Hugh sent me a freebie copy of his latest book Evil Plans. After a diet of rather heavy business books, this was a welcome fast read.
In the film, Local Hero, Burt Lancaster’s oil tycoon employs a therapist to taunt him repeatedly to keep him real. The therapist resorts to ever more extreme tactics, ending up abseiling down the side of Lancaster’s skyscraper to emblazon his office window with some excoriating message.
Hugh does a slightly less bonkers and more uplifting version of that, not so much to make you humble as to wake you up. Some of what he says is brilliant, some I wasn’t convinced about (I’m wary of the sackcloth and ashes about hours, but do get the value of persistence).
But the main thing is this: it left me with some good questions about what I’m trying to do with my life and how I’m going about it. There’s an underlying message about sticking to your passion, cutting out distractions and taking risks. It’s the artist’s way, and Hugh lives and breathes it.
