This blog article was written for Stirling Self Catering, a quality holiday accommodation company with properties throughout Stirling and Perthshire. For more blog pieces provided for this company: http://www.stirlingselfcatering.co.uk/category/blog/

First published in December 2013.

Towering above the M9 just ten minutes’ drive from the centre of Stirling, two breath-taking new sculptures dominate the skyline. These are the Kelpies, two 30-metre-high silver horse heads that rear over the Forth Clyde canal, overseeing its east coast entrance. These 300-tonne sculptures are amongst the tallest in the UK – topping Anthony Gormley’s Angel of the North by ten full metres. They have been created by artist Andy Scott, perhaps best known for his heavy horse sculpture that overlooks the M8, and beloved of many a daily commuter. The Kelpies take their name from the supernatural water-horses of Celtic myth that were believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland, but in reality, the structures themselves represent so much more: an expression not only of our national folklore but of the role that horses have played in the life of Central Scotland.

Andy Scott took inspiration from his own roots: his father’s home town was Falkirk and the artist cites ‘old family connections anchoring [him] to the project’. During the creative process, Scott found he was blending the vision of mythological Kelpies with the muscular reality of the working horse in Scotland to create his final work. Inspired by the working, heavy horse breeds, he used two Clydesdales horses provided by Glasgow City Council as models for his sculptures. The result is testimony both to the romantic notion of the horse in Celtic folklore and to the horses that literally powered central Scotland – in its fields, canals, and heavy industry. It is no coincidence that the Kelpies are forged in steel: a material that embodies Scotland’s industrial heritage, and which now also creates its public art.

Unveiled at the end of November ahead of their official opening in 2014, the Kelpies were under development long before that date, with the project already in its infancy in 2006. On-site construction began in April 2013, much to the curiosity of passing M9 drivers as the equine profiles took shape. And the Kelpies have not only caused a stir in the UK – having been on tour throughout Scotland, Andy Scott’s original 1:10 ‘maquettes’ are now making their way across the USA. Shipped to Chicago in 2012, these 3-metre Kelpies were installed at the Field Museum, Grant Park, Chicago, as part of the Chicago Sculpture International Exhibition. After wintering at the sculpture park of Purdue University in Indiana, plans are also under way to ship them to New York City and onward.

Back in Scotland, the completion of the full-size Kelpies is an important milestone in the development of the Helix – a 350-hectare park built on land between Falkirk and Grangemouth. Now in the latter stages of completion, this park will connect 16 communities in the area, while creating a haven for wildlife, recreation, enterprise, learning, and public art. The Kelpies will also reflect and complement the canal-based fusion of art and engineering already exemplified by the area’s Falkirk Wheel, with a new canal link and boating facilities improving access to and from the Forth estuary Scotland’s canal network. The Helix, the Kelpies, and the Falkirk Wheel are undoubtedly bringing new prominence to a landscape formerly overlooked by tourism, and re-interpreting an industrial area’s past for the future in the most sustainable – and beautiful – way.

• More info on the Kelpies and Helix: http://www.thehelix.co.uk/discover-helix/the-kelpies
• To follow the Kelpies on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheKelpiesatTheHelix

This is an article written for Diversity Dashboard, an area within the Student Times website for students, graduates, and young people from minority groups. 

First published April 2014.

If there is one regret I have about University, it is that I didn’t understand the importance of networking. I locked myself away, studying into the small hours, thinking that was the key to success. What I didn’t realise was that, important as study was, I should have balanced time spent with my books with getting to know my peers better. Make sure you network more effectively than I did! Here’s how to get going, in seven simple steps.

Start early
University is networking paradise – rarely, if ever, will you find so many like-minded, ambitious and talented people milling around you at any other time of your life. So be prepared to start your networking career during your time at University, not after it, when you’re looking for work. Effective networking is about investing time in people now, before you need them!

Network for mutual benefit
There is a common misunderstanding that networking is about getting what you want out of people – begging a party invite, for example, because the host’s father is CEO of a big corporate and you need a job. Networking to ‘take’ gets results in the short term, but won’t win you career allies that are with you for life. Rather, positive networking involves meeting new people and maintaining a valuable relationship with them, to the benefit of both of you. It relies on a ‘pay it forward’ mentality of giving first and expecting nothing in return. The gift may be nothing more than listening well, or sharing some information, but in time, it may bring you later reward.

Identify your existing network
Look around your friends, flatmates and tutors (even if you have now left Uni, you can still get back in touch if you act quickly). Think about their skills, talents, interests, hobbies, and the degrees they’re studying or teaching. How might you support each other in your journey towards a career? Remember: strong ties (people you know very well) and weak ties (people at the edges of your social group) are both useful. Strong ties are life-long allies, while weak ties can introduce you to new, valuable individuals you might never have known. If you feel your network is small, extend it by trying something new, like volunteering, a club, or a part-time job.

Surround yourself with those that bring out your best
Having identified your network, pick out those people particularly important to you. Who brings out your best ideas? Who invariably puts you in a good mood? Who supports your studies rather than limits them? And crucially, who would you turn to in a crisis? These are your ‘strong ties’ – and, quite possibly, your allies for the rest of your life. Invest in these valuable relationships by prioritising these people over others. Make time to see them face to face – don’t rely on Facebook to do it for you.

Get your social media in order
Start to think about your social media presence as a networking asset that complements your progression to a career, rather than just a break from study. Google yourself: what do the results say about you as a person, as a potential employee or entrepreneur? If you are shocked by what you see then it’s time to take down compromising snaps on Facebook, and negotiate with friends to stop tagging you in photos you don’t want made public. Employers will think nothing of ‘Googling’ interview candidates before meeting them – so make sure your social media is sending the right message.

Become event-ready
If you’ve an important networking event approaching, like a careers fair or graduate reunion, prepare. Plan your travel to arrive promptly before tight groups form; these are hard to break into. If possible, find out in advance who is going, so you can plan who would like to meet. Present the very best version of yourself: dress well, stand tall, smile, and be prepared to talk about yourself in a positive way. Make eye contact with people you meet. Offer a firm and positive handshake and remember people’s names.

Become a good listener
Lastly, becoming a good listener is probably the most influential skill required for effective networking. Good networkers introduce themselves, perhaps give a brief description of what they do (or hope to do) and then allow the other person to talk. They use open questions that encourage a full response rather than a ‘yes/no’ answer. They maintain eye contact. They don’t interrupt, but instead offer supportive ‘verbal nods’ like ‘Uh huh’ and ‘I see’, which encourage the other person to speak further. It’s amazing what you will learn about people – even old friends you thought you knew – when you learn to listen properly. And listening instils trust, possibly the most crucial feature in mutually beneficial relationships.

Welcome to the Clear River website and blog.

Why Clear River? Well, we believe in saying what we mean – that’s the clarity part. And we believe in making the words flow – that’s the river part. And this ethos applies whatever the medium: paper, web, whatever. Simple.

Visit the blog to check out examples of what our recent work looks like, and to get a feel for the range of material we can produce.

We will also blog on things that have caught our attention: language, what’s happening in the web, and trends in social media, for example. (By the way, if you’re unconvinced by the impact of social media, just read the story of Jack Monroe for an insight into the power of the blog and tweet.)

Remember you can comment on anything you read in our blog. We’re good listeners.
Without further ado, we’ll get on with the business of running a business. Welcome aboard. It’s great to see you.