Chris van Schaick

Quite a bit, you realise, when you step inside the National Portrait Gallery. The entrance, just behind Trafalgar Square, is on a well worn path to and from West End offices and Whitehall corridors. I’d walked past many times until I promised myself I’d go inside once in a while and get uplifted.

And here on the ground floor, in the 1990-onwards permanent collection, are all sorts of familiar people. Inspiring people. All with flaws, but all of them up to something – and with a resolution to do something about it. You can see it in the pictures.

Here’s Mo Mowlam, when she’d changed the landscape of Northern Ireland. Next to her is Johnson Beharry, shortly after becoming first living person to be awarded the Victoria Cross in two generations. He saved 30 comrades in Iraq. Round the corner is Michael Eavis – inspired by a local blues event to start the Glastonbury festival in 1970. Across the way is Amy Williams, who was Britain’s first individual gold medallist at the Winter Olympics for thirty years – in the “Skeleton” event. And over there is Sir Paul Nurse. He won a Nobel prize trying to outwit cancer.

What unites them? Well unlike in the Peter Cook comedy skit, their eyes don’t follow you round the room. They’re too busy for that. Behind their eyes, they’re all thinking like mad. They’re engaging with the artist of course. But their non-stop thinking about what they’re up to hasn’t been allowed to pause for a moment. Even for a portrait.

Take a moment this week to think about what you’re up to. And when you’ve got a moment, pop into the National Portrait Gallery, www.npg.org.uk. There’s the old saying: ‘Every picture tells a story’ – what story would your picture tell about what you are up to?

Chris van Schaick is a facilitator and communicator who has worked with Steve Radcliffe at the BBC. chris@chrisvanschaick.co.uk or www.chrisvanschaick.co.uk