How this blog works is a work in progress. My original thinking was that I would put a ring around a particular neighbourhood, suburb or section on a map and see which organisations fell within that boundary, and take a look at how they work. Along the way I’ve also been thinking about looking collectively at organisations within particular disciplines, professions, industries and sectors, and it seems that’s the way it’s going to land as I reboot this venture.
I’ll be checking out websites, organisational and individual LinkedIn profiles, social media, blogs, articles, annual reports. Where a place, event or creation really captures my interest, I hope to interview some of the people involved and share some of their perspectives too.
But I know myself well and this process is going to lead me down a rabbit hole for sure; any random thought or question could take me on a tangent to who knows where, what and who! And some posts may be one thought or comment total if a question goes unanswered. I’m hoping that I can tap into the city’s collective knowledge sometimes if that should be the case.
While I am aiming to focus on the here and now, my journey through the city’s CV will be also in part be a little nostalgic and a touch self indulgent. I ride my bike as often as I can and love to take pictures as I go. And, as I’m sure any photographer would tell me, it turns out searching 10 years of archives can be distracting, but already scrolling through my ChCh folders is proving to be worthwhile as the images are serving as handy prompts to jog my memory; their timestamps are serving as anchors to the accuracy of my situational recall.
When I’m writing in a professional capacity, how long I spend on an individual project of course depends on a client’s starting point, end goal timeframe and budget. But essentially, the more thought has been given to a concept, the better. I’ve been working with some of my clients for more than 20 years and the benefits of this relationship are obvious; whatever type of content we’re creating, each time we revisit their purpose and their thinking around it, the end result goes up yet another notch.
With that in mind, I will no doubt be revisiting some of the organisations I’m writing about. Just as individuals do, organisations continually evolve and there are always more stories to tell.
Unless I have spoken directly to someone, (and they have the authority/given me permission to write about a particular aspect of their work or organisation) all my observations will be based on information that’s publicly available; opinions will all be my own.
While the preparation of any CV involves information gathering, my process is reasonably organic. I hear time and again that no one wants to hear what you did 20 years ago. I disagree. I believe that we are the sum of everything we have ever done, and that at different times in our lives, different experiences, skills and knowledge become more or less relevant. I also believe that there is no right or wrong way to frame your story; it’s simply about putting relevant information in front of the person or client you want to connect with.
So with all that said, best I stop talking to myself, crack on with some writing, see where we go, and in whatever way, shape or form, how this blog works!