play to our strengths, creating a sense of well-being.

Dr. Fredrickson has followed her interests in positive psychology which has enabled her to develop her contribution within society. Perhaps following our interests is key to creating meaning and fulfillment in whatever we choose to do.

References:

Fredrickson, B. L. (2004). The broaden-and-build Theory of Positive Emotions. The Royal Society

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Inspirational People: Musician & Recording Engineer Del Palmer

Inspirational people: Alain de Botton

Inspirational People: Follow your interests says Barbara Fredrickson

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