Due to all sorts of reasons, I’ve not been in the studio now for over a week. The cold weather, having a few days away, impending Christmas holidays and the possibility of doing some computer based work at home have made me lazy.
It’s not good for me to be away for so long really because I lose my rhythm. How do other artists feel about being away from their work over holiday periods? I’m ok for a few days and then I get a bit twitchy and feel the need.
I have a very busy 2023 ahead of me, more details later, as things get sorted, but initially I need to make a list of work from the last ten years or so that shows a sweep of my practice, in order to ship it out for an exhibition. Not a retrospective exactly, but a sort of pick and mix, maybe a mini-retrospective? This is definitely focussing my mind somewhat! I’ve done LOADS – so what to choose? Are my favourite pieces necessarily the ones that tell the best story? I expect before I send them off, I will change my mind several times! And also, which music?
This afternoon I am at home again, sat at the computer, writing this blog post, but also listening to the first mixes of the band’s third EP (called intriguingly ‘3’) to send back to the gloriously talented Michael Clarke who is producing it. I worked with him on Drawing Songs, and he truly is a miracle worker.
I feel the need to decorate the tree and make mince pies. But while I do this I keep thinking of the work in the studio. And when I am in the studio all I can think about is mince pies and painting something festive on my front window. I’ll be like this till about 3rd January I expect… and then it’ll take me ages to get back into a rhythm.
I am torn!
