This is a photo of my daughter. She’s nearly 25 and she calls herself an artist. How audacious!

This year she created a sculpture weighing about a ton (which is currently on display in Canberra Glassworks). She’s neither big nor hairy, so how could she have created such a work? By the way, that’s a reference to BHAG – big hairy audacious goals – a term first coined by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in the book Built to Last.

The sculpture was a mammoth and overwhelming task encompassing conceptual design, material sourcing, financial management, physical work such as sandblasting and welding, and installation. It scared me to think of it. Where was she going to start?

She started with a vision. The details were sketchy, but the vision was there. The idea morphed and changed many times until the concept was settled upon, and even during the making phase there were adjustments to be made.

 She pulled together a team. She couldn’t lift even one pane of glass on her own, so she needed to enhance her capability with the support of a team.

She had a plan. The opening date forthe exhibition was set. There were deadlines to meet. Turns out even artists can use spreadsheets and checklists!

She problem solved. As we know, things don’t always go exactly to plan. Working with glass meant she had to allow for breakages during construction. The base had to be redesigned. She had to be flexible with the final solution.

The artwork stands with a quiet grandeur, playfully enticing the passerby to gaze through its peepholes and step inside.

It wouldn’t have been achieved nearly so well without following those steps.

It wouldn’t have been achieved at all without an audacious vision.