(no subject)
So...
I eventually went and emailed about the writing group and suggested that we change nothing, but that we all try to be a bit more positive in the critiquing (that was one of the things people mentioned). Oddly enough I then got a few bravos and applauses, including one from the person that started the whole thing (!!!), perhaps because I was pretty nice and didn't mention any names. Still, I guess that the best solution, if the person stirring up all the mess gives in, saves face and perhaps doesn't really realise how much she had pissed everyone off.
Anyway, I found myself writing (another) manifesto. I seem to be writing quite a few of those these days. Perhaps it's because I'm often questioned about my direction in life, I end up giving people my manifesto for living. Well, here's part of my manifesto for art, and by art I mean all art and I include writing. After some discussion with Blokey, we decided that it applied to sport as well. Anyway, here it is (it's a little pompous. but hey, what manifesto isn't):
'I believe that art, any art, is a journey of discovery, an almost alchemical process by which the authors increasing skill and sophistication leads them inexorably to create work infused with their individual viewpoint of the world. It's very interesting to watch and do as the individual viewpoint is there at the start of the process, but isn't easily communicable until the author has progressed enough to have an individual style.'
I didn't expect it to go down as well as it did, then I remembered that most normal people don't go around discussing and refining their manifesto for life and motives every day. Some people manage to go an entire day without re-questioning their entire life choices. Some people are lucky.
Anyway, what else has happened?
Thurs, I did Aikido. I'm still not sure if I like it or not. It's not as meditative as Katori, but it is interesting and a useful skill to learn. I managed to breakfall (once) by deciding I was going to do it. It seemed to help.
Fri, I went to London and met up with some Chelt Lit Fest people. One of whom is doing a course on cartooning so we went to a few comic book shops and I looked through all the manga and wished that we had manga libraries like they do in Japan. Still I've been reading manga on my husbands ebook reader which is cool. I've been working through 20th Century Boys which is brilliant. Anyways, I ended up spending money. I bought a book by this guy:
http://www.stevegoslingphotography.co.uk/
and some IR film. I have finally found a nice shop full of films and film related stuff.
Then in the evening, I met up with other people, munched food, drank and chatted with them. I ended up in a cocktail bar that was playing 90's alternative and was very chilled out. The problem with living in Winch is no matter how good the day was, you end up spending an hour on a train bored with an ipod that's lost it;s charge and once you get home at 1.30 am you're not quite as happy. Sigh. I was sooooo tired. I;ve been sleeping quite a bit recently. Still, tomorrow I'm heading to London for A's birthday, but we are staying up there in a hotel as there's engineering works. It's gonna be great, we can stroll from the pub in fulham to the b&b in earls court and then sleep. No being drunk on the train with no water to purchase. No getting annoyed at the fact that they wouldn't pay someone to give out drinks, but they will pay someone to check tickets. No calling the ticket collector a facist when he asks for your railcard. (I managed not to do this, just). Sigh.
Anyway, tomorrow, I have a poetry tutoring session, then a 30th meal & party. Sun, I have to tutor! Mon, I have my first driving lesson, then a trip to town for Ali's birthday. Phew! It almost makes up for the fact that, because of the persistent rain, I didn't go on a phototrip to bournemouth today! Instead we went to the out of town tesco's once it stopped raining and the cabbie who (eventually) made it through the traffic to rescue us from the torrential (and cold) rain turned out to be one of the aikido guys. I thought he must be a bouncer, he looks like one, but there we go. We now know a taxi driver and, of course, the first time in years we call a taxi, it's the taxi driver we know.
Oh, and I did some piccies, I didn't really feel in the mood, but that's not the point, I felt like I had to do some picture stuff!