Last Thursday evening the launch for ZeitgeistAP (ZAP) took place. ZAP is a new venture created by Rosalind Davis and Annabel Tilley with the education of artists by artists at its core. It was a great night and it felt positive and uplifting to be amongst old friends and supporters of ZAP’s ventures, as well as meeting new ones.
For me personally, it was the first night of welcoming people into my new studio space and it felt good to be back, reunited with my stuff, talking about my work with those who were interested – crucially, feeling like an artist again.
Feeling like an artist again is very much at the heart of what I’ve been thinking about this past week. It’s now over three months since I started writing Keeping It Together – a relatively short time in comparison to the lifespan of some other blogs, I know – but it’s been an intense learning curve and it’s felt like I’ve covered a lot of ground. When I first took the plunge and started writing this blog, there were all sorts of questions hanging in the air: Where did I fit in, for example – both in my immediate, local artist community and in the artist community at large? Where would I re-establish my practice, I wondered, and where would I feel more at home, both within myself and in relation to others?
A lot of those questions have now been answered; I’m settling into my new studio, surrounded by a group of artists who are sensitive and respectful. It’s time to look forward, not back and most importantly for me, it’s time to rediscover the physical activity of creating, to embrace and put into motion the ideas I’ve held in my mind since the Autumn. Having been reacquainted with my collections and having the space to unwrap them, I’m aching to get back to creating something with them.
Working from home has had some advantages – not least that it enabled me to have the time and space to write this blog. First and foremost however, I’m an artist, not a writer and it’s for this reason that I’ve decided to make this the last post on Keeping It Together and to end this blog. Given that I’ve gained so much through writing it, this is not a decision I’ve taken lightly. I’ve invested a lot in it, both in terms of time and emotion. The rewards have been great – I will miss it, I’m sure.
To be honest, I’ve been astonished by the amount of people who have read it and I’ve been equally flattered that so many have taken the time to leave their personal responses to some of the things I’ve written about. Those who have commented on the Artists Talking network itself, those who have e-mailed me directly, those who have helped promote the blog and those with whom I’ve had conversations about it have all helped to make my first attempt at blog writing a very positive experience for me.
That’s why I’m sure I will return to blogging again at some point in the future. And though the time feels right to end this particular blog, my contact with other artist/bloggers will carry on. I’ll still be following and leaving comments on many of the sites on Artists Talking and continuing to contribute towards and feel a part of a wonderfully supportive and nurturing community.
Keeping It Together has been a constant in what has felt at times like a very difficult journey. On the day I lost my former studio, it was as if I was peering into a huge abyss. In the weeks that followed, the blog has been like a bridge helping me across. I’ve reached the other side now, safe and sound; many of you have played a part in helping me reach more solid ground. Thank you for helping me Keep It Together.
