A Class Act

Some people are a class act. Anyone that knows me, will be aware that I love the creative arts, be it music, theatre, film, art and literature and will often soak myself in it. Whilst this isn’t everyone’s “cup of tea” for me the creative arts are inspirational and sustaining in a way that little else achieves (for me). Anyway, I was delighted to be at a Martyn Joseph performance on Friday night. Martyn is someone that I have followed since 1985, he is a folk singer (and I’m not particularly into folk music). Why I enjoy his performances so much is that he comes across as a truly genuine man, full of hopes, fears and doubts. He wrestles with some of the big questions and many of the less obvious. He is a creative, writes great poems to music that seek to touch and inspire the soul. He is passionate about his music and about the world in which he resides. He doesn’t opt for the easy answers or duck the difficult, questions. As with every person, I may not agree with all of his ideas or thoughts, but he is one of those people that conveys warmth, acceptance and a truly inspiring sense of love.

Deep Confidence

It struck me in particular at this latest performance, possibly because I’m a little older and hopefully wiser, that he is also able to share and indeed give a platform to someone else, however much his junior. In my experience, there are not many performers that can do this quite as well. Perhaps this is the mark of someone that has not only kept true to himself, but also knows himself and has the self-confidence that eludes so many. By “pop” standards, he has not had huge “commercial success” yet surely exemplifies what it is to be truly successful by remaining committed, creative and inspiring. A life on the road was given new significance, apart from the obvious strain of a life performing around the world out of a suitcase and away from family and friends which I imagine to be tough; it is also the road of life, on which he is so well travelled and has many helpful insights to offer.

Authentic Values

As a financial planner, my objective is to help money make sense for my clients. To help them live a life that is authentic to their values and work towards their ambitions. Creativity is very much part of the thinking process, not in the way some might imagine of “creative accounting” but of thinking differently, of thinking of the life you want rather than simply the one that appears prescribed by the media. This is a frequently revisited conversation with clients and of course as it is something that I’m interested in, invariably creeps into dinner table conversations as it did again this weekend. People like Martyn inspire us all to think about what we can add.