I visited the artist and blacksmith Conrad Hicks' studio yesterday. I've been interested in blacksmithing for some time now, and use it often as an example of how work has changed in my talks. Did you know about 25% of people listed their occupation as 'blacksmith', a little over a hundred years ago?

I asked Conrad what the first rule of smithing is, his reply;

Your material should be hot and your tools cold, otherwise you won't be able to shape the metal.

An apt metaphor for life, life can be hot ie. unpredictable, dangerous, and near liquid, but we should be cold, ie. cool, calm, focused to be able to form the chaos into something useful.

Get skin in the game, stay cool.

Pierre