LET'S HOPE IT'S A GOOD ONE

Welcome, welcome. 

2018 was a funny one, wasn't it? Remember that time when it snowed for a week in the middle of spring? Or when England nearly won the World Cup, and we had perfect weather for months? Or that thing with the massive cow?

Last year might be remembered for having a lot of doom and gloom in The News. And maybe things aren't going to change on that front for a little while. But The News is not the whole story.

2019 is, as yet, a blank page. It could turn out to be a masterpiece, if we make it one. So we're starting the year positively here in the Clubhouse: we've got inspiring poems, puddings, surfing and more. 

We're ready to begin. 

Come on in. 

LET'S SURF THE WEB AGAIN
How surfing came to be used as a metaphor for looking at the internet, and why it should be again.

Metaphors matter. The words we use to describe things shape the way we use them. Take the internet: these days we talk about it in terms of 'Feeds', 'Pushes' and 'Streams' – passive images that reduce us to consumers. But back in the early days, we used to surf the web. Here's Austin Kleon stirring up the desire to be better on the internet in 2019. 

JUST PUDDINGS
Low calorie bingeing

Comedian Ed Gamble loves sweet things, but can't really eat them because he's diabetic. So in this web-series, he gets his friend and fellow comedian James Acaster to eat them for him, and then tell him what they taste like. Which is what writing is all about, really, isn't it?

HOW TO HAVE MORE IDEAS
The Issac Asimov way

To match the amount of writing Issac Asimov produced in his lifetime, you would have to write a full-length novel every two weeks for 25 years. Here's how he kept himself from running out of ideas.

GET STUFF DONE IN 2019
How to stop your Mac distracting you

If you find yourself constantly getting sidetracked when trying to get stuff done on your mac, maybe this set up will help. 

A POEM TO START THE YEAR WITH
The Summer Day, by Mary Oliver

'Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?'

BOOKS ARE BRICKS
Feel inspired about reading again

If your New Year's Resolution is to read a bit more in 2019, this letter to young readers from Rebecca Solnit will help ignite the spark. 

INTRODUCING FRIDAY 
We helped the company-formerly-known-as-Happiness-Works change their name

People in happy moods are six times more likely to innovate and solve problems creatively. So it's worth keeping your staff smiling. The newly-renamed Friday is an employee engagement company that helps you do just that, running a regular pulse check on your business to measure employee happiness.

Last year we helped them find their new name, which they've just unveiled.