It has been 2 weeks since I returned from Iceland, and its unsatisfactory having my world turned upside down again. I didn’t appreciate enough how fantastic it is to be able to work full-time in a studio. . .
So, since my return I have filled in some funding applications, some job applications (my current part-time job doesn’t cover rent let alone a studio) and had some ideas about what is next.
One of the funding applications asked to timetable the next year – I thought this was a great exercise as I genuinely sat down and planned the kind of things I want to do this year. And – even more relevant, I feel committed to them. Previously I might not have bothered to follow ideas through without a real motivation (as in a deadline or show) whereas now I am keen to explore them for myself.
I have had a lot more ideas about proposals for the collective I am involved in www.2-1-4-1.com. Collectively there are lots of things we want to achieve and personally some of the things I am interested in are: proposing shows/curating shows and engaging in participatory work.
I recently entered and was rejected from 2 drawing competitions/bursaries. The organisations who run them put them out there as “exploring the concept of drawing” and “pushing boundaries” and so on, but it seems that more often than not something traditional (but highly skilled) ends up being selected. I am not against this kind of work as it has its merits, but why advertise as being something which doesn’t get fulfilled? To me a drawing can be many things, and many things can be drawings. Therefore, I am going to work on a proposal challenging drawing and its wider concept.
Otherwise, attempting to sell some work and grasp onto some sort of balance will keep me occupied for the next few weeks . . .
