Just finished another artistic ritual creating a dreamy self-portrait. My last creative act of the decade.
Like most people, I like to take the opportunity to look back over the last year on New Year’s Eve; but I also find it fascinating to look back over the last decade. So far, I’ve always found myself in a place that I could not have imagined ten years previously, and I always find that comforting.
However, I have a suspicion that this relatively rapid change is going to come to an end in a year or two, because life has been plodding along pretty much in the same old way since my daughter was born, just over 7 years ago.
10 years ago, I was just coming up to the final stages of the Green Gallery project, trying to persuade reluctant artists to sign contracts, and on the cusp of resigning from my part time teaching post.
Running my own IT business, having another child with my partner, leaving the place we were living at the time. These were not things that were anywhere close to the horizon.
I don’t really want things to continue as they are. The IT business is a pain – though I’ve learned a lot from it, and it’s a reliable cash-cow, it really does get me down from time to time.
I’m also fed up with our living situation, and my study/studio, which are both far from ideal. I had been hoping that the property “crash” would bring a mortgage within reach, but far from it – exploitative borrowing rates coupled with (astoundingly) continued property price rises in this area mean we’re priced out as never before.
Finally, I’d like to get back into collaborative work again. The last 8 years has seen me working pretty much on my own, snatching half a day here, half a day there, and the demands of children have made any regular meetings impossible, even (especially, in fact) in the evenings.
I can see a way out of the IT business – I explored this in my last blog – but I think it’s going to take more than a couple of years to get that truly sorted. But I’m upbeat on that one.
I’ve now got the time to make regular commitments, and will be joining the Oxford Improvisers, within which there is great potential for collaboration, and exciting new projects.
I’m also finding the a-n blogs and forums a great source of inspiration, and who knows, maybe I’ll make some valuable contacts through this route too?
Accommodation and living situation is going to be harder to fix; but a double-dip recession, or at least a major dip for house prices, in 2010 would be a magnificent outcome!
Happy New Year everybody!
