Pete is an architect, poet and superb craftsman. He loves his day job, a glass of wine while discussing the finer points with the winemaker, a beach wander, making things with his hands and has retained something else that life hasn’t managed to knock out of him: a very playful inner child.

Perhaps that’s why one of the things he has been exploring lately isn’t really an activity at all, but a way of thinking.

“I’ve been exploring the little bits of positive personal development that my well-curated online algorithm brings me. Regular little pushes in the right direction. Corrections of thought patterns. Helping myself through supporting my mental attitude.”

A positive outlook is also something he shares with his wife, Elizabeth, who Pete says has helped him enormously.

His path into architecture wasn’t exactly linear. Straight out of high school, he was almost a teacher before taking a mortar-and-trowel trade course, which eventually steered him towards building design. Those practical skills have stayed with him, earning him plenty of recognition on building sites.

But the teacher who almost was, never really disappeared either.

Pete has always had an instinct for connecting with children. He describes himself as a “funcle” – the fun uncle who could bring his nieces and nephews to squeals of delight. These days, he still enjoys games and magic tricks with young humans, while his connection with education has deepened through his understanding of early childhood development.

There is a lovely symmetry in all of this. Pete designs buildings, makes things, writes poetry and thinks about how people learn and grow. And now he is turning his attention to creating something else: a library corner at home.

The project combines his love of books with his increasingly serious woodworking skills. He has been working with 100-year-old Baltic pine floorboards salvaged from a renovated Semaphore home, using the gifted timber for small projects around the house. A recently acquired timber thicknesser has opened up the next stage.

“It’s exciting to push my DIY woodworking skills into more professional creations that beautify homes and increase the sense of sanctuary that Liz and I have created for ourselves in our own home.”

For Pete, making things isn’t just about the finished object. It is about creating something useful, beautiful and meaningful – whether that’s a building, a piece of furniture or a design solution for a client.

“Meaningful work now means making a difference in people’s lives.”

“When I receive thankful praise and feedback, I know I’m being useful.”

And perhaps usefulness, like creativity, doesn’t have an expiry date.

Pete’s perspective on getting older comes from having lived through enough ups and downs to know that not every crisis is the end of the world – even when it feels like it at the time.

“I’ve seen it all. The good, and plenty of the bad. The number of times I thought my world would end, and it didn’t.”

His advice is simple: be confident in your decisions, but be brave enough to change your mind. Talk things through with people you trust. And remember that some of the things that consumed your younger self may turn out to matter very little after all.

There is something very Still Becoming about that. Still learning. Still making. Still playing. Still building.

And perhaps, most importantly, still curious about what comes next.

---

This is part of the GreyMatter International Day of Older Persons on 1 October campaign. Who are you becoming?

For International Day of Older Persons on 1 October, GreyMatter is asking people a simple question: Who are you becoming?

Becoming isn’t about adding more to ourselves, it can also be about letting go of the expectations. The should haves, and could ofs, or the versions of ourselves we thought we had to be, then discovering there is still so much life left to live!!

Still becoming.
#GreyMatterStudioLife

This campaign will run for the Day of Older Person and Active Ageing Week.


1. What is something new you’ve taken up, learned, or explored recently that would have surprised your younger self?
2. When you look at where you are today, what is a chapter of your life story that people might not expect just by looking at your age?
3. What is a project, passion, or goal you’re actively focused on right now, and what’s driving your excitement for it?
4. How has your definition of purpose or meaningful work shifted over time, and what keeps you feeling connected and useful today?
5. If you could share one piece of wisdom with someone worrying about getting older, what would you tell them about the value of the perspective you have now?