100 Seconds to Midnight

We are all parts of a whole.  Our individual actions, conversations, behaviours and mindsets can have an impact on our larger society.  Collectively, we can make change happen.  Collectively, we can each help to create a gender equal world. We can all choose to be #EachforEqual  International Women's Day 2020   For whilst I appreciate that not everyone will share my view that we can no longer ignore the environmental impact of our decisions and we need to take action - now - it was somewhat disheartening when the woman working in the local health food shop launched, unbidden, into a tirade against Greta Thunberg and then revealed herself to be an advocate for world leaders being our best hope. Thankfully my faith in humanity was restored a couple of days later when I received some art materials wrapped in a cardboard alternative to bubble wrap.  Particularly pleasing because it was unexpected, the company's website made no reference to being ...

Whilst busy doing "nothing" I am in the middle of preparing a workshop on Setting Goals for Artists and Creatives. This may seem incredulous given my last post but as the saying goes - you teach best what you most need to learn. Without giving too much away, and therefore rendering my workshop superfluous before it's even begun, the overall premise is simple - rather than focusing on the end result, you attend to the process that is going to get you there. So, to give a couple of (possibly not entirely random) examples, instead of pinning all your hopes on being happy when you reach your somewhat arbitrary dream weight of 60kg you put your focus on finding ways to enjoy healthy eating (that doesn't rule out the odd piece of cake!) Thinking (somehow) your life will be improved when you can run parkrun in 24 minutes becomes - how can I motivate myself to consistently go for a run midweek? I have been trying to adopt the principals since the New Year, and unlike the us...

OK, so I thought I had it sussed. Optimism over pessimism, anger management under control.  However, when your emotional response to the news is one of overwhelm, it turns out that's a whole different kettle of fish. Determined to make a difference and armed with my new found podcast from last week, I set out on a daily programme of re-education.  But a few days in and it's time for a rethink!  Instead of feeling inspired as I expanded my mind beyond the usual dog walking mental challenge of 'PopMaster' I started drowning in a sea of hopelessness. There is just too much wrong with the world: too many awful things happening to too many people and too much complacency about it; too much greed; too much plastic; and too many lies. It didn't take long for these feelings of anguish to spill over into my own life and Bam! instead of striding out across the park enjoying the fresh air and signs of spring, I'm trudging along getting stuck in the mud and dreaming o...

If there's ever a time to wake up, it's now Jerry Brown, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists At half past three on the 24 January 2019 I was the very grateful recipient of a one to one mentoring session aimed at kick starting my creative career, the photograph symbolic of my time having come. A year later and I can't help but feel that I've allowed it to slip by, in part due to feeling overwhelmed by living in a world that I increasingly don't recognise nor feel part of, a place where greed and consumerism are rife and pride in humanity is harder to find. I have made some progress with the launch of my creative career, but hurtling towards my 50th birthday I often become unstuck by technology that I don't understand and, a past master at self sabotage, it doesn't take much to throw me off course. I am very proficient at putting blocks in my way and sitting behind any number of excuses as to why not to do something. Yet over the past year there has al...