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50 Things We All Take Too Seriously…

At Jigsaw Performing Arts Schools we pride ourselves in the quality of our Performing Arts classes, our passionate school managers and talent teachers who make every weekend a place to belong for all the students who attend Jigsaw across London and the Home Counties.

Luke Harding, Performing Arts teacher at Jigsaw Performing Arts School in Crouch End and Drama teacher at Jigsaw Performing Arts Schools Winchmore Hill is one of those talented individuals. Not only is he passionate about the performing arts, Luke has recently found time to write and publish his first book: 50 Things We All Take Too Seriously.

We caught up with Luke to discuss his exciting new venture and of course, all things Jigsaw! Luke says;

“The thing I enjoy most (about teaching) is seeing the confidence and imagination of each individual child shine through. Each and every child is on their own personal journey. Some are super confident, and some need more encouragement. The little moments where you see them express themselves through the arts, make this job so rewarding.”

Tell us about your book?

“50 things we all take too seriously is about not sweating the small stuff. Sometimes we can get bogged down by what’s happening in our life, but when we take a step back and look at the situation from a fresh perspective, how important are our problems really?”

When and what inspired you to start writing?

“My inspiration for the book came from a tricky start to life. I lost my Mother very young and grew up in a fairly difficult environment. Safe to say I wasn’t the happiest child and that tends to transcend into adult life. Yet, I made a decision not to let my past dictate who I am now, and I began to follow a spiritual path into understanding myself and my feelings more. After years of research, I discovered that the most effective way to be happy is simply not to take myself and life as seriously as I was. This made me happier and surprisingly more productive as I was no longer being held back by negativity.”

What things do you take too seriously?

“The top thing I take too seriously is: The future. Thinking too much about the future not only takes you away from this moment, but it can also make you create problems that do not even exist. I’ve come to learn it’s not good for me and a pointless waste of mental energy. Of course, sometimes it is important to think of your future, but not excessively. I am much happier now that I do so only when completely necessary. I write about this in more detail in the book.”

For Jigsaw students who love to write; what would be your top 3 tips to a young aspiring author?

“For any Jigsaw students who love to write, here is my top 3 tips: 

  1.  Do not force an idea. You will be surprised how randomly great ideas can come to you. When they do pop up, write them down straight away. If you are passionate about the idea, it will develop naturally, with hard work and commitment of course. 
  2. Stay on subject. It can be easy to go off subject when you write. You must make sure everything in the writing is relevant to the title and story. If it is not important it should not be in there. 
  3. Don’t worry about if the book will be liked by others. Stick with your idea, enjoy writing it and that natural enjoyment will naturally make the book better than if you write it just to please others.”

What’s next on the horizon for you?

“Next on the horizon is a 2nd book called “50 things we could all be more grateful for.” which I am currently working on.”

Well, we will look forward to that! If you would like your own copy of 50 Things We All Take Too Seriously you can find it at your local Waterstones or you can order it online here via the Austin Macauley website: https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/50-things-we-all-take-too-seriously

Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page