Peter Gilderdale is a multidisciplined researcher, senior lecturer at the Auckland University of Technology, a postcard historian and a professional calligrapher. His calligraphic work has been internationally recognized and is one of just six southern hemisphere lettering artists to be listed as one 800 most significant contributors to the last 150 years of world letter arts. Amongst many things we talk about the notion of originality, its link to middle class identity, the value of doing and acknowledging good work, what having a style really means and how to harness curiosity.