Inspiration lectures

Last Friday, I left work early to drive up to Bendigo with Damjan and Kate. Bendigo is two hours out of Melbourne. We went on this mini-roadtrip on what I consider a reasonably flimsy reason — to see the opening forum of the Alfred Deakin Innovation Lectures series.

When I found about about these lecture two weeks ago, I began flapping my arms in excitement. Every lecture sounded fascinating; I have never felt so inspired by the entirety of an event like this.

On Saturday when we showed up for the first city lecture at the Melbourne Town Hall (a mere two hours after we had arrived back from Bendigo), Swanston Street and Collins Street were lined with almost two thousand people waiting patiently to get into the lecture about the neurobiology of creativity and improvisation.

This weekend, I’ve been walking out of lectures feeling awed, challenged, dismayed and excited. The topics have ranged from biodiversity to strategic thinking, neurobiology to geopolitics. The speakers have been amazing. These scientists, business people, musicians and educators express themselves so clearly and eloquently. I want to be able to communicate and think like that! I want to listen to others, internalise their points of view and structure a response thoughtfully and sensitively. I want to care about the future the way they do. I want to think as deeply as they do. Oh, to be that complete in thought and communication!

I will try, oh, will I try.

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