indirect learning

As I said, I went to www.learndirect-advice.co.uk and did their questionnaire. Here's what it said:

Your Skills
Your high score in THINGS shows you have the skills to operate in a working environment where you will make repair and service things.

Your Interests
Your high score in ARTISTIC interests indicates a preference for activities with an artistic focus. For people who score high in this group of interests, language, art, music, drama and writing hold some importance and the tend to be creative, expressive and somewhat independent.

That's me, a somewhat (overly) round peg in the square hole that is account management in advertising, not being creative at all anymore.

But hold on, I hear you screaming at the LCD, what about your antiques? Well yes, I demur, that fulfils the THINGS analysis to a T. And I do find my growing confidence and skills and cleaning and mending and polishing and so on extraordinarily satisfying. I am taking on things that I never thought I could consider for repair, and making them saleable. I find that deeply satisfactory.

So maybe, just maybe it's time to ditch the depressing and draining advertising side of my life and take on the antiques full time and find some way to write about it too. Gosh that does appeal. What a shame that the antiques business is going through the biggest slump known. And the word is that it will get worse before it gets better. That's assuming it does get better.

So here's my tip - invest in some of the gorgeous crafted furniture of yesteryear now: the prices are ridiculous. You can pick up a Georgian (1714 - 1827) dining table for a three figure sum (less than the wood would cost) and contribute to family life by enjoying splendid roast Sunday Lunches seated in 18th Century splendour, admiring the depth of patina and the sheer exuberant 'glow' of the wonderful wood. And at least if you've got it you know I won't be getting at it and devaluing it with my 'repairs'.

A plan is forming: if you three faithful, much beloved, readers were to buy some furniture and each encourage three more to do the same and they in turn encourage three more each and so on, single-handedly (with your invaluable help) I will have put the life back into the antiques furniture market and make my desire to become full-time a real, financially viable antiques dealer an option. Just think of the good you are doing.

Or as Steve Pavlova says: you can enjoy the spirit of giving too.

Actually, although that last remark was snide, it may not be a bad mantra for society.