One of my favourite places in London is Hungerford Bridge, the footbridge I regularly take over the Thames from Waterloo and the South Bank.
This summer, the “Hungerford Bridge Gallery of Outsider Art” suddenly appeared one day. No explanation, no website, simply art that was suddenly there for the 10,000 or more pedestrians, both tourists and Londoners, who walked past it each day.
Then, all of a sudden, in late September and after 91 days (so I learned later), it was gone. I had wondered what it was all about but was more than content to enjoy it, to not know and to appreciate the playfulness.
Now, I say often that I don’t believe in luck but I do believe in serendipity (see “Creating Serendipity“), so today’s post is late as I went up to town to meet someone I’d met only in October, the unique gift that is Steve Chapman.
As it turns out, amongst our amazing meandering conversation through meaning, humanity, social constructs, middlescence and more, I learned he was the creator and curator of that gallery, which amassed more than one million visitors (ok, passers-by) in 91 days.
Another topic we talked about was the power of having clarity of one’s purpose, why we are here.
For Steve, it is to be “playful with not knowing”.
For me, it is “Making Potential Possible”.
My musing today is the power of purpose. Our conversation today was deeply satisfying for me, and yes, I am playful with not knowing where it will lead to next, and at the same time clear that there is potential to be made possible.
A core part of me living that purpose of #MakingPotentialPossible is to support individuals, businesses and organisations become clear both on what their purpose is and then how they will live that in their life and their work. Arriving at that clarity does indeed require being comfortable not knowing, with an exploration of who we are and what we feel when we are aligned. Again, this is very similar for an individual or an organisation.
If you see the power in not knowing and would like to learn more, I’d love to talk to you.
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