The Touchwood Project

To the utopians, Trekkies, sci-fi dorks and all those who dream of a dazzling future: this one’s for you. Today I’m talking about the “Futuristic” strength in StrengthsFinder and how Futuristic people are going to help save the world. It’s part of an on-going series of articles on identifying and using your strengths with the help of tools like StrengthsFinder. (I know we still need to post about how the Power… Read the rest of this article >>

Suddenly there is a load of publicity about the Power Off weekend, bringing the event to the attention of many, and throwing us a lot of internet activity right before we power down. I cannot wait until tomorrow and we pull the plug. Publicity is good, fantastic in fact, but it does bring unwanted comments and intrusion into our life. Rachel feels it more than I do. So, there are pieces in the Times, Guardian… Read the rest of this article >>

We surveyed some of the people who participated in the last Power Off weekend back in chilly December. They live in places like England, France, America, Portugal and Scotland. The following are some of their answers, unaltered. I hope it inspires you to take the plunge and join in too! Remember, this coming weekend, starting 23.00 on Friday 19th – flick the switch. Note – alcohol and fire do NOT mix -… Read the rest of this article >>

My first experiment with dyeing and spinning has given me another opportunity to understand what it is to have enough. It’s thrown down the challenge: how do you enjoy life just as it is? It starts with a tapestry. The Coming Storm tapestry As I mentioned previously, I wanted to knit a tapestry based on a photograph I took of our view. It was my first time working with dyes, carding wool, and spinning. I… Read the rest of this article >>

Today Power Off Weekend got national coverage, thanks to a mention on BBC Radio Scotland’s Tom Morton Show. Here’s the brief clip and some challenges Tom has posed to us: Power Off Weekend BBC Scotland Tom Morton Tom, here’s answer #1:… Read the rest of this article >>

It is time for us to celebrate the coming of Spring, this year coinciding with the latest Power Off weekend. Everyone is welcome to join us with this because it happens in your own home, or a neighbours, or friend’s or tent! The Power Off weekend is 48 hours, from 11pm on the Friday night to 11pm on the Sunday (19-21 March 2010), without electricity. Power Off is all about having time to have fun, play… Read the rest of this article >>

Overbearing corporate-ness is a problem with StrengthsFinder, its assumption that you must be manager at a Fortune 500 company if you’re reading it. That assumption turns off a lot of people, but there’s good stuff here if you can get past that. That’s why today I want to have a little creative fun while looking at the 4 categories of strengths in StrengthsFinder and how to use your type of strength to help you… Read the rest of this article >>

“Spinning makes you think of little old ladies.” Malcolm and I are sitting in the conservatory waiting for the sun to dip below the clouds and treat us to a rare sunset over the water. For the past several months, the sun had hidden behind the peaks of our neighbouring island, Hoy, and only for the next few weeks would it set right on the horizon before wending its way north to hide again, this time behind… Read the rest of this article >>