Frith Walker is the Manager of Place Making at Panuku Development Auckland.
Who or what did you want to be when you grew up?
A Botanist. And an Archaeologist. And Danger Mouse. And River Phoenix’s wife.
What is your professional background?
Mainly theatre (the performing arts kind). I briefly thought I should be an actor until someone said “Hey Frith, have you thought about working backstage?”, which is when I got introduced to stage managing, which is pretty much what got me into the field of placemaking.
When do you feel the most creative or inspired?
When I am calm and listening. I get to work with properly inspiring people every day, in some properly inspiring places. And when you know you are all working in the same direction and get that notion of “flow” going, it’s amazing what can get through.
When are you happiest?
Like, MOST happy – next to water. But I am genuinely happy most of the time. I feel pretty lucky to be alive, pretty lucky to get to do what I do, pretty lucky that my body works, pretty lucky to have amazing friends and family and hoa mahi, pretty lucky to live in NZ… So short answer – always!
What’s the best stress relief advice you’ve ever been given?
Breathe. Which is terrible advice to receive when you are not breathing properly, but really, really, really basic sensible advice. Count to four breathing in, and six breathing out, and do that three times.
What is your most treasured possession?
Singing/my voice. I am pretty sure I can hold a tune. That should also probably go on the “Reasons I Am Lucky” list.
What is the most important thing life has taught you thus far?
Option a) We learn to walk by falling over. We learn to draw by scribbling. We learn to talk by making unintelligible noises. Life is about trying, failing, trying again, and all the time growing.
Or Option b) that there is more to heaven and earth than is dreamt of in most of our current philosophies, Horatio. Or both!
What is your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in your industry?
My own personal strapline is have courage and be kind. Yes, that is from a Disney Princess film. But this work is important – and it takes open hearts and minds to do it justice.
What is your big project or goal for 2018?
Ok shameless plug… Successfully assist in delivering a Regional Placemaking Week for NZ (Oct 11 to 21). Our “Stage Zero” attempt at fostering a national network/conversation to better our practice and help us all hold hands across this great place we are working for.
Who or what is inspiring you at the moment?
Scotland in general, Skye in particular. My mother country, I suspect
What do you continually ask yourself?
At one end of the scale… What’s my next meeting? And at the other… What’s really going on here behind all of this, that I can’t quite hear?
Who do you collaborate with best?
Human beings who are open to collaboration. And who aren’t dickheads.
Who has challenged you to be better than you once were?
Everyone I have ever met I think? Either because they were kind or generous to me, offered advice, cleverer than me, cruel to me, indifferent to me… Everyone I meet makes me want to do a better job of living this particular life.
How does courage manifest in your work?
Creativity. It is hard to say you are a creative, and harder to live like one, in some places in the machine that is this city. We need more creativity – if you are blessed enough to have two functioning brain hemispheres then you should be doing your level best to use both of them.
When has mentorship played a role in your life?
There is a really important person in my life whose rule was that, when I needed mentoring, we’d go for a donut. Literally thank you Little and Friday. We’d eat cake and spill icing sugar on our fronts and read the paper and talk when it was right about what needed talking about. Those days are a very important part of who I am now.