TEXT 2. MY LIFE

I’m an inventor. My job is to invent new things, and I work when I’ve got an idea. My studio is in my house, so I can work when I want to. Sometimes I work seven days a week; sometimes I don’t work for days. I do all my creative work here, but I leave the house to go to meetings.

I usually get up at about five o’clock. I make some tea, and start work at six. I drink tea all day - I can’t work without it - but I don’t eat anything until the evening.

First I tidy the studio. I switch on the answer phone because I can’t speak to people when I’ve got an idea. Then I start work. I usually have a break after two or three hours, but I don’t leave the studio. I do something different to help me relax. I often practise juggling. I can juggle well - it’s an easy way to stop thinking about work problems. At other times I put some music on and play the drums. I play them for about an hour every day. I usually stop work at about nine o’clock in the evening. I think about my work most of the time, even when I’m out. I’m interested in what’s around me and I like looking for new ideas, new problems to solve. For relaxation I play the drums in a blues band.

I’m working on a new kind of picture frame at the moment. It’s a soft frame with elastic edges and plastic corners, and you can stretch it over any picture. It’s a simple idea, but I think it’s a good one.