I have been passed on a great bit of advice by my lovely mentor Morag from Creative Northants – which I am atempting to hold in the forefront of my mind at all times from now on. It is from a book by an olympic rowing person –
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Will-Make-Boat-Faster-Olym…
the key bit is – however good an idea is – will it make the boat go faster?
Aside from the fact that my dear husband pointed out that I don’t have a boat, this seems to be very good advice. Being one who is prone to trot off in a thousand different directions just because of a good idea, I am hoping that this philosophy will help to rein in my wayward enthusiasm and try to ‘keep on task’ as they say in schools.
So today, I had a great day, with my car in the garage I had no choice but to spend the day at the studio making stuff. Which is what I want to do anyway, but somehow always seem to manage to persuade myself otherwise.
So in an effort to turn my boat into concord (if you pardon the mixed metaphors) I have (almost) finished one SUPERHERO GADGET (Cage #1) and have started on SUPERHERO GADGET (Cage #3) which unfortunately necessitated hunting through my discarded clothing collection.
Here is where I became a little unstuck. Now I have many piles of colour co-ordinated clothing all with appropriate bits removed (thought I had already done this but no!) and no room whatsoever to work in.
Still it feels good to see what I’ve got in the pile. Shame I decided to separate a lot of the buttons from the clothes to put in jars (damn that button box collecting habit I inherited from granny) so I now don’t quite have what I need.
Anyway, if I can just get these FINISHED the race is as good as won.
Been trying to get back to work this week but finding it very hard. Everywhere I’m reading tweets and blogs full of excited inspiration, but I just can’t seem to find this for myself yet.
As ever what I SHOULD be doing is I am sure right under my nose, and I am stubbornly or blindly refusing to see it. I know what I should be doing but can’t quite start.
Looking back over past work the pattern seems to be to wander about like this for a while then have a burst of making (usually with a bizarrely short deadline approaching) then to wander about again. This is not a productive or professional approach. As ever I am in dire need of a proper plan.
But for now I can’t see the wood for the trees…..
After a lacklustre start due to persistant illness (and first sober New Year since time began) I feel that this year needs to bear fruit.
I also feel that it needs new levels of autheticity. I don’t have time to waste. I need to do this stuff now before I am old and infirm and no longer care.
So today was my first ‘bag-free’ performance.
I am trying to see how performance can fit more readily into my work. The ideas are there but I’m not sure that I am. How to tackle this rather primary issue has been troubling me for some time. It is all very well having the most interesting ideas in the world but if you can’t execute them you might as well try to crochet with jam.
A, as yet unofficially named, group has formed in the Embrace Arts building of Leicester loosely under the banner of Circuit, but more unofficial and free forming. At the meeting today there were five of us.
Having long struggled with ‘official’ and ‘unofficial’ actions this was unknown ground for me having decided that I would do a performance at midnight last night it was pretty impropmptu – something that I never do.
It feels very strange writing about it here – not even sure that I can. Here is Sally Lemsford documentation of my performance.
Well 2013. Welcome. You have not made a particularly good start but I’m prepared to be just a little bit patient with you. I hold in my aura the power of positive thinking and I am sure THIS will be the year.
For 2013 gone will be the silly socks.
We will only be having serious socks from now on.
Only black and white versions of colour will be allowed or will come attached with appropriate eyewear and strict instructions.
Manifestos will be followed.
Make up will be worn.
Your have been warned.
