Artists have the capacity to see things that do not yet exist. They can imagine, interpret and create something that was previously only an idea, and bring it into existence. I think that ability fundamentally changes how you learn to see the world. Through my training as an artist, I have learned to view history through an artistic lens. When I read a book, I don't simply process the words on the page; I begin to visualise what the author is describing. I see images, shapes, relationships and patterns. I can almost construct the environment, the people and the circumstances being described. As a result, I tend to see things on several levels simultaneously. I look beyond what is immediately visible and consider the relationships, influences and underlying structures that have contributed to what I am observing.