When I saw the words 'Helsinki Bus Station Theory' on Twitter, it was the Helsinki part that jumped out at
me. I've always been fascinated by Finland, not least due to Pasi Sahlberg and
his theories of education, plus, slightly less intellectually, a penchant for
snow and vodka. It is somewhere I definitely want to visit one day -
inspired by a great time spent working in Norway in a wooden chalet with Finns
and Swedes (that's another story for another day, though).
Anyway, back to the theory. It suggests that
having a creatively fulfilling career can be likened to a bus station (ideally
Helsinki's, as I doubt it is quite as grimy and depressing as Leeds - the snow
probably helps). In Helsinki you have the choice of 24 different bus
routes, likened to 24 different creative choices. You choose a platform
and get on the bus, but for the first mile or so, the route is exactly the
same. The stops are identical, and each stop equates to a period of time of
your career. After a couple, you start to become confident in what you are
creating, so get off the bus. You're proud of what you've created, but
when you look around you see that someone else - that expert you're in awe of,
for example, already got off at the same stop. You feel your work can't compare
to theirs, and, frustrated, you head back to the bus station and start all over
again. Three stops later, the same thing happens. You're stuck on
the same route, always comparing yourself to someone else.
But... if you stay on the bus, you will find that
the routes start to diverge. At this point, you start to find your own
original thinking. Confidence emerges, and persistence pays off.
This theory was originally developed around
creative arts, specifically photography, but when I came across it I realised
that it could be applied to any career or life decision. For a while,
after changing my entire work and life plans, I have been considering getting
off the bus. A lack of confidence, a sense that I can never be the
'expert', an overwhelming inability to cope with the change has made me
question the route, the destination, and whether I should have even taken the
bus in the first place. Why did I leave the warm and familiar comfort of my
car, when I always knew where I was going and was safe in the knowledge that I
was in control?
But I also know that persistence is key to
creativity. When I think about some of my favourite writers - Ian McEwan,
Kate Atkinson - I know that it isn't luck or some magic gift that makes them
write in this way. Atkinson's idea of a good day is to write just one
sentence that she is happy with. Just one sentence. We seek out
originality, often
forgetting the sheer graft and guts that are required to uncover it in the
first place.
At the moment it feels like I am on
the worst kind of bus journey - through central London maybe, stuck in traffic
and staring out at the rain. But despite this there are some great
moments, shared with some amazing fellow passengers who make me laugh, inspire
me, and make me want to stay. So sod it, I'm going to stay on the fucking
bus.
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