frenetic, frenetica, freneticness?

January frenetic times.

p(art)y Here and Now. planning and organising.

Applications for things- 2 submissions made

Connolly school performance art- once a week under Evelyn, Creative Schools facilitator.

Negative Space portraits- ongoing. 7 done, 5 to go.

EIR Creative Places Shannon ongoing development of this..

Creative Circles January

When I write them down the need to be busy, productive/working/engaged, shows itself clearly. So, after Creative Circles last night and listening to one of the attendees Dermot saying he was writing a Haiku every day from now on to anchor himself into the present, and to try and prevent the days rolling by and not being able to remember what happened any given day of the week as he gets older.

THIS IS ME TOO BTW

I remembered I kind of use this blog for the same. It helps me remember what was uppermost in my mind (workwise) at any particular time and is a documentation of work being done, as of course not everything comes to fruition.

Spent beginning of January furiously writing 2 applications. Normally never publicise what I apply for but you know, it doesn’t matter. It makes no difference. It was an exciting adventurous open call, which was a lot of work and with my good artist comrade Bella’s submission review help and perspective (we send each other our applications and help each other with them- other artists have helped me with this before and its a wonderful thing) I was happy with what I submitted.

I realise these applications, which take so much work, need to be worth doing in their own right. They have to become separate entities from the actual open call. Statistically the probability of being offered the opportunity/bursary is slim- to be offered any bursary- is slim, as these things tend to be heavily subscribed to. This is not being pessimistic, only realistic.

So how does one merit such a chunk of time and effort spent on applying? No 1: it helps amalgamate your goals and objectify your practice; whats important, what you want and why. It also helps you look at what you’ve done till then, how and why, and makes you question your ongoing raison d’être. So, if carefully written, a worthwhile endeavour.

I don’t have the time to devote to doing many of these bursary open call applications, and my in-between emerging and mid career practice means that I don’t fit many of the descriptions of what they want. I’ve not had a solo show, bar one show of my portrait drawings a good few years ago. I’ve not had any residencies up till last year when I completed no less than 2, a major step forward for me. I’ve made better headway with funding, managing to get some last year and the year before for various projects. So writing applications is a carefully chosen project, only worth doing if the act of making the application is a useful one. I just cannot afford to put that amount of effort and time into something that has no guaranteed successful outcome. Anyway, I wrote it, I finished it, I submitted it. Out into the ether it goes. I feel like standing on the edge of a cliff, waving a hankerchief, as the application slowly floats out away into nothingness.

Initiated our first live participatory art event, which will be called p(art)y Here and Now, and is a collaborative effort between myself, Slavek Kwi, John Lillis and Laura Jane Allis. Feels like the right time for this and theres been a good interest level in attending. We hope to plan one on a monthly basis. We will see how it goes- as Slavek says even if its the 4 of us it will be worth doing. Agreed!

Kept going with the portrait series and met with Pat Flynn from Clare FM who interviewed me about the series, in the freezing cold last Tuesday. I’ve 7 done now and 5 more to do. Getting there. Noticed that Gabriel Moylan portrait had been quietly vandalised. What to do? Clare Arts are getting back to me with some feedback about what to do from here.

Started first session of performance art with Connolly School, Connolly, Clare, after vetting hassles. 2 classrooms in the whole school, lovely kids. We did Follow the leader, Simon says, partner mirroring, other stuff. Small serious freckled faces looking at me.

Made some headway on the Creative Places Shannon/EIR box painting project. Designs confirmed. Another artist on board to help. Dates to paint confirmed. Now I have to go out, clean, sand and prime the three boxes. And pray to the weather gods that it doesn’t rain on the days we have scheduled.

Again to go back to Creative Circles last night. Loads of new attendees. Great chats and honest, open discussions about slowing down and staying in the moment and how to deal with the great, crushing anxiety of daily life. Affirming and interesting and stimulating, and most of all grounding. Reminds you of whats important and that others go through the exact same anxieties, insecurities, self doubt. All normal.

Normal.

Normative.

Frenetic

Normetic.

Goodbye.