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We give a great deal of attention to the people we want to be like. The people we'd hate to become are teaching us something too — if we choose to look.

It's 3pm on a Tuesday. The meeting isn't terrible. The job isn't terrible. But a small voice keeps appearing: is this really all of me?

We often use amateur as an insult at work. But the word comes from the Latin for lover — and Vivian Maier's story shows exactly why that matters.

The meeting moved on. Someone named the problem, proposed the solution, and the room agreed. Six months later, it turns out you were right. On developing curiosity as a practice — whether anyone listens or not.

For creativity to emerge it typically needs a different question: how do we discover what might be possible? That requires different conditions. Less friction. More trust. More room for work that can't yet prove its value in a spreadsheet.

We use the word idea casually. But it traces back to a Greek verb meaning to see — and that changes how we understand what ideas actually are, and where they come from.

He appeared from the site office as I walked onto the lot. My verdict arrived before he'd opened his mouth. First impressions really are made in an instant — and the research on how to influence them is worth knowing

Meeting Notes is Cultivated's weekly letter — Sent Sunday, also in the members' archive. This week: Restoring hope, spirit and belief in work.

A practical breakdown of the Lion, T-Rex, Mouse and Monkey communication styles—and how to adapt your behaviour for clearer, more effective communication at work.