From Page-Turners to Treadmills: Matt Holt’s Essential Brain Fuel

People

I am fascinated by the books of Philip Pullman – I love disappearing into his worlds. His Dark Materials is pure escapism for me and ignites my imagination when I need it most. It’s bold, daring and beautifully written, serving as a perfect inspiration when I’ve got a lot of writing to do, be that for presentations or proposals. I am also a big Murakami fan. Again, his surreal imagination – like the talking cats in Kafka On The Shore - gives me mental stimulation when I need it. These are the random dots my brain connects later on. That’s where ideas come from.

Play

Running, sprinting and exercising – whenever I get stuck on anything, I go for a run. Physical energy creates mental energy. Often, I’ll return from a run and rush to get a pencil to scribble down my thoughts. It works every time. It’s almost a cheat code for inspiration for me. While I am a (now ageing) sprinter by trade, I took up longer distance running to get out of the house during the lockdowns. I’ve even run a few half marathons. It’s been great for physical and mental health, and for tackling those tough problems you sometimes feel you won’t be able to crack.

Places

We live near to the Kent coast and I love going to the seaside. Seeing the sea somehow resets everything and puts it all in perspective. Whitstable, Broadstairs and Eastbourne are a few of our family favourites. We all love the vibe of Whitstable in particular. The wind, the sea and the sand are great to calm the brain before diving back into the latest Pullman.

Matt Holt is the chief strategy director at Digitas