If Only for a Day

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?

I spend my life working with words and people, so if I could be someone else for a day, I would choose someone whose gift is to bring beauty into the world in a completely different way. Dale Chihuly is that person for me. I first came across his work in 2015 when we were in Seattle for a family wedding. We visited the Space Needle and, almost by accident, found ourselves at Chihuly Garden and Glass next door. We were blown away by it. It became the highlight of our trip to downtown Seattle. Years later, when Chihuly in the Botanic Garden came to Adelaide, I was there for a conference when it opened and later made a point of returning with my wife before it closed. It was just as striking the second time.

What I admire about his work is not only the technical skill, though that is extraordinary. It is the ability to create beauty on such a scale, and to give joy to so many people through it. His work is full of colour, movement and surprise. It changes the feel of a place. It catches you off guard and stays with you afterwards. I think that is what draws me to it. For one day, I’d love to know what it feels like to see the world that way and to make something that becomes a gift to other people — something that brings delight, wonder and a sharper sense of how beautiful the world can be.