“The world is not changed by one more

fact. It’s changed by ‘once upon a time’

• storytelling is everything”

ir Tim Smit is known for thinking

big. The co-founder of the ‘eighth

wonder of the world’ – the Eden

Project in Cornwall – currently

has another five Edens in train to

be built around the world. But his

original obsession was on a much smaller scale: he

used to collect stamps. “But I never wanted to complete

my collection,” he snorts at himself. “My fantasy

was imagining the ones that weren’t there.”

But one of the (many) impressive things about Tim

• entrepreneur, intellectual, environmentalist – is that
  he doesn’t abandon his ideas at the imagination stage


• he guides them into being realities. Testament
  perhaps to his Tinkerbell theory? “If you can find
  three people who believe passionately in the thing
  you believe in, you can make it happen,” he explains.
  “Unless it’s utterly bonkers.”
  Currently in the ‘making it happen’ stage is Eden
  Project North – potentially opening in 2023. It
  intends to draw on its marine location, in Morecombe,
  Lancashire, to include gardens and lidos, not to mention
  40 metre-high mussel-shell inspired domes, and it’s
  hoped it will become as much of a draw as the Eden
  Project, which attracts around 1 million visitors a year.
  In bringing it to realisation, he’ll be drawing on years
  of hard-won experience. The years of tussling with
  investors, lawyers and general scepticism to create
  both Eden Project and The Lost Gardens of Heligan
  (more of which, later), shaped Tim into the force he

Educator, environmentalist and Eden Project creator, Sir Tim Smit KBE, tells

Katy Bravery how harnessing the imagination – coupled with gritted determination

• has the power to make amazing things happen

is today. Until then, by his own admission, he’d been

busking his way through life, relying on quick wit to

get by. But, at 37, he learned what he calls his ‘lesson

of happiness’. “I decided to be as good as I could be.

So, when I went to bed having failed, or won, I’d know

I’d given it my best shot.”

He poured his energies into researching and testing

his views, to be confident in his facts and assertions,

and developed what he calls his ‘last man standing’

strategy – never taking ‘no’ for an answer. Going

hand-in-hand with that is the best advice he’s ever

had – to lose the fear of being disliked. “It doesn’t mean

you have to be a bastard,” he explains. “Just that you’ve

worked out what you need to do to achieve what you

want to achieve. Don’t make compromises simply

because people might not like you for doing it,” he says.

SHARING A STORY

Another lesson honed was how to capture people’s

imaginations. He recalls having to convince sceptical

bankers and investors about what Eden could be:

“I had to believe that I could find a story that would

persuade 300 people who were professionally trained

to say ‘no’ to say ‘yes’”. It wasn’t just bankers that he

had to learn how to convince. He recalls recounting a

gory story about the plant-based drugs used to silence

humans from screaming during Aztec live sacrifices

to a bunch of unruly schoolchildren visiting Heligan.

“They were enthralled. I could have done anything

with those kids after that – though the parents were

S

WISDOM

“The world isnot changed by onemore

fact. It’schanged by ‘onceupon a time’

• storytellingis everything”

irTimSmitisknownforthinking

big.Theco-founderofthe‘eighth

wonderoftheworld’– theEden

ProjectinCornwall– currently

hasanotherfiveEdensintrainto

bebuiltaroundtheworld.Buthis

wasona muchsmallerscale:he

usedtocollectstamps.“ButI neverwantedtocomplete

mycollection,”hesnortsathimself.“Myfantasy

wasimaginingtheonesthatweren’tthere.”

Butoneofthe(many)impressivethingsaboutTim

• entrepreneur,intellectual,environmentalist– isthat
  hedoesn’tabandonhisideasattheimaginationstage


• heguidesthemintobeingrealities.Testament
  perhapstohisTinkerbelltheory?“Ifyoucanfind
  threepeoplewhobelievepassionatelyinthething
  youbelievein,youcanmakeit happen,”heexplains.
  “Unlessit’sutterlybonkers.”
  Currentlyinthe‘makingit happen’stageisEden
  ProjectNorth– potentiallyopeningin2023.It
  intendstodrawonitsmarinelocation,inMorecombe,
  Lancashire,toincludegardensandlidos,nottomention
  40 metre-highmussel-shellinspireddomes,andit’s
  hopedit willbecomeasmuchofa drawastheEden
  Project,whichattractsaround1 millionvisitorsa year.
  Inbringingit torealisation,he’llbedrawingonyears
  ofhard-wonexperience.Theyearsoftusslingwith
  investors,lawyersandgeneralscepticismtocreate
  bothEdenProjectandTheLostGardensofHeligan
  (moreofwhich,later),shapedTimintotheforcehe

Educator,environmentalistandEdenProjectcreator,SirTimSmitKBE,tells

KatyBraveryhowharnessingtheimagination– coupledwithgritteddetermination

• hasthepowertomakeamazingthingshappen

istoday.Untilthen,byhisownadmission,he’dbeen

buskinghiswaythroughlife,relyingonquickwitto

getby.But,at37,helearnedwhathecallshis‘lesson

ofhappiness’.“IdecidedtobeasgoodasI couldbe.

So,whenI wenttobedhavingfailed,orwon,I’dknow

I’dgivenit mybestshot.”

Hepouredhisenergiesintoresearchingandtesting

hisviews,tobeconfidentinhisfactsandassertions,

anddevelopedwhathecallshis‘lastmanstanding’

strategy– nevertaking‘no’forananswer.Going

hand-in-handwiththatisthebestadvicehe’sever

had– tolosethefearofbeingdisliked.“Itdoesn’tmean

youhavetobea bastard,”heexplains.“Justthatyou’ve

workedoutwhatyouneedtodotoachievewhatyou

wanttoachieve.Don’tmakecompromisessimply

becausepeoplemightnotlikeyoufordoingit,”hesays.

SHARINGASTORY

Anotherlessonhonedwashowtocapturepeople’s

imaginations.Herecallshavingtoconvincesceptical

bankersandinvestorsaboutwhatEdencouldbe:

“IhadtobelievethatI couldfinda storythatwould

persuade 300 peoplewhowereprofessionallytrained

tosay‘no’tosay‘yes’”.Itwasn’tjustbankersthathe

hadtolearnhowtoconvince.Herecallsrecountinga

gorystoryabouttheplant-baseddrugsusedtosilence

humansfromscreamingduringAzteclivesacrifices

toa bunchofunrulyschoolchildrenvisitingHeligan.

“Theywereenthralled.I couldhavedoneanything

withthosekidsafterthat–though the parents were

WISDOM