It’s July. This means that I have finished my cataloguing work FOREVER. I’m sad and a little anxious about the safety net it provided (a teeny one, but there nonetheless), however, I have to acknowledge that it has always stressed me out and I’ve often left it all to do at the end of the month like an idiot. Last month I left myself 166 cataloguing hours to do on top of doing the book for Yorkshire, being in schools and several other projects. I have been racing home from school workshops the last few weeks, getting on the computer and staying on it until midnight or late and all weekend, and getting up at 6.30. Now I have completely lost my voice. I am coughing like a 30-a-day smoker. Worst thing; IT’S MY OWN FAULT. I MADE THE DECISIONS AND DID IT TO MYSELF.
The fact that I have done it to myself is one reason I am so fed up of hearing my own complaining. So it has to stop. No more. I am going to oooze positivity from now on. No, I am, really.
Another thing that is done and dusted, is the Liverpool Art Prize. It was the awards last night and I was dreading driving back from Yorkshire for them and getting up again at 5am today. I didn’t win any money, but then I wasn’t too surprised about that as I have said before. I did have some nice chats with people though and got some feedback and requests to keep in touch. I did, however, feel like crap and couldn’t talk too well so ended up missing the after-party in favour of a hot bath and bed. I don’t want to end up with a chest infection or similar.
Ian and Minako (the forces behind artinliverpool.com and the art prize) handed me an envelope after the announcements – with a cheque for £400. They had some extra sponsorship and decided to share it among the artists – truly everyone was a winner :D Glad to be able to pay for my van tax – due today, as well as being reimbursed for my materials. No payment for time, but I would say the benefits of the show have already more than outweighed that fact.
Most importantly, it is amazing to have the whole judging malarky out of the way. It has been stressing me out, no matter that I felt sure of the result, it’s just the weight of it all and the not knowing. Not feeling massive relief yet, and I still got back to my hotel room this evening and turned the laptop on immediately, before realising I don’t have to.
I pick up the pages for my Yorkshire Sculpture Park book from the printers on Monday, so next week will be screenprinting, assembling, cutting and a different kind of workload. I am pretty anxious about what the reaction is – I’m not used to being wholly responsible for something like that – especially when it has the institution’s logo on it and an ISBN provided by them. Not to mention the fact they have paid for it all. Exciting too, but bloody nervewracking, especially with the hand-made element… the screenprinting could bugger up completely after all!
Right, I’m going to do.. er not much actually. To be mainly horizontal perhaps.
