Simulacra And Simulations

The kids are back at school after half term, so now I'm re-focussed on work again. I've submitted my proposal for the business competition in the hope I can achieve funding for LAN activities.

I've been meaning to go to B&Q all last week to find some offcuts of mdf to build the Doll Gallery proper, but the kids became too demanding. I hope to do that sometime this week and get started on that.

My "studio" is currently my bedroom and lately I've been thinking of using my front room instead for more space. But that would mean a LOT of work.

But currently surviving on I.S. is a financial struggle as it is, and I would love to get rid of my landlord's manky green carpet and sand back the original floorboards. Do I have the money or the help to do that? No, I do not.

So for now I'm mulling that over whilst noticing that there is no small print anywhere that limits the amount of proposals you can submit for the business prize….. the law of averages says that the more I apply, the more chance I stand of winning!

Yesterday it only took me an hour to trawl through jobs listings not to find anything remotely suitable for a single parent with a degree.

I'm still waiting a reply from an email I sent to the Arts Council over 2 weeks ago. I wanted to know whether I need to find a gallery to exhibit at before applying for funding for the Doll Proposal. A meeting was arranged, but at the time I was helping John Newling and wanted to arrange it for a more convenient time. So far my enquiries are being fobbed off, much like my job applications, and in fact everything I do at the moment.

Speculative phonecalls to galleries invoke the usual "We're not taking anyone on at the moment, we're reducing staff". I did that "sitting on my ass" apparently….

Why don't I just get paid for the work I do when the kids are at school, as an artist?

I work 9a.m. to 3.30p.m. every day, but instead of claiming benefit, there should be a working wage available for artists from some kind of National Union of Artists..or something…

I don't want to sound completely negative, as I'm slowly getting together the LAN and I'm blagging opportunities wherever I can. I generally am not a cup half full gal, more of a cup overflowing, but that's balanced against the reality of this mini Victor Meldrew character that wonders why it's February and I'm not being paid a proper graduate salary for what I'm qualified for? I mean, no one does a degree (especially in the arts) to work in some other (lower paid) job just to make ends meet.

Last night I was invited to the launch of a business competition for undergraduates and graduates of the University.

Since setting up the LAN I have developed a strong business proposal to enable artist's opportunities in Lincoln for graduates of the University to engage with the wider community, and I had the opportunity to pitch this proposal along with business proposals from other undergraduates, to the group of people attending.

I only went and won!!!

£20 Waterstones voucher, just about covers the cost of my babysitter for the evening, although I'll obviously have to re-invest that in some kind of book, possibly entitled Single Parents Guide to Starting A Business, or something like that.

I feel quite chuffed, so now I'll have to submit my proposal for the competition and hope I can gain some funding for various art ventures within the new group, including a potential doll exhibition for the original Doll Proposal, and there is hopefully potential for another exhibition at the castle hopefully as well.