Pride comes before a fall.
I confess to being too smug about my recent discipline in the studio. Today it started to unravel. I could have gone but instead I went charity shopping in Wilmslow! I didn’t even find anything I liked. And I’ve just looked in my diary and realised that I have booked non- art things in for every studio day for the next two weeks. I’m really pissed off with myself. it is too easy to see studio time as flexible time – as opposed to paid work time which I just have to do and nothing gets in the way of that. studio time can get filled up with hairdressers, opticians, meetings… And some of it is art-related, which is fair enough, and are hair appointments and eye appointments not part of life and art is part of life, and something about having this ‘free’ time makes me feel expansive and happy and does that not help the creative process? or am I justifying being flaky and thinking I’m an artist when I’m just floating about and saying I’m an artist instead of making art which is what actually makes me an artist. that’s my biggest danger, thinking rather than doing. I spent 40 years doing that.
And the other thing is that a break makes it so much harder to get started again, and allows such insecurities to creep in. Loss of momentum leads to loss of confidence, which is fatal to creativity.
Oh poo!
I’m so enjoying working in the studio, despite the cold. I’m trying to get into a routine of 2 days there a week. It has been quiet since Mia and I moved in, but yesterday three other artists were there and it felt like more of a community. I’m having a meeting next week to take over responsibility for the website. It will be good to get it up to date.
I had a day researching Victorian underwear at Gawthorpe Hall this week, for the work that I’m developing from my last residency. They have a massive textile collection and the staff are so helpful, but I just didn’t have long enough. I looked at the construction of knickers, chemises and combinations, but I could have done with a day per garment.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-gawthorpeha…
They also told me about a 19th century book called ‘The Workwoman’s Guide’ which has construction details for everything from clothes to curtains. I found a digital version, so I spent yesterday creating some basic patterns and next week I will take in some cotton sheets and start sampling.
I’m thinking about applying for an internship with BlankMedia. I’ve been very impressed with the shows they have curated, and I had a mentoring session with them which was really helpful. I think that I have time at the moment and it would be an opportunity to get more links with the Manchester arts scene. Their exhibition at Nexus Art Cafe is on until 11th April, and their Greenroom exhibition is on until 10th April and both are worth seeing
http://www.blankmediacollective.org/events/
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